4 Best Sights in Silves, The Algarve

With high red walls that overshadow the little whitewashed houses below, this polygonal sandstone fortress was built between the 8th and 13th centuries and survived untouched until the Christian sieges. You can walk around inside the remaining walls or clamber about the crenellated battlements, taking in bird's-eye views of Silves and the surrounding hills. Its gardens are watched over by a statue of King Dom Sancho I, and its capacious water cistern is now a gallery space devoted to temporary exhibitions.

Silves's market, by far the liveliest in the morning, sits at the foot of town close to the medieval bridge. If you arrive at lunchtime, have a delicious meal of spicy grilled chicken or typical stews like cozido á portuguesa from one of the cheap and cheerful restaurants. After lunch take a long stroll along the city's riverside walk.

With most displays in both Portuguese and English, the town's compact archaeology museum provides interesting insights into the area's history. One primary attraction is an Arab water cistern, preserved in its original location, with a 30-foot-deep well. The museum is a few minutes' walk from the cathedral, off Rua da Sé.

The 12th- to 13th-century Cathedral of St. Mary, built on the site of a Moorish mosque, saw service as the principal cathedral of the Algarve until the 16th century. The 1755 earthquake and indifferent restoration have left it rather plain inside, but its tower—complete with gargoyles—is still a fine sight.