Silves: a historic city in the Algarve where you naturally slow down
- Bieke Switten
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
Some places affect you more than you expect.
Last year, during my Portugal Preview Trip, I stayed in Silves for 4 days.
Silves is a small town where I actually always stop for a bit when I'm in the Algarve, but this time I really wanted to feel it.
I stayed on the other side of the bridge, by the water of the Rio Arade. From there, I walked into the city at various times: early in the morning, late at night, but also just during the day. Sometimes in the sun… other times armed with my umbrella.
My first impression of Silves has remained. What was once the capital of the Algarve during the Moorish occupation—a city with an important trading center—is today a small, charming town with cobbled streets and whitewashed houses.
And yes, the tourists have found Silves in the meantime as well.
But still… it has lost none of its individuality.
Strolling through Silves, away from the crowds
When I arrive in Silves, I usually just start strolling through the small streets. I like to stray a little from the tourist heart and walk a bit further, where the locals live.
Not every facade there is spick and span, and that is exactly what I find beautiful.
Everyday life just goes on as usual there. A break from the hustle and bustle.
As you walk further, you automatically slow down and small things start to stand out.
The stork nests that are present in abundance… the street art on the electrical boxes, something you see in many places in Portugal…
From the cathedral to the Moorish castle
This naturally leads you to the Sé de Silves Cathedral, after which I continue my way to the Moorish castle.
In Silves lies the largest Islamic cathedral from the Moorish period in the Algarve. An older man was sitting at the entrance gate playing the accordion, and without really thinking, I sat down on a bench for a moment just to watch and listen.
Inside, you can walk along the castle walls, with an open view of the surroundings. What struck me most were the many palm trees and Mediterranean plants. I was there in November… and yet it felt like spring. The large terrace within the castle walls was remarkably empty, which made the whole place very quiet and less touristy.
There are various exhibitions within the walls, but what stayed with me most was the old water reservoir, the Cisterna dos Cães, built during the Moorish period and still intact today.
It is no longer used for the water supply, but you can still feel how important this must once have been for the city.
The remains of palatial residences from the 11th century also take you, with a little imagination, back for a moment to what it must have been like here in the past.
I ended up walking around there for almost two hours. Not because it’s so big… but just for the feeling, the view, the people.
History that you continue to feel
Afterwards, I went to the archaeological museum, which is beautifully maintained and certainly worth a visit if you are interested in the history of the region. What I found most striking was the centuries-old water reservoir located in the middle of the museum.
Afterwards, I walked further into the city through the old city gate, the Torreão das Portas da Cidade. This impressive structure used to be part of the city wall and now forms a beautiful transition to the more lively streets of Silves.
I continued strolling through the little streets for a while and had dinner at Alentejo com Pão, a small, traditional shop with a long table and a bench outside in front of the display window, completely in the atmosphere of Silves.
A morning in the real Silves
The next morning I got up early and walked towards the Mercado Municipal de Silves. Formerly a place where people flocked to buy their fresh produce, today rather quiet… with a few shopkeepers here and there who persisted. Older ladies. I stepped outside with a few older ladies proud of our bag full of treats.
From there, I walked on towards the Ponte Velha, the historic 14th-century bridge that served as the access bridge to the city centre until the 1960s. During my visit, it was being renovated, and apart from some scaffolding, there wasn't much to see.
So I changed my plan a little and walked on to the small square around the fountain at Praça Al-Mutamid. A place named after a Moorish ruler who once grew up here.
I sat down there for a moment, looking at the beautiful facades around me and simply enjoying the moment, while the wind started to pick up and the sky turned a menacing black.
The little moments that linger
Meanwhile, my stomach started rumbling, so I walked back towards the park along the river with my purchases. There, I sat down on a bench in the sunshine, with a mild twenty degrees... just not having to do anything for a while.
It was a weekday in November, so quiet. Where families gather here on weekends to picnic and children play, I now only encountered a few joggers and the lone walker.
Such simple moments often stick with you the most.
Why Silves feels different
If you go to Silves with the idea: " I am going to see all of this, I am going to immerse myself in history ," then you will certainly be finished in half a day.
But if, just like me, you go to Silves to look a little deeper… not to tick off a list, but to let yourself be carried along between past and present and read between the lines a bit… then this is a place you keep coming back to.
What I find so special about Silves: in twenty minutes you are at the coast, right in the middle of the hustle and bustle. If you drive from the coast to Silves, you immediately feel the peace and authenticity. And if you head a little further inland, towards the Monchique mountains, it only gets quieter.
And then Silves is just that perfect in-between spot.
Not big. But cozy. And always just enough life to find your place.
During my travels, I also take my group to these kinds of places. Not to see everything… but to truly experience it.
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