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Arriving in Portugal after 20 years was a fantastic experience. I had chosen to return to the beautiful and picturesque town of Tavira - east of Faro and 30 minutes from the the Portugese border town of San Antonio.

I had chosen the 4 star Hotel Porta Nova for its location and facilities. A small hotel with 2 very large pools and plenty of sunbeds.

A 5 minute walk downhill brought us to Tavira's main square and old Roman Bridge. Tavira lies on the shores of the famous Ria Formosa lagoon and nature reserve. There can be numerous tides throughout the day and the tides are signalled by a siren for all to hear.

It was a very charming and quaint town, very low key with mainly Spanish and Portugese holiday makers and a sprinkling of British, German and Italian tourists. Just what we were looking for!

Most of the buildings in Tavira date back to the 16th century when Tavira was the main trading port in the Algarve. A town with many churches and convents with designs reminiscent of the Arab occupation, and by exploring we found the remains of the old medieval castle and walls surrounding Tavira.

The main square, Praca da Republica is where you can sit and watch the world go by. Throughout July and August Tavira offers many festivals; brass bands, Jazz, book, film, and performing arts.

To get to Tavira's fantastic sandy beaches you have to go by boat to Ilha de Tavira (Tavira Island). A local water taxi service took us from the riverside, but you can take the train to the end of Tavira past the saltpans and get the local ferry service to the island. Here we found the beaches to be spectacular, stretching 18 kilometres down the coast with many watersports on offer, good restaurants and a campsite. The Atlantic however is freezing!!!

Not far from Tavira is the old fishing villages of Santa Lucia and Cabanas. Montegordo one of the oldest resorts in the Algarve is 40 minutes drive away.

Whilst in Portugal I again had the opportunity to visit Seville, the capital of Andalucia. This is a must and very easy to get to. Approximately 1-2 hours drive down the new motorway. It was well worth the visit! The city is where some of the biggest Conquerers of America - Columbus, Magallanes, Elcano- set sail from.
It is also the hottest city in Europe on the map. By 2pm it was 43 degrees celsius.

It was a real experience to see the Plaza di Espania, the moorish Alcazar Palace, Cathedral of Santa Maria de la Sede and Tomb of Christopher Columbus, La Albahaca - the upper class area of Santa Cruz, and the interesting shopping areas north of the cathedral.

I finished my day with a boat trip down the Guadalquivir enjoying the sights of San Telmo Palace, Giralda, the Cathedral, Maria Louisa Park, World Expo-92 Pavillions, Triana and 6 classic and modern bridges of the world.

I left Portugal wanting to come back yet again for its charming and endearing nature. I will return for more rose wine, sardines and chicken piri-piri; just some of the many things that make this place special.