Good street side restaurants offering traditional Portuguese fare. Don’t miss the ferry to tavira beach, it is very inexpensive. There is also a little tourist train from barril that goes across to the island. In Tavira, wonder the cobblestone streets on both sides of the river and discover things along the way. Parking is fairly easy to find but you need coins for meters (4 hours max), or free parking in the lot by the Repsol station if you are early enough.

We took the ferry to Tavira island. It is inexpensive and lively. When we arrived, we walked down a path with some interesting sculptures. No beach chairs or sun loungers but beautiful surf and lovely sand. A few restaurants were open. Worth the trip to see the beach.

We visited tavira island twice via a very reliable boat trip from tavira town. The beach is beautiful and the water was pretty warm for February. A couple of restaurants open for lunch too. The sandy beach is full of beautiful shells. Recommend visiting any time of year.

Miles of beautiful soft sand and a calm sea which looked so inviting I had to take of my sandals and have a paddle. It wasn't as cold as I feared. Would have been happy to sit here for hours or walk from one end to the other, so peaceful and unspoilt. Not a lot of choice for lunch in January but we were grateful something was open as we hadn't packed a picnic. Very cheap ferry ride, worth every cent.

A cool little town right by the water. Easy parking. We walked a little ways then grabbed a tram the optional 3/4 miles out to the ocean. The little area on the beach had a restaurant and nice bathrooms. Beaches are wonderful. We walked back instead of taking the little tram.

Lovely place with enormous beach, lots of space, ample sun loungers, and a good range of restaurants for lunch. The boat trip out there is a delight too - 20 minutes each way, 2.50€ return, boats at least every hour. A great find:)

Nice excursion by boat to the island. Plenty of restaurants around. However, I didn't try any of them. Could do with a toilet block on the beach. The nearest public toilet is a good 20-minute walk in the heat where you disembark and embark on the boat. There are toilets in the restaurant's, though.

Booked Tavira, Portugal because of a number of reasons. Location. Tavira is 30 mins from Faro airport, has reasonable access to the beach and was small enough to get about by foot. Weather. The weather this week has been wonderful. between 28c to 34c (which by mid-day was a little too hot ) but shade and a cool drink helps. Food. The food in Portugal has always been a favourite of ours. Fresh fish, seafood, Piri Piri Chicken etc and. Friendliness. The people in Tavira have been as usual open, caring and friendly. There are some steep roads up to Maria Nova but only five mins so even with mobility issues, managed okay. Be aware of the taxi service not using meters and the road leading to the church and water tower are very steep and can be slippery. Overall, some fantastic meals, great food, quiet and long chats with new friends, a quieter more chilled vibe than Albufeira or Lagos. But a great place to recharge.

Easy to get to on the ferry and a beautiful sandy beach. Plenty of food options too, especially if you want a nice seafood lunch with fresh fish. Awesome to see the efforts going into sustainability and preserving the sand dunes. You can rent a sun lounger or just sit on the beach. Even in September the sun is hot and because the wind picks up after lunch it can be deceptive. Expect queues for the ferry if going over first thing or coming back mid afternoon.