Portugal City Travel Guide: Faro
Faro
Faro is the southernmost city in Portugal, and is the coastal capital of the Algarve region. The Algarve occupies the southern end of Portugal, from the Atlantic Ocean coast to the west, all the way to the Spanish border in the east.
Faro is part of the Rio Formosa, a coastal network of lagoons that extends about 40 km along the southern shoreline just east and west of Faro. The nearest beach is about 7 km south of the city.
Faro's history goes back at least 2,500 years, and the city was, in turn, Roman, Byzantine, Visigoth, and Moorish, before becoming Portuguese in 1249.
Not much of really old Faro remains due to earthquakes in 1532 and 1755, and an English army in 1596. However, some fine buildings built after the 1755 earthquake are worth seeing.
As the Algarve's administrative center, Faro has an international airport: Faro Airport, and a university, the University of Algarve. The town has an average population of about 65,000. As with the whole of the Algarve, the population fluctuates with the seasons - summer being the most crowded.
Faro Video
City Guide
The harbor is the city's hub, and it's a short walk east from there to the main modern shopping and dining street of Rua de Santo Antonio. For night life, go north from the harbor to Rua do Prior for clubs and Conselheiro Bivar for outdoor cafes and bars.
The old, mostly walled, neighborhood of Cidade Velha at the southern end of the harbor and is where the town began as a Moorish settlement. Enter through the neoclassical Acro da Vila, which was part of the reconstruction of Faro after the earthquake in 1755 overseen by Bishop Francisco Gomes. The Acro da Vila features a statue of the patron saint of Faro, Thomas of Aquinas. Faro's city walls (Muralhas de Faro) date from various ages including Roman, Byzantine, Moorish and Christian.
Inside the Old City is the Se, or Faro Cathedral. Christians built it on the site of a former mosque, which was on the site of what had previously been a Roman temple. The original cathedral was then destroyed by the English in 1596 and rebuilt half a century later. Across from the cathedral is the Paco Episcopal (Bishop's Palace), built in the 18th century with some fine azulejos.
The Museu Municipal de Faro (Museu Arqueologico) (Tel: 289 897 400), near the Se is housed in the Renaissance-style former Convento de Nossa Senhora da Assuncao that became a museum in the early 1970s. Although small, it is well worth a visit to see relics of almost 2,000 year-old Faro (then a Roman city named Ossonoba), 10th to 13th century Faro (then a Moorish city), and a collection of beautiful artworks from the 16th to the 19th centuries. Among the displays are some impressive ancient Roman and Islamic artifacts including a beautiful mosaic depicting the God of the Sea. You can exit the Old Town here through the restored Arco de Repouso, with a casting in bronze of the original Moorish charter of the town. Closed Monday.
The Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Carmo (Igreja do Carmo for short) is a picturesque Carmelite Baroque church near the central post office on Largo do Carmo. Its construction began in 1713. The Baroqueness is breathtaking in its gorgeous intricacy, with everything covered in gold leaf brought over from Brazil. Further inside, though is the stark, simple Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of Bones) dating from 1816. It is decorated with the remains of 1,200 monks, viewable for EUR 1.
Down by the marina is the Jardim Manual Bivar, the starting point for the Comboio Turistico trackless train, which does a circuit of the town's attractions. On the edge of the marina is the Maritime Museum (Museu Maritimo). The Teatro Lethes was formerly the Jesuit college of Santiago Maior and holds a lovely miniature reproduction of Milan's opera house, La Scala, built by an Italian doctor after the building was sold off. Enquire behind the hospital within office hours to be shown in.
Tourist Information
The Faro Tourist Office is on Rua da Misericordia 8-12 (tel. 289 803 604).
Places to see around Faro
There are a number of interesting places to see within easy traveling distance of the center of Faro.
There are boat trips to the Ria Formosa Natural Park: the uninhabited Ilha Deserta and the channels to the sea that are features of the park.
Visitors can enjoy birdwatching on a catamaran or a traditional wooden boat and visit the southernmost point of mainland Portugal, Cabo de Santa Maria.
Close to the peaceful village of Estoi, north of Faro, are the Ruinas de Milreu - remains of a 1st century AD Roman villa and bath complex. The nearby Palacio de Estoi was built in the late 18th century and is now a lovely pousada (rural accommodation retreat).
Olhao, 9 km east of Faro, has a pleasant Arab-style quarter dating from the 19th century and reflecting the town's trade links with North Africa.
There are ferries from June to September out to two offshore islands: the Ilha da Armona and the Ilha da Culatra.
Loulé is 18 km inland from Faro and, not being a resort, is one of the few places in the area that offers a whiff of the Algarve region's pre-tourist-boom atmosphere. Loulé is also a good place to get traditional local handicrafts - you can actually watch the craftswomen and craftsmen at work making baskets, saddles, woodcarvings lace and leather goods. There is an approximately hourly bus between Loulé and Faro, as well as the train.
Algarve Resorts
Other places to visit in the Algarve region of Portugal include Albufeira, Alcoutim, Aljezur, Alvor, Cabanas, Cacela Velha, Faro, Ferragudo, Fuseta, Lagos, Loulé, Monchique, Olhão, Portimão, Praia da Rocha, Sagres, Silves, Vilamoura and Vila Real de Santo Antonio.
Faro Shopping
For goods from Faro with a real local flavor, visit the morning market on Largo de Sa Carneiro in the north-east, open between 6.30 am and 1.30 pm.
Faro Eating
Dois Irmãos
Largo Terreiro do bispo, 14
Prices for main course: EUR 8-18
Tel: 289 823 337 - reservations recommended.
Adega Nova
Rua Francisco Barreto 24
Tel: 289 813 433
Excellent Portuguese food and wine in a woody interior near Faro Station.
Faro Drinking
Bar Columbus
Praça D. Francisco Gomes 13 8000
Faro/Algarve
Open daily with seating within the bar, in the portico and out on the street in the main square of Faro.
Diesel Bar Travessa Sao Pedro, off Rua do Prior.
List your restaurant/bar/hotel contact Advertising
Internet Cafes
Cafe Bar Origem is a 24-hour internet cafe. Address: Rua Prof. Dr. Egas Moniz 29-13, Faro, Portugal. Tel. +351 964 216 631
Cafe 2014.faro is an internet cafe not far from the Museu Regional do Algarve (Praca da Liberdade). Address: Tv. de Portugal 2, 8000-329 Faro, Portugal. Hours: 7 a.m. to midnight. Tel. +351 289 822 328
Accommodation in Faro
Faro is chock-a-block with places to stay, and with all competing for guests, most are of excellent quality for reasonable rates. Start your search with the following recommendations, listed from more to less expensive.
Luxury Guest House Opus One offers one of the best possible hotel experiences to be had in Faro, with quarters that truly live up to the name "Luxury." The interior is as varied as it is tasteful, impeccably combining aesthetics and comfort - and not without an element of surprise. The rooms are very spacious and guests can enjoy a private semi-open pool, and Jacuzzis. Even includes a billiard room and music room. The location is prime, down a quiet sidestreet, with the Igreja do Carmo on 2 minutes' walk away, and Faro Train Station only 5 minutes' walk away. Supreme comfort and relaxation in the heart of Faro.
Casa da Madalena Bed & Breakfast has something for everyone in terms of budget, but the private Double Room sleeping up to three people, and including breakfast, is legendary. This beautifully atmospheric space is a blend of modern minimalism and classic old warmth. The location, too, is unbeatable, being in the middle of Faro very near the bus and train stations, the Faro Marina, the Igreja do Carmo, and the Lethes Theater. Boasts an expansive terrace with hammocks for delightful relaxation. Spotlessly clean, and warmly hospitable.
Lemon Tree Stay is a superbly tasteful, restful hideaway near the Praca da Liberdade offering the mod-cons of accommodation convenience with a traditional vibe - and lots of greenery. The architecture is truly Mediterranean, with a tranquil courtyard and numerous other spaces to relax. Guests love the helpfulness and hospitality of the hosts, the central location, the courtyard and rooftop terrace, and the immaculate cleanliness.
Getting to Faro
Air Travel in Portugal
There are abundant scheduled, charter and no-frills flights to Faro from all over Europe. Portugalia and TAP Fly from both Porto (via Lisbon) and Lisbon. There are TAP flights to Lisbon and Frankfurt and Easy Jet and Ryanair flights to multiple destinations throughout Europe.
Train Travel in Portugal
Faro Station (tel. 289 801 726). If in Lisbon, dial 218 884 025. Four trains a day from Lisbon on about a three or four-hour journey. There are local trains to Albufeira (30 minutes), Lagos (105 minutes), Loule (20 minutes), Tavira (40 minutes) and Vila Real de San Antonio (70 minutes).
There are trains from Faro Station to Lagos and Vila Real de Santo Antonio on the Spanish border on the Algarve Line.
Car Travel in Portugal
From the west, take Route 125. From Spain, get onto N125 going west.
Bus Travel in Portugal
There is a bus every hour from Lisbon to Faro, taking 3 and a quarter hours to four hours depending on the route and the traffic. There are local buses from Faro to Albufeira, Lagos, Olhao, Portimão and Vila Real de Santo Antonio (via Tavira). EVA bus company runs a service to Sevilla in Spain via Olhao, Tavira, Vila Real de San Antonio, Ayamonte and Huelva.
There are presently a number of buses leaving daily from Faro's bus station near to Faro train station and arriving at Plaza de Armas bus station in Seville, Spain. Depending on the season buses depart at 8.20 am, 8.25 am, 1.55 pm, 3.35 pm and 5.05 pm arriving at Sevilla's main bus station at 1 pm, 11.45, 5.45, 8.00 and 10.15 pm respectively.
The 8.20 am departure from Faro leaves all year round (except 25 December and 1 January). The 8.25 am, 1.55 pm and 5.05 pm departures run from 26th June-6 September. The 3.35 pm departure runs every day from 7th September to 26th June (except 25 December and 1 January).
Check the EVA website (www.eva-bus.com) for the latest departures, journey times and prices.
From Faro Airport
There are two buses from Faro Airport into Faro City: numbers #14 and #16. The local Proximo bus #16 runs from Faro Bus Station to Faro Airport and Praia de Faro. It takes 20 minutes between Faro Airport and Faro Bus Station. The Proximo bus #16 runs from Faro Bus Station to Faro Airport between 5 am and 11pm. Buses from Faro Airport to Faro Bus Station run from 5.20 am-11.20 pm.
The less frequent number #14 bus runs in a circular route from Faro Atalaia to Faro Airport, Faro Praia then on to Forum Algarve and Faro Bus Station.
See here for more information on Proximo buses: www.proximo.pt.
Terminal Rodoviário de Faro (Faro Bus Station)
Av. da República
8000-078 Faro
Tel: 289 899 760
A taxi should be under 15 Euro to Faro, 70+ to Albufeira, 90+ Euro to Lagos and 30+ Euro to Tavira. Please note these prices are estimates. It would be much cheaper, about half, to arrange your taxi beforehand online with a local Algarve taxi transfer company. We recommend Vitortransfers at Riosultravel, Agência de Viagens e Actividades Marítimo-Turísticas Lda. Alvará 511/86
Tel: +351 919 492 202.
Tips for enjoying Faro in a single day.
Local football teams
Sporting Clube Farense and Louletano.
Founded 1910; Stadium name: Estadio Algarve. Seats 30,000. The stadium now hosts music festivals as well as sports events, but has become something of a white elephant as neither of the two local clubs Farense and Louletano can afford the upkeep of around 3 million Euros a year - a sum the local councils can ill afford either. The Estadio Algarve is often used for an international women's football tournament in spring.
Portugal Hotel & Hostel Accommodation
Featured Hotel
Hotel Monaco
4 km from the beach and 3 km from the center of Faro, 64 well-furnished rooms. All major credit cards accepted. Cable TV, private bathroom & swimming pool.
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The average high June temperatures for Portugal is between 22 degrees Celsius and 26 degrees Celsius (72 - 79 degrees Fahrenheit).
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Faro & The Algarve Map
