Silves

Silves is the forgotten capital of the Algarve — and one of the most fascinating places off the coast. In the 11th and 12th centuries, Xelb, as the Arabs called the city, was the capital of the Moorish Algarve and rivaled Lisbon in size and importance. Arab poets praised the city as "the Baghdad of the West" — with 30,000 inhabitants, universities, poet academies, and a flourishing trade. Today, Silves is a sleepy country town with 11,000 inhabitants — but the remnants of Moorish splendor are felt everywhere.

The Castelo de Silves (entry €2.80) is the best-preserved Moorish castle in the Algarve — and one of the most impressive in Portugal. The red sandstone walls (from the 8th-13th century) rise majestically above the city and form a sharp contrast to the white houses below. Inside, you can walk along the walls (caution: no railings in some places), visit the underground cistern from the Moorish period, and enjoy the view over the Algarve hinterland with its orange groves and cork oak forests.

Directly below the castle stands the Sé de Silves (Cathedral, free entry), a Gothic church from the 13th century built over a mosque. Inside, remnants of the Crusader tombs are preserved — Silves was conquered in 1189 by Crusaders and Portuguese troops after a brutal siege. In front of the cathedral stands a sculpture of the Arab poet Al-Mutamid, the last king of Seville, who hailed from Silves and is considered one of the greatest poets of Islamic Spain.

The Museu Municipal de Arqueologia (entry €2.10) documents the city's history from the Stone Age through the Romans and Moors to modern times. The highlight is an 18-meter-deep Arab well from the 12th century, around which the museum was built — you can descend the spiral staircase and admire the engineering of the Almohad dynasty.

Silves is also a culinary experience: The city lies in the heart of the Algarve's orange region, and in January/February, the groves are intoxicatingly fragrant. Every August, the Festival da Cerveja (Beer Festival) takes place and turns the castle into a huge open-air party. For lunch, the Café Inglês (below the castle, terrace with castle view) is recommended for creative Portuguese cuisine (main courses €14-20) or the down-to-earth Churrasqueira Valdemar by the river with grilled chicken (Frango da Guia, half chicken from €7).