Sintra | Portugal Special Report

Tavira is an ancient town in southeastern Portugal, found where the Atlantic Ocean meets a sun-blessed stretch of coastline peppered with islands and lagoons. It’s a river town, spliced by the River Gilao, with attractive squares full of restaurants, cafés, and social buzz on either side.

Tavira is relatively small, with a population of 28,000 people. Forming part of that number are more and more expats who hail from Sweden, Italy, France, Germany, Britain, and more recently, Canada and the United States. They’re drawn in by Tavira’s offer of easy, peaceful living in what is considered to be the Algarve’s most charming town.

Discover Tavira in this Portugal Special Report.

Faro is the capital of Portugal’s Algarve region, home to an international airport and where you’ll most likely arrive if you travel to the Algarve by plane. Despite the flow of tourists it receives, Faro has kept a strong Portuguese identity and boasts a lively center, with a marina, jacaranda trees, and stately buildings.

The place has character and a keen sense of history. It’s not a clone of anywhere else and the smart money, domestic and foreign, is arriving to boost the economy. More real estate investment is coming into Faro itself and the city has a confident, expansive air.

Discover Faro in this Portugal Special Report.