Historical holiday house to rent
"The Bridge House" Tavira, Algarve  |
| View of the house from the opposite river bank |
http://www.facebook.com/TaviraCasadaPonte
This unique property in the heart of the historic town of Tavira in the Algarve, is a delightful self-contained house which has recently been renovated to a modern standard whilst maintaining its original 15th century foundations as well as it's late 19th century house charm. It is still the only house in Tavira situated directly on the river bank as up until the 15th century it served as the town's bridge fortress.
This unique property in the heart of the historic town of Tavira in the Algarve, is a delightful self-contained house which has recently been renovated to a modern standard whilst maintaining its original 15th century foundations as well as it's late 19th century house charm. It is still the only house in Tavira situated directly on the river bank as up until the 15th century it served as the town's bridge fortress.
Its location on the left bank of the river
Gilão, which leads to beautiful beaches 2km downstream, allows outstanding
panoramic views of this characterful town from every angle in the house. A
fully equipped kitchen leads to an indoor dining room or directly onto the
terrace, which we are sure you will find to be one of the main attractions of
the house as it provides ideal conditions for sunbathing, reading and outside
dinning where sunset drinks and evening barbecues are a must!
Steps from the terrace lead down to a shady arab style open-air patio, which opens to the river, and is also suitable for entertaining or relaxing on hot summer days.
Steps from the terrace lead down to a shady arab style open-air patio, which opens to the river, and is also suitable for entertaining or relaxing on hot summer days.
Rooms
Getting there:
Airports: 30min drive (or Taxi) from Faro International Airport (Plenty of regular and charter flights from the UK). A 3hour motorway drive from Lisbon Airport.
The town of Tavira
Tavira is a small historical town and port on
the southeast coast of Portugal only 60km from the Spanish border. Its origins
can be traced back almost 3000 years as a Phoenician port, later influenced by the Romans, and following that, the Moorish presence lasted until the 12th
century.
Nowadays you can enjoy strolling through the
old town finding Moorish, Medieval as well as 18th and 19th
century architecture on every street. The medieval Castle commands a fine view over the traditional old rooftops and the river estuary flowing out to
sea.
Beaches
There are several fine beaches within easy
access from the house. The beaches are within the protected natural reserve of
the Ria Formosa, famous for bird watching. A five minute walk will take you to
the 'boat stop' of a twice hourly small passenger boat which provides open air
transport to the white sandy beaches of the Island of Tavira in 20min. Private
water taxis will also take you to more secluded beaches on request. By car,
beaches in either west or east directions are within a 15min drive allowing you
access to over 40km of beaches to explore! All beaches in the area have
consistently received the highest quality of water and cleanliness European
awards (http://www.blueflag.org/).
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| Island of Tavira |
Golf
The Algarve is famous for its many golf courses
of which Tavira boasts four - three of them are 18hole courses, one being the
renowned course of Benamor designed by Sir Henry Cotton. The excellent weather
conditions in the Algarve, with 300 days of sunshine per year make it an ideal
holiday choice for golfers.
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| Monte Rei Golf Course |
Shopping
Tavira still has an active local
population and hence does not have the resort feel of many other places in the
Algarve. A 15min walk from the house, there is a traditional market and a modern supermarket, but the shops on
the doorstep provide basic essentials. Cafes and bars are scattered throughout
the town. The traditional market is a little further on and has a wide
selection of fresh fish, fruit, vegetables and flowers and maintains a rustic
but entertaining environment.
Restaurants
There are plenty of interesting restaurants in
Tavira serving both traditional Algarvian dishes as well as international menus
with an obvious emphasis on sea-food. Tavira is also known for its famous
almond based cakes.
Culture and entertainment
During July and August Tavira has a programme
of summer evening entertainment in the town square covering all musical tastes,
comedy, drama and poetry readings. The town’s Cultural Centre located in the Galeria Palace hosts art and historical exhibitions all year round and local artists
and artisans have curious commercial art galleries in town. The month of August
also stages a book fair and a fair of traditional local produce and
handicrafts. Birdwatching is particularly rewarding specially in the salt-pans
near the beach where local and migrating birds are abundant. Walking and
cycling in the nearby hills and upstream to the river cascade as well as local
riding schools are some of the more active things to do in this quiet town.
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| View of the nature reserve and beaches |
Prices, availability and bookings
Prices start at 80 euros a night but depend on the time of the year. Please email us indicating your dates and number of people staying and we shall email back a quote. We have a minimum of 4 nights for each reservation.
Maximum people 8 (adults or children).
Please email tavira.casadaponte@gmail.com or call (+44)07709622095 for further information
Airport pickup and regular house cleaning during your stay are available at an extra cost.
Airport pickup and regular house cleaning during your stay are available at an extra cost.
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| The house and the old roman footbridge |
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View from the terrace
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| Sunset at the mouth of the river Gilão |
