The sand island Ilha de Tavira is about 11 km long and lies west of the mouth of the Rio Gilão.
Coordinates: 37 ° 06’41.0 “N 7 ° 37’22.0” W
You can arrive by ferry from Tavira (Praia da Ilha de Tavira) or Santa Luzia (Praia da Terra Estreita). The travel times are seasonal. Alternatively, you can take a taxi boat from there.
From the holiday resort of Pedras d’El Rei (about 1.2 km west of Santa Luzia) you can reach the island via a pedestrian bridge. Parking is available near the bridge, sometimes for a fee. On the island there is then a walkable footpath (about 20 minutes) or a steam narrow-gauge railway that goes to the Praia do Barril. The fare is € 3 for round trip.
The liveliest area of the island is at the eastern end, just before the mouth of the Rio Gilão. There is a campsite, a supermarket, various restaurants, cafes and bars.
In the area of Praia da Terra Estreita it is much quieter than on the city beach of Tavira.
The section of Praia do Barril is within easy reach. Parallel to the narrow-gauge railway, a good footpath leads directly to the beach. The track was formerly used to supply the fishermen and to transport the caught fish.
In the 1960s, when the bluefin tuna population was almost completely exhausted, the community was abandoned.
Meanwhile, it has been rebuilt for touristic purposes.
Today there are restaurants, cafes, small shops and sanitary facilities.
Bluefin tuna has traditionally been caught in a maze of nets that had to be fixed with a variety of anchors.
The no longer needed anchors were buried here on the beach. Today, the “Cemitéro das Ãncoras” (Anchor Cemetery), with more than 100 anchors, is a place of interest and a memorial against the overfishing of the sea.