Cacela Velha, the white village above the ria

What it is

Cacela Velha is a tiny village on a sandstone rise facing the Ria Formosa, about 12 km east of Tavira, in the municipality of Vila Real de Santo António. It is a handful of streets of whitewashed houses, a 17th-century fortress and a church of medieval origin, all looking out over the lagoon and the sandbar that separates it from the sea. Since 1996 the whole village has been protected as a Property of Public Interest.

Why it matters

Beneath the peaceful look of the village there is a lot of history. Phoenician and Greek sailors passed through, the Romans enlarged the settlement, and from 713 it was a Muslim stronghold, with a castle dating from the 9th and 10th centuries. Ibn Darraj al-Qastalli, one of the great poets of al-Andalus, was born here in 958. Paio Peres Correia took it in 1240 and it passed to the Order of Santiago. The 1755 earthquake left it badly damaged, and in 1775 it stopped being a municipality in its own right.

What to see

• The viewpoint beside the church, on the edge of the rise: from here you see the ria, the channels, the sandbanks and, opposite, the barrier island with its beach. It is the view that made Cacela famous.
• The fortress, from the 17th century, above the ria. You can walk round the outside in a few minutes.
• The church, of medieval origin and rebuilt after the earthquake.
• The streets, very few of them, which you can walk in half an hour.

The beach opposite

Praia de Cacela Velha is on the barrier island, on the other side of the channel. There are two ways to reach it. At low tide the channel leaves shallow stretches and you can wade across from below the village; check the tide table and come back before the water rises, because it rises fast and leaves the sand cut off. The other option is to drive down to Sítio da Fábrica, to the west, and cross to the island by boat. There are almost no facilities on the island: take water and shade.

Getting there and parking

From Tavira, follow the N125 east and take the signposted turning for Cacela Velha; it is about 15 minutes. In practice the village is pedestrian: leave the car in the car park at the entrance and walk in. In summer and on fine weekends it fills up; go early or in the late afternoon.

When to go

All year round. At sunset the light falls sideways across the ria and the village empties of day-trippers. In summer, combine the visit with the beach opposite. At low tide, the sandbanks in the ria change the landscape completely.

With children

It works for them if you pair it with the beach: crossing the channel at low tide or by boat is the adventure. The village itself is quickly seen. The edge of the viewpoint is not protected along its whole length, so keep them close.