On the village square, this small museum has a model of a waterwheel as well as information panels (in Portuguese) on water use. There's also a tourist office here, and it holds the keys to the church opposite. Despite official opening hours, you'll often find staff members here at weekends.
Pólo Museológico da Água
The Algarve
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
13.13 MILES
The centrepiece of the Cidade Velha, the sé was completed in 1251 but heavily damaged in the 1755 earthquake. What you see now is a variety of Renaissance…
Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Carmo & Capela dos Ossos
12.68 MILES
One of the Algarve's most dazzling churches, this twin-towered baroque masterpiece was completed in 1719 under João V. After the 1755 earthquake, its…
24.86 MILES
This russet-coloured, Lego-like castle – originally occupied in the Visigothic period – has great views over the town and surrounding countryside. What…
25.28 MILES
One of the Algarve's – and Portugal's – most emblematic sights, this huge natural seaside cave has a hole in its ceiling through which streaming sunlit…
24.89 MILES
Just below the castle is the sé, built in 1189 on the site of an earlier mosque, then rebuilt after the 1249 Reconquista and subsequently restored several…
Igreja de São Lourenço de Matos
8.14 MILES
This baroque masterpiece was built on the site of a ruined chapel after locals, while digging a well, implored Saint Lawrence for help and then struck…
6.46 MILES
Encased in azulejos, this beautifully maintained museum occupies a former cork magnate’s mansion, which retains its original kitchen. It displays an ever…
8.55 MILES
Situated 900m west of Estói, these Roman villa ruins are so large and grand they were originally thought to have been a town. The villa, inhabited from…
Nearby The Algarve attractions
1. Pólo Museológico de Salir
4.45 MILES
Within the area encompassed by what remains of Salir's ruined castle, this little museum has a glass floor above the 12th-century Moorish foundations…
2. Nossa Senhora da Conceição
4.53 MILES
Situated opposite Loulé's castle, the mid-17th century chapel of Nossa Senhora da Conceição possesses three impressive elements: a heavily gilded baroque…
4.55 MILES
Loulé's restored castle is the setting for its municipal museum. The archaeology section's homo erectus kicks things off, and via dusty collections of…
6.4 MILES
Built in 1587 and renovated several times after the 1755 earthquake, this church has three naves separated by Tuscan columns, 17th-century paintings and…
6.46 MILES
Encased in azulejos, this beautifully maintained museum occupies a former cork magnate’s mansion, which retains its original kitchen. It displays an ever…
6. Calçadinha de São Brás de Alportel
6.49 MILES
Constructed during Roman times, this ancient road is thought to have linked Faro (Ossonoba) with Beja (Pax Julia). It was used by mules and shepherds…
6.52 MILES
Below what was once a bishop's palace, this pretty garden has an 18th-century covered water fountain with eight spouts, and is a shady place for a picnic.
8. Centro da Calçadinha
6.54 MILES
This interpretive centre has a small exhibition on Moorish and Roman history in the area, and information on the Calçadinha de São Brás de Alportel, an…