The deep green foliage of orange trees in fertile valleys. The blue sea and the fast paced life of an international seaside resort. The picturesque charm of houses surrounded buy almond and carob trees. The broad sweep of hills that are a haven for ramblers and nature lovers. These are among the attractions of Silves district, a holiday destination where it is a pleasure simply to be alive. Between orange groves and hills The vast triangle defined by Silves.

São Bartolomeu de Messines and Armação de Pêra is a land of fruit trees and vegetable gardens, of small villages where the houses have whitewashed walls, with doors and windows picked out in blue, and ornate chimneys that resemble a more solid version of lace. A walk through this region is a chance to appreciate the glowing colours of oranges, the green foliage of almond trees, the broad crowns of carob trees and the fig trees that are often bent right to the ground.

Wikipedia articles for Silves

• Silves Municipality, Portugal
• Silves Castle