First time we went to the east side of the Algarve. What a lovely surprise definitely a secret gem. A must is the ferry trip over to Tavira beach (1.90 euro return, umberella 2 sunbeds 11 euro) you can even have a massage or join in a zumba session on the beach and the place to eat is SAL, octopus to die for. Tavira itself is a lovely place to stay with plenty to see and things to do in the evening.
A big thank you to Martin what a lovely apartment everything you need and so very clean and furnished to a high standard, would definitely stay there again.

The property is centrally based and ideal for exploring Tavira. However there are issues that need to be borne in mind. There are 2 pubs very close to the property. While the one next to the property was closed for the duration of our stay we were informed that it plays loud music until 2am. The other attracts local teenagers, is particularly noisy and again closes at 2am. The property is not child friendly and is not suitable for anyone who has mobility problems. The roof terrace is reached by a staircase that would challenge any health and safety officer to pass it in the UK particularly as both the staircase and the roof terrace were unlit. The condition of the property on arrival left a lot to be desired in terms of cleanliness.
To add insult to injury we were challenged by the owner about the sheets being dirty at the end of the let. There was nothing in the letting arrangements about washing the sheets on departure (not the norm!) and in any event what is expected after sleeping in the same ones for 10 days!!

The booking of the apartment was straight forward. There were some minor communication issues on our arrival, but we had arrived early. We were met at the apartment and shown around the property which we found very spacious for 5 adults. It was extremely well presented and equipped. We appreciated the barbecue on the roof terrace, WiFi and beach towels. In addition to the local Pingo supermarket referred to in the other reviews, we twice used the indoor market on the other side of the river to buy local fish. This is at the end of the bridge nearest to the beach. The town had holy week processions on Palm Sunday and Good Friday with lavender strewn on the bridges. The Friday evening procession was particularly dramatic when the street lights were switched off. We had a hire car and were able to park free of charge in the road adjacent to the supermarket. In April the only ferry to the beach runs from Quatro Aguas which is just outside the town. We drove to a beautiful beach further along the coast at Barilla which was accessed by a pontoon bridge and a small train. Tavira is a very attractive small town. the only negative point in our stay was that there is a bar next door that, during our stay, played music to 2am each morning except Sunday. The younger members in our group slept through it. Our deposit was returned promptly.