by Janet Sandford

Created on: July 11, 2009   Last Updated: July 14, 2009

Silves or otherwise known as Xelb by the Moors, was once the Moorish capital of the Algarve and even up to the 19th century had the grand title of 'Kingdom of the Algarve.' The town stood proudly, high on the hill overlooking grand palaces and lavish estates. The River Arade was the main route into the town and made it accessible for many attackers such as the Romans, Carthaginians and the Greeks. The Moors invaded in the 8th century introducing a wealth of architecture and new ideas such as irrigation for the dry, arid lands. It was only in 1189 that the town was seized by Dom Sancho I with some assistance from the English and the town was wrecked. Shortly afterwards, the Moors reclaimed Silves but it was too late to restore it to its former beauty and grandeur. Most of the buildings were destroyed in the earthquake of 1755 and very little remains of the Moorish architecture although glimpses of its former glory can be found in the grounds of the castle. Even so, this town is a cut above the others in the Algarve. It is still very regal and has a sense of mystery, it is one of my favourite towns to visit and I would recommend it to any tourist visiting the Algarve as it is a little bit different and has something for everybody.

This historical town is located in the Algarve in Southern Portugal. It is part of the district of Faro and it is inland from Portimao and Lagoa. The most direct route is to get on the A22 east/west motorway and exit at the Silves/Lagoa junction - head for Silves on the N124-1. It's a straightforward 15 minute drive.

For something more scenic, take the road from Portimao in the direction of Monchique and turn right at the Borboletta restaurant at Porto de Lagos onto the N124. From here you will see a myriad of colours of orange and green from the numerous orange groves, carob and almond trees growing in the surrounding valleys. The best time to drive is in Spring when the almond trees are in full blossom forming a sea of pale pink and white delicate leaves.

You can also take a boat trip up the River Arade from Portimao to Silves. My best friend who still lives in the Algarve does this trip regularly. She said, 'Whilst sitting on deck of one of the old sailing boats, with the breeze blowing softly on her face she could smell the sweetness of the oranges and the irresistible Algarvian smell.' Only the Algarve has this smell - pine, eucalyptus, oranges and smoke from the chimneys of the white washed houses in the valleys. She said she

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