Silnido

A river transport company on the Ria Formosa. It runs the scheduled crossing to Ilha de Tavira from the quay in the centre of Tavira and from Quatro Águas, with a ticket bought at the quay itself.

Who they are

Behind the brand is Silnido Transportes Fluviais, Lda., with an office at Rua Nossa Senhora da Luz, no. 8, in Luz de Tavira. On its website it presents itself as a family company with more than 30 years of experience in river transport and nautical tourism on the Ria Formosa, and says it is in a growth phase. It holds a local-traffic shipowner's licence (alvará AL-08) and is registered as a tourist-activity company in the Turismo de Portugal register under number RNAAT 475/2014. The website is in Portuguese only.

What it offers

The best-known service is the carreiras, the scheduled boats that cross the ria to Ilha de Tavira, the barrier island with the large sandy beach opposite the town. There are two lines: one from the quay in the centre of Tavira and another, shorter, from Quatro Águas. Beside the centre quay is the market car park, which is free; at Quatro Águas you park in the Clube de Vela's paid car park. Departures are roughly hourly, with a gap at midday, and the timetable changes with the season: the website publishes the current one and offers it as a printable PDF. The carreiras ticket is bought at the quay itself; no booking is needed.

In addition to the lines, Silnido runs sightseeing boat trips on the ria and hires out two crewed boats for groups: the Arraial II, for 14 passengers, designed for families and small groups and available only in low season, and the Tatiana e Daniel, for 70 passengers. Both sail the ria between Cabanas, Tavira and Santa Luzia. They do not publish prices or durations for these hires: you ask for a quote by email at [email protected], and the company considers each request.

Children, animals and accessibility

Under the general conditions, children aged 4 to 11 pay half on most services and babies aged 0 to 3 do not pay, although they must be declared when booking. Minors always travel with an adult; on island crossings they accept them travelling alone from age 12, although they advise against it. The home page allows pets on the boats, one per passenger and in a suitable carrier, and accredited assistance dogs without a carrier; however, the conditions for the trips say animals are not admitted, so if you are going with a dog on a trip it is worth asking first. The conditions also warn that there is no wheelchair access.

Bookings and cancellation

For trips and hires, the booking is confirmed subject to availability and paid in full at least 24 hours beforehand; a voucher is then sent by email. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours beforehand, by notifying them by email or letter. If a trip does not reach the minimum number of participants, which ranges from 6 to 20 people depending on the case, or if the weather does not allow it, Silnido offers another date, another trip at the same price or a refund. You must bring photo ID and arrive punctually at the departure point. The general contact is [email protected] or the form on the website; it does not publish a phone number on the home page.