Roman Bridge (Ponte Romana)

The old bridge crossing the Gilão River at the heart of Tavira is one of the town's most photographed spots. Seven arches of irregular stone span the river, connecting the old town to the newer neighborhoods on the opposite bank. Despite being called Roman, the current structure is medieval with later repairs, though the river crossing has been in use since antiquity.

The bridge is closed to vehicles and pleasant to walk across at any time of day. The best views are from the riverbank on either side, looking down the river with the bridge in the foreground and the town rising behind. The evening light on the water and the bridge stonework is particularly good.

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A story
The bridge is Roman in origin but has been rebuilt so many times over eighteen centuries that virtually nothing of the original Roman structure survives above the waterline. The current bridge is largely Moorish and medieval, with seventeenth-century repairs. It is called Roman partly from habit and partly because the Romans were the first to put a permanent crossing here — the site itself is ancient even if the stones are not.

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