On the hills along the Arade river, about fifteen kilometres from the coast, Silves is the Algarve's most important historic town. Under Arab rule, as Xelb, it was the capital of the region and one of the richest and most cultured cities of al-Andalus: chroniclers described it as more splendid than Lisbon, with palaces, gardens and poets. Today it is a quiet town surrounded by orange groves, crowned by the red walls of its castle.
A little history
In the eleventh century Silves was governed by al-Mu'tamid, later King of Seville and a celebrated poet, who spent his youth here and sang of it in his verses. In 1189 the city was taken by King Sancho I with the help of crusaders, lost two years later and finally reconquered in 1242. It was the seat of the Bishop of the Algarve until 1577, when the see moved to Faro; the gradual silting of the river and the 1755 earthquake marked its decline.
The castle and the cathedral
The castle, built of red sandstone, grés de Silves, is the largest and best preserved in the Algarve: its walls and crenellated towers enclose a large space with the remains of a palace and great Arab cisterns. From the walkway the view takes in the town, the Arade valley and the Serra de Monchique. Just below stands the Sé, the old Gothic cathedral, built from the thirteenth century in the same red stone, with tombs of knights and bishops.
The Municipal Archaeology Museum is built around an extraordinary Arab-era well-cistern, about 15 metres deep, and tells the town's story from prehistory to the Islamic period. Also worth seeing are the Cruz de Portugal, a carved sixteenth-century stone cross, and the bridge over the Arade.
Festivals and surroundings
Every August Silves hosts the Medieval Fair, one of the biggest in Portugal, with markets, costumed parades, tournaments and themed dinners in and around the castle. Oranges are grown all around the town, and their juice and sweets are a local speciality. To the north the road climbs to the Serra de Monchique, while to the south the beaches of Armação de Pêra and Carvoeiro are about twenty minutes away.
Getting there
Silves is on the regional Algarve railway, but the station is about two kilometres from the centre. By car it is a quarter of an hour from Portimão.