Towns and Cities of the Eastern Algarve
Explore the historic charm of the Eastern Algarve: from Olhão to Vila Real de Santo António, among typical streets, streams and walls.
Living history between the sea and the mountains
The Eastern Algarve invites you to discover places full of identity. In Tavira, get lost in the cobblestone streets and Moorish monuments. In Cacela Velha, admire the scenery over the estuary. Pass through Santa Luzia, a village of the fishing tradition, and explore Olhão and its cubist architecture. In Castro Marim and Vila Real de Santo António, the border and maritime history is revealed at every corner.
Tavira
Tavira, a city of 37 churches, with its medieval castle, unfolds along the two banks of the Gilão River, connected by the charm of several bridges, one of them Roman.
Known as the ‘Venice of the Algarve’, it is notorious for its manor houses of unique architecture, with doors and wickets of carved wood and hipped roofs.
Starting from Golden Club Cabanas, you can take a walk to Tavira on foot or by bike (via the Ecovia do Algarve) or by car (6 km).
Santa Luzia
Santa Luzia is a fishing village 10 km from Golden Club Cabanas, where you can also stroll along the riverside and taste Algarve snacks.
Born in 1577, when fishermen built a hermitage dedicated to Santa Luzia, this town has always lived from the sea. It was fished with a hook and also surrounded the fish with nets that were pulled to the sand. In the frame of the barrel , tuna was caught. From 1927, fishermen began to dedicate themselves to fishing for octopus with buckets and eggs. Even today, Santa Luzia is considered the “capital of the octopus”.
Departing from Golden Club Cabanas, you can take a boat trip along the estuary to Santa Luzia.
Cacela Velha
From the promontory of Cacela Velha, a white village with an eighteenth-century fortress and church, you discover a breathtaking view of the Ria Formosa, with its meanders of currents and sands.
To better appreciate the route, the farms and the orange groves, take an electric Tuk Tuk to Cacela Velha and Praia da Fábrica. Entertain yourself by discovering the Arab remains in the streets of Cacela Velha, then stroll along the banks of the Ria Formosa contemplating the landscape and watching the birds.
Departing from Golden Club Cabanas, you can take a walk to Cacela Velha by bike (via Ecovia do Algarve) or by car (8 km).
Olhão
Olhão started as a fishing community. It is a city full of ancient legends and myths. It is said that it has five legends in five squares, and this is the motto of the visit.
Despite being an important fishing port, Olhão preserves typical Algarve architecture and is known as the “cubist city”, due to the cube-shaped houses that we will visit in the narrow streets of the historic center. Here we find a famous market of sea and land products, very lively.
Olhão is a 30 km drive from Golden Club Cabanas, and a short train ride from Conceição de Tavira station (a 15-minute walk from the resort).
Castro Marim
Castro Marim is a historic village marked by border and military memories. Surrounded by a castle and walls that amaze the eye, it preserves legends in its stones and stories of smuggling.
The tour runs through old streets to the medieval castle and the fortress of São Sebastião, passing by the Casa do Sal, with views over the salt pans and the Guadiana River. It is a place of silence, authenticity and wide landscapes between Portugal and Spain.
Castro Marim is about 24 km from Golden Club Cabanas, a car journey of just over 20 minutes.
Vila Real de Santo António
Vila Real de Santo António is an elegant and luminous city, born from the Marquis of Pombal’s desire to rebuild the Algarve after the earthquake of 1755. Planned with geometric streets and wide squares, it is known for its Pombaline layout by the river.
The tour takes us through the central square, with its obelisk and symmetrical buildings, along the banks of the Guadiana and to the recreational port. There are traditional shops, charming cafes and a quiet atmosphere that mixes the present with the memory of other times.
It is about 20 km from Golden Club Cabanas and is easily accessible by car or train from Conceição de Tavira station.
Explore more than landscapes
Immerse yourself in the culture of the Eastern Algarve with tours of authentic villages and towns full of stories to tell.
