Portugal

246
THE ALGARVE
10
SILVES
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 (& 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.
WHERE TO STAY
Colina dos Mouros Hotel On the outskirts of town, this modern inn at
last provides a decent place to stay in the historic town of Silves. Only a short walk from
the historic core, the well-managed and well-furnished hotel offers midsize to spacious
bedrooms that are comfortably and immaculately kept. You approach the hotel across a
Roman bridge spanning the River Arade. Enveloped by gardens, the hotel is completely
refurbished. The building opens onto views of the rooftops of Silves and its major
monuments. Beaches are a short drive from the inn.
Pocinho Santo, 8300-999 Silves. & 28/244-04-20. Fax 28/244-04-26. www.colinahotels.com. 57 units.
37€–92€ double. Rates include buffet breakfast. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; 2 bars; outdoor freshwater
pool. In room: A/C, TV, hair dryer.
WHERE TO DINE
Rui I PORTUGUESE This regional restaurant, decorated with whitewashed walls and
Algarvian handicrafts, draws more locals than visitors. The cooking is competent and
hearty, the way the townspeople like it. Many dishes such as roast lamb are remembered
fondly from the diners’ childhoods. Most patrons are attracted to the fish, which is delivered
fresh every morning from the coast down below. Our favorite dish here is the herbflavored
kettle of shellfish rice, the local version of paella. In the autumn the chef prepares
savory game dishes, especially partridge, wild boar, and Algarvian rabbit.
Rua Comendador Vilarim 27. & 28/244-26-82. Main courses 8€–25€. AE, MC, V. Wed–Mon noon–2am.