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The best independent guide to the Algarve

Faro, Portugal: a tourism guide for 2024

Faro is a historic and culturally rich city that boasts a variety of fascinating tourist attractions.
Sadly, Faro is often overlooked, considered only for its airport, but if you spend time in Faro, you will discover a charming Portuguese city.

Found within the historic quarter (the Cidade Velha) is a Gothic cathedral, the Paço Episcopal palace and the decorative Arco da Vila gateway. Outside of the city walls is a vibrant city, with pedestrianised shopping streets, characterful plazas and a wide variety of restaurants and bars.

To the south of Faro is the Parque Natural da Ria Formosa, a series of saltwater lagoons and waterways, which is an important ecosystem for migratory birds and marine life. On the seaward side of the Ria Formosa are three sandbar islands, and these are the location of Faro’s pristine beaches.

There is a lot to like about Faro, and it makes for an enjoyable day trip or destination during a touring holiday of the Algarve. This article will show you why you should visit Faro and how to get the most from the city.
Related articles: Introduction to the AlgarveTop 10 Algarve

Highlights of Faro

Largo da Sé Faro

The Largo da Sé is a charming cobbled plaza located in the center of Faro's historic district, and is home to several important landmarks, including the old cathedral, the bishop's palace, and the city hall.

Faro Parque Natural da Ria Formosa

The Parque Natural da Ria Formosa, a network of saltwater lagoons and sheltered waterways, rich with aquatic life and best explored by a boat tour or kayak trip.

Ilha Deserta Faro

The Ilha Deserta, a deserted sandbar island on the southern side of the Parque Natural da Ria Formosa, known for its unspoiled, 6km-long coastline of sandy beaches. Along this coastline is the Cabo de Santa Maria, the most southernly point of Portugal.

Faro bone chapel Capela dos Ossos

Faro Bone Chapel (the Capela dos Ossos) – A ghoulish chapel decorated with the bones of 1,200 monks who were excavated from the graves of the Nossa Senhora do Carmo church.

Faro as a day trip

Faro is the best day trip of the central Algarve region, especially if you are staying in Albufeira, Vilamoura or Quarteira.
The city is home to many fascinating historical landmarks and has a unique Portuguese atmosphere that sets it apart from the surrounding resort towns.

Insight: The central Algarve region boasts many interesting day trips, such as the fishing port of Olhão and market town of Loule. However, Faro is the better day trip destination because it has more sights and attractions.

To fully discover Faro, plan at least four hours of sightseeing. The first half of your day could be dedicated to exploring the Cidade Velha, and the second half visiting the modern area of Faro, which includes the Capela dos Ossos (Bone Chapel).

Boat tours of the Parque Natural da Ria Formosa are typically full day activities, but there are shorter trips to the Ilha Deserta, if you wish to see the nature park in your day trip.

Being the largest city of the Algarve, Faro has excellent public transport from the surrounding region (details later in this guide). If you have a car, there is a large car park to the southeast of the city (GPS: 37.011799, -7.932085).

Below is an interactive map for a suggested day trip to Faro. The green line shows a walking tour of the city, which starts from the bus station. (Note: zoom out to see all of the points)

Sights of the tour: 1) Faro Marina 2) Manuel Bivar plaza 3) Igreja da Misericórdia (church) 4) Arco da Vila (gateway) 5) Porta Nova 6) Se Cathedral 7) Câmara Municipal (City Hall) 8) Faro Museum 9) Arco do Repouso (gateway) 10) Rua de Santo António (shopping street) 11) Igreja de São Pedro 12) Igreja do Carmo 13) Capela dos Ossos
Sights around Faro: 14) Cabo de Santa Maria 15) Ilha Deserta 16) Culatra fishing village 17) Forum Algarve (shopping centre) 18) Start of the N2 road*
Beaches: 19) Praia de Faro 20) Praia Da Ilha Deserta 21) Praia do Farol 22) Praia da Ilha da Culatra
*The N2 is the scenic road that extends along the entire length of Portugal, and is popular for road trips and biker-trips.

Sights for a day trip to Faro
Faro Marina - here moors a mix of fishing boats and pleasure craft, but the height of the boats is severely restricted due to the railway bridge at its entrance!

Faro Marina

Arco da Vila - The decorative Baroque gateway which was constructed over the original Arabic gateway, and leads into the Cidade Velha. The towers of the Arco da Vila are a favourite nesting site for Faro’s Storks

Arco da Vila Faro

Porta Nova is the tiny gateway that leads down to the waterfront and the “Cais de embarque de Faro”, where the ferries and boat tours depart from.

Porta Nova gateway Faro

Rua de Santo António – The characterful shopping street of central Faro

Rua de Santo António Faro

The view from the top of Faro cathedral, with views over the city and the Parque Natural da Ria Formosa

Parque Natural da Ria Formosa view cathadral

Igreja do Carmo – This grand Baroque church was funded by the spice trade from Brazil, and in the rear courtyard is the Capela dos Ossos

Igreja do Carmo Faro

Faro holiday score and ratings

faro score rating holiday
Faro activities and tours

There are many excellent tours and activities in Faro. The Parque Natural da Ria Formosa and the Ilha Deserta are often the focus of these tours, as they can only be reached by boat. Some of the best activities provided by GetYourGuide include:
A boat tour of Ria Formosa visiting two islands and a traditional fishing community
A nature tour of the Ria Formosa on a solar-powered boat
A dolphin watching tour departing from Faro harbour

Faro for a holiday

Faro makes an enjoyable, if slightly alternative, holiday destination. The city is ideal if you want an authentic Portuguese experience, in preference to a beach holiday.

Faro offers history and culture, along with a varied selection of cafes, restaurants and bars. Being a major city, there is decent nightlife, and this tends to be aimed at Portuguese patrons, rather than foreign tourists. By day Faro has an unhurried and calm ambience, but by night there is a surprising buzzing and social nightlife.

Insight: Faro has no beaches which are within walking distance of the city centre, and a bus (to the Praia de Faro) or ferry (Praia Da Ilha Deserta) must be caught. Faro is not a destination for a beach focused holiday.

Faro is a good base from which to explore the Algarve by public transport. Tavira is only 40 minutes by train to the east, Vilamoura is 30 minutes by bus to the west, and even Lagos at the very western edge of the Algarve, can be reached by a direct train.

If you are considering a holiday to Faro, you should be aware that this is a major residential city, and not some beautified or manicured resort town. Some sections of the city are dilapidated (but are perfectly safe), and unfortunately, are on the main bus route into the city, which gives a bad first impression of Faro.
This opinion always changes when the historic centre and harbour are discovered!

Faro city walls

The city walls of Faro date from the Moorish era and encircle the entire Cidade Velha

How long to spend in Faro?

There are three different suggested lengths for a visit to Faro; one day, three days or a week.

The one-day stay is recommended if you arrive on a late flight and need a short stopover before heading to your main holiday destination. Faro can be easily explored in a single day and makes for an interesting introduction to the Algarve, before catching the train or bus to your next location.

A stay of three nights allows Faro and the surrounding region to be fully discovered. This length provides you time to explore historic centre, tour the Parque Natural da Ria Formosa, relax on the Praia de Faro or Ilha Deserta beaches, and have a day trip to Estoi or the Ilha da Culatra. Three nights is the ideal length of stay if you are touring the Algarve and are not rushed for time.

A seven-night stay in Faro is perfect if you wish to spend your entire holiday based in Faro. This holiday makes use of the excellent public transport from Faro to explore the entire central Algarve via day trips, while being based in a cosmopolitan city.

From Faro, it is possible to take day trips to Olhao, Tavira, Loule, Albufeira and Vilamoura, and longer train journeys connect to Silves and Lagos.

Arco do Repouso Faro

The Arco do Repouso gateway leading into the Cidade Velha

Where to stay in Faro?

Generally, most tourists book their accommodation within 300m of the Jardim Manuel Bivar plaza and the Doca de Faro. Faro is a compact city, and this area covers the main tourist sights, the bus and train stations and popular restaurants.

As for hotels; the Hotel Faro and Eva Senses Hotel are both highly regarded, have roof terraces and are centrally located. A recommended cheaper alternative is the Stay Hotel Faro Centro. If you need a hotel close to Faro airport, consider the Hotel 3k.

The map below shows the location of hotels and rental rooms in Faro, and by altering the date to your holiday, the map will display current prices:

Booking.com
The beaches of Faro

Faro city should not be considered as a beach holiday destination. The beaches of Faro are found on the southern side of the three sandbar islands (Ilha de Faro, Ilha Deserta and the Ilha da Culatra), and cannot be walked to.

The Ilha de Faro has a 5km coastline of golden sands, and this beach is referred to as the Praia de Faro. The Praia de Faro has low-key tourist development, with relaxed cafes and small beach bars. This is surprising considering it is less than a five-minute drive from Faro airport.

There is a direct bus (route 16) from the Próximo Bus Station (in Faro) to the Praia de Faro beach; this route also serves the airport.

Praia de Faro beach

Praia de Faro, just a short bus ride from Faro

Ilha Deserta, as its name suggests, is an uninhabited sandy island that can only be accessed by boat. The southern part of the island features a beach called Praia Da Ilha Deserta, which stretches for over 6km and is known for its pristine, unspoiled sands. Midway along the beach is Cabo de Santa Maria, the southernmost point of Portugal.

A wooden boardwalk runs along the northern side of the island, passing through a sparse vegetation of beach scrub. Despite its beauty and seclusion, the Praia Da Ilha Deserta is not the most convenient destination for a beach trip, and many visitors opt for the more accessible Praia de Faro instead.

The Ilha da Culatra has similar beaches to the Ilha de Faro and on the northern side of the island is the traditional fishing village of Culatra. On Ilha da Culatra, the main beaches are the Praia da Ilha do Farol and the Praia da Ilha da Culatra. Farol beach is next to the lighthouse and is closer to Faro. Again, a ferry is needed to travel to the Ilha da Culatra, so for most beach day-trippers, the Praia de Faro is the better destination.
Related articles: Faro beaches

Ilha Deserta Faro Cabo de Santa Maria

The Cabo de Santa Maria is marked by a driftwood and sea-waste monument

Faro weather
Faro is the Algarve’s transport hub

Faro airport is the main international airport of southern Portugal, and is situated 7km southwest of the city. Faro bus and train stations are located in the centre of Faro city, and departing from here are regional services covering the whole of the Algarve, along with routes to Lisbon and northern Portugal.

Useful public transport websites include:
• Comboios de Portugal (trains) - www.cp.pt
• Vamus (regional buses) - vamusalgarve.pt
• Rede Expressos (intercity buses) - www.rede-expressos.pt

Unfortunately, none of these public transport services connects directly to the airport. Therefore, if you wish to head to your holiday destination using public transport, you will have to travel into Faro city first.

Algarve train

The Algarve regional railway, slow but inexpensive

How to Travel from the airport to Faro city?

There is very limited public transport from Faro airport to Faro city. There is a single bus service (€2.60 adult) that departs every 30-40 minutes between 6am and midnight. This bus (route 16) terminates at the Proximo bus station, and is next to the intercity bus station or 200m from the train station.

A taxi from the airport to Faro is a more convenient and faster option, costing €15-20. Uber operates in the Algarve, but there can be high demand during the summer months. The price for a private transfer (with a driver waiting at the airport for you) to Faro, is from €25 and more details can be found here.
Related articles: Faro airport to Faro city

Faro airport bus 16 route

The number 16 bus heading to Faro bus station

Day trips from Faro

Popular day trips from Faro include; the fishing town of Olhão, the market town of Loulé or the fishing communities on the Ilha da Culatra island.

An alternative day trip is to the pretty village of Estoi. Found in Estoi is the pink Estoi Palace, the finest example of Rococo architecture in the Algarve, while just outside of the village are the Milre Roman ruins, of a once-grand villa
Related Articles: Day trip to EstoiLoulé guide

Palácio de Estoi

The beautiful azulejos tiles of the Palácio de Estoi gardens

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