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Jan

10

Faro Holiday & Sightseeing Guide

Filed Under Portugal

A trip to Faro

Dine on fresh seafood dishes, toast with local Portuguese wine and enjoy a walk along lovely narrow lanes in the old city; life can’t be more blissful than in Faro. A major hub in the Algarve, Faro unveils rich history and a myriad of remarkable, historic buildings, making it an ideal place for a weekend getaway. The city is dotted with pavement cafés and chances to soak in the city’s slow-going pace and relaxing ambiance. In the evening, do what the Portuguese do and hit one of many dance clubs to rub shoulders with bouncy university students until the sun comes up.

Flights to Faro
As a main attraction in the Algarve, travelling to Faro is easy. The city is home to its own international airport that receives a number of flights from European destinations as well as some charter flights during the holiday season. If you are looking for a cheap flight to Faro try Thomas Cook. Optionally, tourists can also use train services that connect the city to Lisbon regularly.

Walking is perhaps the best way to get around the city. The old city is easy to navigate, with narrow lanes and significant landmarks located close together. Cycling here is also popular, with the city being a university town.

Faro Algavre

Sightseeing in Faro
Wandering around in the old city, you will find an array of fascinating old buildings and remarkable landmarks. The old city is bustling with exquisite historic marvels set among narrow lanes, meaning no vehicles are allowed here. The pedestrian-only zone means you can walk in the middle of the road and soak in lovely sights through your camera lens without having to watch for cars. A visit to the beautiful 18th century palace and its 13th century cathedral is a must.

Other places worth visiting are the city’s Archaeological Museum and the Regional Ethnographic Museum, which unveils interesting titbits on the region’s folklore. Not for the fainted heart is the Capela d’Ossos. Don’t expect anything luxurious or refined as the name literally means the ‘Chapel of Bones’ and you will be greeted by a number of human skulls and bones upon your visit.

Fun by night – eating drinking and partying
Portuguese cuisine places an emphasis on good seafood, especially fresh fish and shellfish. Not to be missed is the national dish, bacalhau, which consists of dried salted cod. If you can’t pick between having shrimps, oysters, crabs or lobsters for your main dish, opt for a mixture or a plate of rich seafood rice, locally known as arroz de marisco.

Nightlight in Faro is vibrant, as you can expect in any university town. The throbbing artery of nightlife is the heart of town, along Rua do Prior. Rub shoulders with university students and hearty locals at one of many venues here including night cafés, pubs and dance clubs.

Fun by day - shopping and activities
Don’t be surprised to see an army of ladies swarming the heart of the city along Rua Santo Antonio and Rua Francisco Gomes, as these roads are the main shopping areas in Faro. Those wishing to buy something unique should head to the colourful market at Largo do Mercado. One-of-a-kind handicrafts, embroidered goodies and traditional clothing all make for good keepsakes.

Other leisure activities the city offers include a variety of outdoor activities. Praia de Faro, about six kilometres from the city centre, is a stunning beach with golden sands and abundant water sports, while there are several seaside cafés where you can relax and check out the locals.

Daytrips
Within a short drive of Faro are some wonderful day trips if you can rent a car. The Roman ruins of a grand villa at Milreu are certainly one of the highlights, offering a rare look at how the wealthy Roman elite lived here during their era around 100 AD. Head a bit further north and you’ll find the equally enchanting Palácio do Visconde de Estói, a perfectly crumbling Rococo palace with sculpture gardens and a sense of timelessness.

Rio Formosa Natural Park is another popular day trip near Faro. This wildlife preserve borders Spain and has wonderful river boat cruises that take you deep into the heart of this region’s lovely topography. The Praia de Faro is arguably the most popular beach in the region, and well worth the effort to get there. The sands stretch for 7kms, so even at the height of summer you can find a slice of solitude.

Must-see attractions
This genuine fishing port city is one of the real gems of the Algarve region of Portugal. The best sights are clustered within the medieval walled Old Town (Cidade Velha), where most visitors spend the majority of their time. Wandering the cobblestone streets of the Old Town is a pleasure in itself, and the ideal place to linger and absorb the timeless ambience of Faro.

Among the notable highlights of Faro are the twin towers of the Church of Our Lady of Carmel, which was built in 1719 and is a wonderful example of Portuguese architecture. Its gilded interior is simply breathtaking. But behind the church lies a rather macabre highlight, the Capela dos Ossos, a chapel built from the bones of more than 1,200 monks to serve as a reminder of the temporal nature of life on earth. A colourful shopping experience can be found in the open-air market, Largo do Mercado, where you can see how locals get on with their daily lives.

Best time to go
The weather in Portugal’s Algarve region is renowned for its mild, dry and sunny conditions virtually all year long. For this reason, there’s really no bad time to visit Faro. Summer is hot and sunny, making for ideal beach and swimming conditions. The heat is tempered by cooling breezes off the Atlantic that sometimes get rather windy. Winters are the coldest time of year in Faro so you’ll need some warm clothing to enjoy the refreshing weather. Winter is also the rainy season, but temperatures remain mild so it’s still a good time to visit.

Rainy day suggestions
A number of museums offer something to do if the weather turns sour. The Algarve Regional Ethnographic Museum presents the way Faro must have looked like back in the old days through the use of exhibitions depicting daily life in the city. The Maritime Museum is a great place to learn more about the seafaring heritage of Faro, and the Municipal Museum is the place to go for a history lesson into the deep past of this region of Portugal.

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