Of the ancient city of Xelb with its many mosques, the Moorish capital of the Algarve, the magnificience of which was said to eclipse even that of Lisbon, there remain the red sandstone walls of a castle standing above the white-walled town which rises in tiers up the hillside.
Thanks to its protected position inland, in the foothills of the Serra de Monchique, Silves has managed to preserve its character with its steep, cobbled streets.