CABANAS DE TAVIRA
37°8′36″N 7°35′34″W
Cabanas de Tavira (Portuguese pronunciation: [kɐˈβɐnɐʒ ðɨ tɐˈviɾɐ]; Portuguese for "cottages/huts of Tavira") is a former civil parish in the municipality of Tavira, Portugal. In 2013, the parish merged into the new parish Conceição e Cabanas de Tavira. The parish covers an area of approximately 4.2 km² and has a population of approximately 1181 inhabitants. Once a fishing port, it is now a popular summer tourist destination, owing to its beach (Praia de Cabanas) and island (Ilha de Cabanas), which belong to the Ria Formosa Nature Park.
History
The history of Cabanas is connected to the commercial tuna fishery. Around 1734, during the Armação dos Mares de Tavira, the first cabanas (cottages or fishing huts), important for storing and maintaining equipment and accommodating the fishers, were constructed. These huts were located along the beach, and the locals began to refer to them as the cabanas da armação (tackle huts). For over twenty years there were references to the cabanas, but usually referring to seasonal activities. The first birth in the area was outside the fishing season, around 1757, and the following year, the municipal council conceded the first land tenure in the Cabanas de Armação. Following this date, the first inhabitants began to construct permanent residences in the area.
Cabanas de Tavira is a young civil parish in the municipality of Tavira, de-annexed from the neighboring parish of Conceição on 20 June 1997. Its seat, in the village of Cabanas, was elevated to the status of vila or town, on 19 April 2001.
Geography
The parish's northern border follows the western railway until slightly after it crosses the E.N.125 motorway; its eastern frontier follows the Ribeiro do Lacém to the coast; the western border also follows a tributary, the Ribeira do Almargem; while the parish fronts the Atlantic Ocean by way of its island (Ilha das Cabanas).
Cabanas is a long line of low-rise shops, bars and cafés facing the Ria Formosa with several hotel and apartment complexes scattered around the outskirts of the town. In addition to the parish seat, the territory is constituted by several individual places, such as Gorgulho, Canadinha, Canada, Arrancada, Pocinho de Oliveira, Gomeira, Barroquinha, Barroca, Morgadinho, Morgado, Baleeira and Lacém.
Although the population is relatively small, this number expands considerably during the summer period, due to a large influx of tourists and beach-goers.
Economy
Moored fishing boats line the seafront, although the town's economy has drifted mainly towards tourism rather than fishing in recent years. Ever associated with the fishery, in 1973, Cabanas created its first tourist-oriented business. Pedras da Rainha (Queens Rocks), as it was known, provided the first local employment, and over time, it began to look to tourism as an alternative industry to the primary sector. While the fishery is still a considerable part of the economy, by the end of the 20th century, the tourist sector had become the innovator of development in the small parish. Annually, thousands of visitors come to the region to entertain themselves with rich patrimony, including the Ria Formosa Nature Park and the approximately seven kilometers of beaches, dunes and crystalline waters. Supporting these ventures, the local government has maintained a tourist-orient quality of life, with consecutive Blue Flag designations since 1989, for beach water quality.
Transport
Several buses routinely link the municipal seat (Tavira) to Cabanas daily. The nearest rail link is in nearby Conceição which is on the Tavira to Vila Real line.
Access to the popular beach is by water taxi from several points along the harbor area: the water taxis are small outboard boats operated by local watermen and by at least one company. Each boat may be identified by colored flags on their sterns.
Architecture
Military
Fort of São João da Barra (Forte de São João da Barra)
Religious
Church of Nossa Senhora do Mar (Igreja da Nossa Senhora do Mar)
History
The history of Cabanas is connected to the commercial tuna fishery. Around 1734, during the Armação dos Mares de Tavira, the first cabanas (cottages or fishing huts), important for storing and maintaining equipment and accommodating the fishers, were constructed. These huts were located along the beach, and the locals began to refer to them as the cabanas da armação (tackle huts). For over twenty years there were references to the cabanas, but usually referring to seasonal activities. The first birth in the area was outside the fishing season, around 1757, and the following year, the municipal council conceded the first land tenure in the Cabanas de Armação. Following this date, the first inhabitants began to construct permanent residences in the area.
Cabanas de Tavira is a young civil parish in the municipality of Tavira, de-annexed from the neighboring parish of Conceição on 20 June 1997. Its seat, in the village of Cabanas, was elevated to the status of vila or town, on 19 April 2001.
Geography
The parish's northern border follows the western railway until slightly after it crosses the E.N.125 motorway; its eastern frontier follows the Ribeiro do Lacém to the coast; the western border also follows a tributary, the Ribeira do Almargem; while the parish fronts the Atlantic Ocean by way of its island (Ilha das Cabanas).
Cabanas is a long line of low-rise shops, bars and cafés facing the Ria Formosa with several hotel and apartment complexes scattered around the outskirts of the town. In addition to the parish seat, the territory is constituted by several individual places, such as Gorgulho, Canadinha, Canada, Arrancada, Pocinho de Oliveira, Gomeira, Barroquinha, Barroca, Morgadinho, Morgado, Baleeira and Lacém.
Although the population is relatively small, this number expands considerably during the summer period, due to a large influx of tourists and beach-goers.
Economy
Moored fishing boats line the seafront, although the town's economy has drifted mainly towards tourism rather than fishing in recent years. Ever associated with the fishery, in 1973, Cabanas created its first tourist-oriented business. Pedras da Rainha (Queens Rocks), as it was known, provided the first local employment, and over time, it began to look to tourism as an alternative industry to the primary sector. While the fishery is still a considerable part of the economy, by the end of the 20th century, the tourist sector had become the innovator of development in the small parish. Annually, thousands of visitors come to the region to entertain themselves with rich patrimony, including the Ria Formosa Nature Park and the approximately seven kilometers of beaches, dunes and crystalline waters. Supporting these ventures, the local government has maintained a tourist-orient quality of life, with consecutive Blue Flag designations since 1989, for beach water quality.
Transport
Several buses routinely link the municipal seat (Tavira) to Cabanas daily. The nearest rail link is in nearby Conceição which is on the Tavira to Vila Real line.
Access to the popular beach is by water taxi from several points along the harbor area: the water taxis are small outboard boats operated by local watermen and by at least one company. Each boat may be identified by colored flags on their sterns.
Architecture
Military
Fort of São João da Barra (Forte de São João da Barra)
Religious
Church of Nossa Senhora do Mar (Igreja da Nossa Senhora do Mar)
In the arts
Cinema
Some outdoor scenes for movies were recorded here. These were:
Almadraba Atuneira (1961) (A Almadraba Atuneira)
Hovering Over the Water (1986)
Água e Sal (2001)
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FORT SÃO JOÃO DA BARRA
37° 08′ 22″ N; 07° 35′ 34″ W
The Fort São João da Barra (Fortaleza de São João da Barra in Portuguese) also known as Fort São João Baptista (Fortaleza de São João Baptista in Portuguese) or Fort Conceição (Forte da Conceição in Portuguese), is located to the east of the town of Cabanas de Tavira, on a small hill below the Ria Formosa in the municipality of Tavira, in Algarve, southern Portugal.
History
The fort was built on lands dubbed Gomeira, where the Raposa Tower, a Moorish keep similar to the Aires Tower and which served as a watchtower for the Coast Guard, is believed to have been, and whose existence is only known via references made by authors in the 16th century.
It dates back to the War for the Restoration of Portuguese Independence, built by the initiative of Nuno de Mendonça, 2nd Count of Vale de Reis, as Governor of the Arms of the Kingdom of the Algarve in 1656. It was expanded in 1670, and these works were completed in 1672. The French military engineer Pedro de Santa Colomba was involved in its design, as was the case with other nearby forts. The Italian Giovanni Vanicelli, field master of the armies of Algarve, was also among its architects. Mateus do Couto is also referenced.
Damaged by the 1755 earthquake, it was renovated in 1793, during the reign of Maria I of Portugal.
After Portugal was occupied by French forces in 1808 during the Napoleonic Wars the fort was captured by Captain Sebastião Martins Mestre, with the aid of locals, to foster a rebellion that was suspected to erupt in the Algarve against the French yoke, and shortly afterward broke out in Olhão. Martins Mestre then remained as governor of the fort until 1819, retiring at that date.
After the Portuguese Civil War (1828-1834), it was partially deactivated, keeping a small garrison until 1897.
The first Official School for boys in the parish of Conceição operated in the fort from 1857 to 1865, when work was completed on the building of the current Primary School of Conceição.
It served as a post for the Tax Guard of Cabanas until 1905.
Currently, it serves as a hotel.
Features
It has a square plan, shaped like a star, with four bastions on each edge, and access ramps to each one. It had the governor's quarters, a chapel dedicated to Saint John the Baptist (the two buildings visible on the south side), garrison quarters, stables, and a warehouse, in addition to a well.
Stone inscriptions by the entrance
The entrance has two tombstones, one of its original construction, completed in 1672, and the second referring to its renovation in 1793.
The first inscription reads:
Being regent of the kingdoms and lordships of Portugal the Most Serene Prince Peter, the Count of Vale dos Reis, member of the Councils of State and War and Captain-General of this Kingdom, finding this site able, had this fortress built, out of stone and lime, a fort of earth and timber already constructed, during the reign of King John IV of glorious memory, in the year of 1656, the same Count of Vale dos Reis, had the bridge of the city of Tavira built, and the Governor of this fortress Sergeant-Major Domingos de Carpião Castanheda was charged with the administration of this construction, which he did beginning on December 19, 1670.
The second inscription reads:
This fortress was rebuilt by his third grandson Nuno José Fulgêncio de Mendonça e Moura, Count of Vale de Reis, Governor and Captain-General of the same Kingdom, gentleman of the Chamber of the Prince our lord, and deputy of the board of same, during the reign of Dona Maria, its inspector being Doctor Caetano de Andrade Castro in the Year of 1793.
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CONCEIÇÃO - (TAVIRA)
37° 8' 47" N; 7° 36' 17" W
Historically, the town and its lands to the south were part of the so-called Herdade da Gomeira, lands granted in the charter of Afonso III to Tavira in 1266 to the order of Santiago de Espada.
The first records known about this parish date back to 1518, the date of the oldest records of the existence of its parish church, dedicated to Nossa Senhora da Conceição. Most of the area of this parish comprises a large rural area, with scattered farms and small settlements, including Barrocal and Serra, some of which are: Aldeia, Alhos, Almargem, Alvisquer, Benamor, Canada, Carapeto, Cativa, Daroeira, Gomeira, Mato da Order, Morgado, Singles, Valongo.
Some places, such as Canada, Praia, Fortaleza, Morgado and Gomeira were transferred to the parish of Cabanas de Tavira, which lasted between 1997 and 2013, when this parish was reunited with the previous parish that included it, giving rise to the current União of Parishes of Conceição and Cabanas de Tavira.
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