The town of Silves, in the south of Portugal, Algarve, stands on a fertile valley of orange groves and is dominated by its castle dating mainly from the time of the moors.
The Castle towers have spectacular views of the city and the fields that surround it. The origin of the town Silves is prior to the year 1000 BC. The climate is temperate Mediterranean, with hot, dry summers and mild winters. Architectural and monumental heritage of the county, are noteworthy:
- Silves Castle, originally of Arab construction, dating back to the eighth century. Made up of mud walls and thick towers, in the center it has a huge cistern with a vaulted and domed five round arches;
- Misericórdia Church of Silves, a sixteenth century building, reveals its origin in a side door in Manueline style placed above the ground, possibly the original entrance;
- The turret from the gates of the city of Silves, the ancient watchtower of important dimension, which was part of the city walls.
The municipality of Silves is the second largest county of Algarve county.
