Silves and Monchique Half Day Bus Tour

After meeting your guide at your Algarve hotel, start your expedition of the towns of Silves and Monchique. Get comfortable as your air-conditioned coach traverses north to Silves a town erected by the Moors in the 8th century.  Walk along its cobblestone roads brimming with terracotta-roofed dwellings and learn how the Moors poured wealth into this town to bolster its strategic location. Then, hear about how endless strifes with invaders and the disastrous Lisbon earthquake destroyed this once prominent ancient town.

Stroll along the street and observe 19th-century architecture as you are lead to Silves Castle. Enter the 11th-century Castle (own expense), restored in the 1940s and ’50s, and learn how its water collection system fed an underground cistern that provided fresh water to the local dwellings. Next, traverse the castle walls and appreciate the views of the town.

Depart Silves and head further north to Monchique. With plenty of leisure time, explore this Roman spa town and see its cobbled tree-shaded square and 19th-century buildings. Perhaps duck into a few boutique shops filled with local crafts before climbing to the top of Fóia, a 2,960-foot (902-meter) mountain, for picture-perfect Algarve views.

Then hop back into your coach and voyage back to your Algarve hotel where your tour ends.