Tavira’s main beaches are on Ilha de Tavira, a barrier island in the Ria Formosa Natural Park, so to reach them you need to take ferries. There are three departure points – one in the center of Tavira, another a little farther away named Quatro Águas Pier, and a third in the neighboring village of Santa Luzia.
Quatro Águas Pier
Cais das Quatro Águas is a pier located about a 20-minute walk from the center of Tavira, following the Estrada das 4 Águas road. If you’re driving, you’ll find a large parking lot right by the pier. The ferries that depart from here are operated by the Silnido company and are available throughout the year. They depart about once per hour in winter, and more frequently in the summer. The two-way tickets are bought from the ticket booth at the pier, and are €1.70 for adults and €0.90 for children up to the age of 11. The trip takes less than 10 minutes.
Pier in the Center of Tavira
There’s a pier in the center of Tavira, on Rua José Pires Padinha, a few feet from the Mercado da Ribeira market. The ferries that depart from here are only available between the end of March and September or October. The journey to the island from here takes a little longer (about 20 minutes), so prices are also higher – a 2-way ticket for adults is €2.20 and for children up to the age of 11 it’s €1.00. Tickets are bought at a booth at the pier.
Santa Luzia Pier
The ferries from the fishing village of Santa Luzia only operate from June to October. They go to Praia da Terra Estreita, a beach to the west of the main beach of Ilha de Tavira. Santa Luzia is just a 5-minute drive from Tavira, or a 10-minute bus ride (bus number 105, operated by the Vamus company), or, alternatively, an inexpensive taxi or Uber ride away (both costing around 5 euros). The ferry takes about 10 minutes to reach the island. In July and August there are departures every 15 minutes, in the second half of June and the first half of September every 30, and in the first half of June and early October, around every 45 minutes. Two-way tickets are €2.00 for adults and €1.50 for children between the ages of 4 and 12.
Water Taxis
The fastest way to reach the beaches in Ilha de Tavira is by water taxi. This service is available 24 hours and is obviously more expensive. Prices also go up at night. They take up to six passengers and depart from the pier in the center of Tavira or from the Quatro Águas pier. You can also book them here: SequaTours