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Silves (Portugal)

Description: Silves / Algarve / Portugal

Newest Review: ... and park the car on the river front we usually take one of the many cobbled streets up to the castle. Although at the front of the town there is a mixture of fish, sea-food restaurants and snack bars open and the aromas of fresh sardines being cooked over a charcoal grill and prawns melting in garlic butter are usually too much for my taste buds so before starting up the steep incline to the ... more

... castle and town I have to stop, sit and eat. From the front/main road, the town becomes a labrynth of streets; mostly Portuguese shops selling shoes, clothes, food, wine and spirits, as well as a handful of craft and art shops. Until a few years ago I ...more

Read Reviews for Silves (Portugal)

Silves (Portugal): Silves Will Leave You Wanting Moor. (2331 words)
by - written on 08/08/08 (Very useful, 292 readings)
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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, ... Read the complete review