Attractions

The red-sandstone Castelo dos Mouros (tel. 28/244-56-24) might date from the 9th century. From its ramparts you can look out on the saffron-colored, mossy tile roofs of the village houses down the narrow cobblestone streets where roosters strut and scrappy dogs sleep peacefully in doorways. Inside the walls, the government has planted a flower garden with golden chrysanthemums and scarlet poinsettias. In the fortress, water rushes through a huge cistern and a deep well made of sandstone. Below are dungeon chambers and labyrinthine tunnels where the last of the Moors hid out before the Crusaders found them and sent them to their deaths. The site is open daily from 9am to 5:30pm (until 7pm in summer). Admission is 3.50€ and free for children 11 and under.

The 13th-century former Cathedral of Silves, on Rua de Sé, was built in the Gothic style. It is one of the most outstanding religious monuments in the Algarve. The aisles and nave are beautiful in their simplicity. The flamboyant Gothic style of both the chancel and the transept dates from a later period. The Christian architects who originally constructed the cathedral might have torn down an old mosque to do so. Many of the tombs here are believed to be the graves of Crusaders who took the town in 1244. It's open daily from 8:30am to 1pm and 2:30 to 5:30pm, and until 6pm from June to September. Admission is free, but donations are welcome.

The best artifacts found in the area are on display at the Museu Arqueologia, Rua das Portas de Loulé (tel. 28/244-48-32), a short walk from the Sé. The museum's major sight is an ancient Arab water cistern preserved as part of a 9m-deep (30-ft.) well. Admission is 2€. It's open Monday to Saturday 9am to 6pm.

Outside the main part of town, on the road to Enxerim, near an orange grove, a lonely open-air pavilion shelters a 15th-century stone lacework cross. This ecclesiastical artwork, Cruz de Portugal, is two-faced, depicting a pietà (the face of Christ is destroyed) on one side and the crucifixion on the other. It has been declared a national monument of incalculable value. A guide isn't really necessary, but if you'd like, one of the local boys will serve as your guide for a modest fee.