A Castle and Baths Fit for a King or Queen in Faro
Any holiday in Portugal will be filled with historical encounters. Whether or not you arrange for car hire Faro Airport will likely be your starting point but any number of historical sites will be at your reach during the entirety of your trip. One of your choices in the castle category is Silves Castle.
Once the residence of the Moorish kings of the Al-Garb Silves Castle (Castelo de Silves) once formed part of the wall that encircled the city of Faro. Its thick, high walls served as a key defence measure when Faro was the capital. Located at the highest point in town, the castle has a total of 11 towers, some of which have been modified over the centuries, and a set of sandstone walls that have remained virtually intact over the long centuries for which it has been in existence. A 60-metre-deep well can still be found inside the building, as well as a set of vaulted cisterns that have supplied the town with water for centuries and still does to this day.
Silves Castle also hosts events throughout the year, so, pick up an event calendar when you arrange car hire – Faro airport would be a good place to find those. If the contemplation of all this history becomes particularly stressful or your muscles are still stiff from your flight into the island, he Monchique Thermal Baths (Caldas De Monchique) are a completely relaxing detour perfect for any holiday-goer. The Romans were the first to bathe here. They fervently followed the rationale that its excellent waters helped to keep them young. In 1495, King Joao II even ordered improvements to be made so that he too could enjoy the health-enhancing experience.
Today, the spa has a hotel, restaurant, wine bar and craft shop. In other words, history has been kind to the Monchique Baths unlike many other ancient buildings in Portugal that marauders destroyed at different points through the centuries. One trip to the baths and chances are that you will feel that history has been kind to you as well.