Silves and the Interior

The Algarve's Moorish heritage capital set among orange groves and cork forests in the rural interior.

Silves, the former Moorish capital of the Algarve, sits on the Arade river inland from Portimao. The red sandstone castle dominates the town and is the best-preserved Moorish fortification in the region. Below it, the old town retains narrow streets, a Gothic cathedral built on the site of a mosque, and a quiet, unhurried atmosphere. Silves is the centre of the Algarve's citrus and cork industries, and the surrounding countryside of orange groves, carob trees, and rolling hills provides a stark contrast to the coastal strip. The annual Medieval Festival in August draws large crowds. Inland from Silves, the landscape becomes increasingly rural, with scattered hamlets, smallholdings, and the foothills of the Monchique range. This is the Algarve that tourism has largely bypassed: quiet, agricultural, and visibly poorer than the coast. The Barragem do Arade (Arade dam) and its reservoir provide water supply and a popular spot for kayaking and picnicking. For residents seeking rural tranquillity at affordable prices, the Silves interior offers properties with land at a fraction of coastal values, though isolation and limited services are the trade-offs.