Tavira sits on the banks of the Gilão River nearby the point where it flows into the Atlantic Ocean. Tavira is a lovely town in East Algarve, home to beautiful 18th-century mansions and townhouses that are lining the river banks. They give an elegant atmosphere to Tavira and are the ideal spot for an evening stroll along the waterfront and open-air dining. The town of Tavira has a unique architectural element, its hipped roofs, that together with the dozens of historic churches define the old town's landscape.