Tavira is filled with historic churches (21 in all) and magnificent mansions dating mainly from the 16th to 18th centuries. Of all the temples, the church of Santa Maria do Castelo is particularly interesting, with its clock tower and Gothic doorway.

To the east of Tavira and overlooking the sea is the still original traditional village of Cacela-a-Velha used by the Phoenicians and later becoming the possession of the Knights of Santiago in 1240.

Near to Tavira is Cabanas and Pedras del Rey, both small beachfront villages catering specifically for the tourist.

The beach for this town lies past the salt pans and is reached by a ferryboat that takes the visitor to the sandy-bar island known as Ilha de Tavira, the island offers 11 kilometres (8 miles) of some of the finest beaches in the region, being also part of the Ria Formosa nature reserve and popular among bird-watchers.