Silves and Monchique Half Day Bus Tour
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From $26.65
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Silves and Monchique Half Day Bus Tour
Free cancellation
Up to 24 hours in advance. Learn more
Safety measures
6 to 7 hours (approx.)
Hotel pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English and 4 more
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Overview
Discover the Algarve’s unique Moorish influences during this half-day guided tour to the towns of Silves and Monchique, departing from the Algarve. This tour uncovers the impressive 11th century Silves Castle, one of the best-preserved Moorish fortifications in Portugal. Then take in the views from Algarve's tallest mountain, Foia, which stands at 2,960 feet (902 meters) above sea level. Enjoy free time to shop for local handicrafts and products before heading back to Algarve.
- Half-day excursion to Silves and Monchique from Algarve
- Learn about Silves’ fascinating Moorish history on a walking tour around the center
- See Silves Cathedral and explore the beautifully preserved Silves Castle
- Stop to see the views from Fóia, the tallest mountain in the Algarve
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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.
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.
Itinerary
Start your excursion with a hotel pickup, and then travel north to the ancient town of Silves, your first stop of the day. Home to a magnificent Moorish castle surrounded by terracotta-roofed houses, the town has history and pretty scenery in equal measures.
With its lofty hill-top location, the town was a strategically important stronghold for the Moors after their invasion in the 8th century. Wealth flowed into Silves during its Moorish Middle Age heyday only to be wiped out after a century of power struggles and a devastating earthquake. Much of today’s stately architecture originates from the 19th century when Silves came back into prominence.
Duration: 1 hour
Admission Ticket Not Included
Admire the architecture and sights such as Silves Cathedral as you wander through the streets that lead to Silves Castle. Pay your entrance fee direct, and then head inside the impressive fortress to explore. Restored in the 1940s, the castle is thought to date as far back as the 11th century and features such as its central vaults have been beautifully preserved. Admire views over the town and the Algarve from the castle walls, and then return to your coach with your guide.
Duration: 1 hour
Admission Ticket Not Included
In Monchique mountains we will go till Fóia, the highest point in the Algarve, with free time to take pictures, visit a local shop with handcrafted articles and an opportunity to taste one of the typical liqueurs of the region.
Admire the views from Fóia, the 2,959-foot (902-meter) mountain that towers over the whole Algarve. Soak up the views from the highest point in Algarve, and then return to your coach for the journey back to your hotel.
Duration: 40 minutes
Admission Ticket Free
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