Silves and Carvoeiro: Full-Day Sightseeing Tour
5.0
5 Ratings
Albufeira
Explore Silves and Carvoeiro on a private full-day tour. Discover history, culture, and stunning landscapes with a personalized guide. Book your adventure now!
Duration: 7 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Silves - Silves is a beautiful medieval town. It was the capital of the Algarve during the period of Arab rule and is known for its rich history and cultural heritage.

The town is dominated by its impressive red sandstone castle, which was built by the Moors in the 8th century and later fortified by the Christian kings during the Reconquista. Visitors can explore the castle and its walls, which offer panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.

The town’s narrow, winding streets are lined with whitewashed houses and traditional shops selling local handicrafts and souvenirs. Other notable landmarks include the 13th-century Cathedral. The market is also a must-see.

  • Ponta do Altar Lighthouse - You will enjoy panoramic views of the Arade River, the fishing boats, and the surrounding landscape. It’s a great place to take photos or just relax and take in the scenery.
  • Algar Seco - Algar Seco is a series of caves, arches, and grottoes that have been sculpted by the sea over millions of years
  • Carvoeiro - Once, just a typical Algarve fishing village nestled in a valley and flanked by high limestone cliffs, Carvoeiro is now a popular, ever expanding resort town. That said the beach is still the focus of the town and this area retains much of its charm.

Whitewashed, terracotta-tiled villas and cottages cling to the cliff sides forming a kind of amphitheatre with all eyes on Carvoeiro’s prime asset - the beach.

What's Included
  • Bottled water
  • Hotel Pick-Up & Drop-Off From Albufeira Town
  • Toll / Parking fees
What's Not Included
  • Lunch
  • Fees to Castles, Monuments, museums
Additional Information

Discover the ancient capital of the Algarve, Silves, and other important sights on this full-day sightseeing tour from Albufeira. With a private guide, and head west and stop in the village of Ferragudo (viewpoint) Then, head to Carvoeiro, which lies between too step hills. Explore the outstanding rock formation of Algar Seco. Your guide also sheds light on the local history, culture, and gastronomy for a better understanding of the area.

  • Visit an ancient Castle and explore Silves historic center

  • Learn about the local gastronomy based on a Mediterranean diet

  • Round-trip transfers from your Albufeira hotel are included

  • A private tour means a personalized experience

Location
R. do Município 26
Rua do Município
Vila Galé Cerro Alagoa Hotel, Parking across the street.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(5 Ratings)
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689stacyn
May 24, 2024
A fabulous guide in the Algarve! - We had such a fun day with Gabriel! Although we had a rental car, we booked a day with GL Tours for the ease of getting around to just the right spots without having to spend hours researching them on our own. My favorite part of the day was the stop at the market where Gabriel introduced us to some vendors had us sample some local fruits and other treats. It was something I never would have done on my own, but it was such an authentic experience - a true highlight. Gabriel was so easy to talk to and extremely knowledgeable about the area. He was also so very patient - waiting on me to take a million photos and answering all my questions about other places to see while we were in Portugal. It was a bit like having access to our own personal trip planner! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Gabriel to anyone looking to explore the Algarve!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Happytrails55555
Feb 1, 2024
Fantastic experience with incredible guide, Gabriel - Our group of 11 people had a *fantastic* time with Gabriel across 2 days of tours in the Algarve. The first day was Silves and Carvoeiro. Gabriel didn't just take us to the obvious famous sites, but he introduced us to a fruit vendor at a market, took us to lunch at a friend's fabulous restaurant, and told us so many interesting stories and facts that just made our day so enjoyable. In fact, he made arrangements with the restaurants both days, so our party of 12 (including him) were able to sit immediately at a table already set up for our group. The service and food at these places were really delicious and the atmosphere was casual and inviting. Gabriel even had some favorite spots he likes his tour groups to pose for pictures - he's a good photographer! Considering we had so many people, he did a great job of keeping the attention of the adults *and* the teenagers. :) He is really attuned to how much time people wanted to spend at certain spots, and never rushed us. He also picked us up and dropped us off at our rental each day. Gabriel is an incredible ambassdor for not just the Algarve, his birthplace, but of all of Portugal. He is a natural-born storyteller, and one of the indelible takeaways I had from our trip was his sharing of Portugal's long history and explantion of the Portugese mindset. We absolutely loved our time with Gabriel and really felt like we saw the real Portugal. We will definitely book him again when we go back!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jillhd2154sw
Nov 1, 2023
Gabriel is a true host to his guests! - Wonderful tour with Gabriel! He is fun, knowledgeable, and got to know us and what we like to see and do. The weather was a little of everything and Gabriel made it so much fun! Thanks for helping with the train tickets too! It made our day so easy! You are awesome! Five stars! Cheers!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Inspire678409
Oct 29, 2023
He is the man! - We had a fantastic time with Gabriel! He is very knowledgeable and friendly. He took us to some great stops. The lunch stop was awesome. We had him choose the dishes and wine - all was delicious. The transportation was clean and comfortable. For those from the US, he is able to communicate in English and easy to understand. We would highly recommend spending the time with him! It was a very memorable day!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kerenza
Apr 18, 2019
How trips should be done - perfection! - We wanted a small trip to take our 5 year old son on and this was perfect. Gabriel is very friendly and is full of information. Our shy son has declared it was the best trip ever! We went on a trip with a different company earlier on our holiday and quite simply I wish we had found GL Tours earlier! When we return to Portugal we will be hoping to tour with Gabriel again to see more of this beautiful country with him guiding us!
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2 Adult
June 2024
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