​The best of Faro

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​Are you planning to visit Faro, Portugal? This article will advise you the most beautiful places you need to see in Faro.
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​FARO

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​Have you ever heard about Faro? A beautiful versatile city in the south of Portugal, the capital of the Algarve region. A city surrounded by islands and hills, has the privilege to be one of the preserved places of Algarve.
Faro is preserving its typical Portuguese city atmosphere, the combination of interesting sights, rich heritage and traditional Portuguese character makes Faro a new destination for tourists. As a coastal town it offers warm sunny weather during a big part of the year, beautiful beaches, traditional bars and restaurants with delicious seafood.
Faro attracts people for many different reasons, everyone can find their own passion here. Depending on your interests you can visit historical buildings, admire the architecture, wander in nature, relax on the beach, enjoy the delicious seafood or be a part of the city life full of events and festivals. So, let’s have a look at the main things you need to see when you visit Faro!
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History, architecture

 Igreja do Carmo

Built in the middle of the 18th century, Carmo church, with its Baroque facade and twin bell towers is one of the most important historical monuments in the Algarve.
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Capela dos Ossos

 The Chapel of Bones is from 1816 and displays the bones of more than 1,200 monks from the Carmelite cemetery. The Chapel of Bones is in the gardens belonging to the Igreja do Carmo.
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Cidade Velha

The historical old town is divided into two main areas: the Vila-Adentro, the oldest part; and the Mouraria, the area where the Moors settled from the late thirteenth century. The Vila-Adentro is contained almost entirely within the medieval city walls and accessed via three medieval gates, or arches.
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Arco da Vila

Arco da Vila is a monumental neo-classical archway leading to the old town, with remains of the original Moorish wall.
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Sé Catedral de Faro
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In the old town of Faro you can find the Cathedral of Faro, also known as Igreja de Santa Maria. This monument was started in 1251, just two years after Faro had been “reconquered” from the Moors. The church was built over the ruins of an ancient roman temple having been a mosque during the Arabic period and converted into a cathedral after king D. Afonso’s III conquest.

 
Muralhas de Faro

The walls with its primitive, pre-Roman origins continue to encircle the historical Cidade Velha (Old town). They were beefed up, and later restored twice during the Moorish period in the 9th and then the 12th century.
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Museums, Theatre

Museu Municipal de Faro

Faro Municipal Museum is one of the oldest museums in Algarve which details the Roman, Moorish and early history of the Algarve. The museum is set within the former Nossa Senhora da Assunção.


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​Centro Ciência Viva do Algarve

Algarve Live Science Centre is an outstanding museum with interactive displays that focus on the seas, geology, and local marine life.

Photos from Centro Ciência Viva do Algarve Facebook @ccvalgarve
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Museu Regional do Algarve

The Algarve Regional Museum shows heritage and traditional ways of life in Algarve. The visitors can get to know the Algarve region, its economic activities, customs, folklore, legends and the landscape.

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Photos from visitportugal.com/ Museu Regional do Algarve

Teatro Lethes

The building that today is called Teatro Lethes, started out as a Jesuit school - Colégio de Santiago Maior, founded by the then Bishop of the Algarve. Years later, in 1843, the College was auctioned off by public auction by Dr. Lazaro Doglioni, who had publicly expressed his intention to build a theater in Faro. The Lethes Theater was inaugurated on April 4, 1845.
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Photos from Teatro Lethes Facebook @TeatroLethes 

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The Teatro das Figuras
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 One of the most important venues in the Algarve, a project by Portuguese renowned architect Gonçalo Byrne, first for its size, with an auditorium of 782 seats. It shines with the multidisciplinary nature of its cultural program.

Photos from Teatro das Figuras Facebook @TeatroLethes@teatrodasfiguras
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Any nature lovers out there?

Parks and beaches that you must visit!


Jardim da Alameda João de Deus


Jardim da Alameda João de Deus is the largest garden space in the city. You can find there different plant species, namely some old trees and animals, also a small waterfall and a lake.
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Parque Ribeirinho de Faro

The Ribeirinho park is located at the western border of Faro and it stretches between a small branch of the Ria Formosa and the single lane railway of the Algarve, that connects Lagos in the western Algarve,  with Vila Real de Santo António on eastern border with Spain. The area was opened to the public as a leisure park in fall 2014.
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Ria Formosa

Recently elected as one of the 7 Natural Wonders of Portugal. A real natural paradise where fauna and flora coexist in perfect harmony with fishermen and their typical houses. Ria Formosa is 60 km long and stretches from Garrão beach (Faro) to Manta Rota beach (Cacela) and is composed of a labyrinth of canals, islands (Barreta, also known as Deserta island, Culatra, Armona, Tavira and Cabanas), swamps and sandbanks. This is a unique coastal lagoon which is constantly changing due to the continuous movement of winds, currents and tides.´
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Photos from Formosamar Facebook @formosamar

Praia de Faro

Faro beach is situated on an island called Ilha de Faro. Access to Praia de Faro is through a narrow bridge, crossing the Ria Formosa natural park. The beach is situated on the ocean side and stretches for about 5 kilometres. There is a road which follows the beach in both directions and its lined with Portuguese holiday homes, hotels, restarants, small beach bars, surf schools and a camping park. You can arrange surf lessons, paddle, kite surf, or enjoy a nice game of volleyball.
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Praia da Quinta do Lago

Quinta do Lago Beach is extensive, over 2 miles of golden sand can be reached by crossing a long wooden walkway over the Ria Formosa. There are plenty of facilities on the beach, cafes, restaurants, sunbeds for rent, all kinds of water sports to do in the Atlantic Ocean.
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Photos from Praia Do GIGI - Quinta do Lago Facebook @PraiadoGIGI 
“4 Places you can’t miss!”
Marina

Faro’s idyllic city centre is lined with palm trees and edges onto a delightful marina. Located in the city centre, you cannot miss the Faro sign. Next to it you can find a statue - woman with a shell instead of a head sitting on stairs and overlooking the beautiful sunny marina. If you walk closer to the water area you will find a favourite place for the locals but also many tourists, the pier from which you can admire the beautiful sunset.
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Jardim Manuel Bivar

Jardim Manuel Bivar, a scenic plaza featuring shaded seating and manicured green spaces, a garden with various kinds of trees and well designed, well taken care of flowerbeds. This space is considered the center of the city, integrating one of the nuclei of the Historical Center of Faro.
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Faro Municipal Market

The Municipal Market of Faro, is a complex that brings together a variety of services. It brings you the vibe of traditional markets with fish and seafood, fruits and vegetables while it is also a modern facility filled with supermarkets, bakery, butchers, flower shop and many others.
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Forum Algarve

Forum Algarve is one of the largest shopping centres in the region. Located on the western entrance of Faro, just 5 minutes from the airport. 
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Forum Algarve´s architectural concept was inspired by the regional lifestyle, in an open-air space that makes the best of the Algarve´s sunny days. It has a cinema, where you can enjoy chewing on popcorn while watching your new favourite movie. There are also a lot of shops with clothes, cosmetics, food and others. And let’s not forget the restaurants where you can enjoy a variety of food, from fast food, pizza, sushi, or more healthy options. 
Or you can just take a coffee there and then head to downtown to enjoy the ambiance of restaurants there. If you like italian food you should try the pizza at Pizzeria Bell'Antonio, or you can try mexican food in Guaka and enjoy a free shot of tequila every hour. Fans of sushi will enjoy Faro a lot because you have many options here, near the bus station there is Osaka, more in downtown you can find all you can eat Sushicomes and there are others if you want to try. For more healthy options you can visit The Woods where you can have for example some delicious salad with fresh squeezed juice. If you’d like to try brazilian food you can pop by the Restaurante Sem Tempo or Brasileiríssimo Faro. For burgers the Hamburgueria da Baixa is a good place to see, and if you like hotdogs you must visit Oh My Dog! Vegetarians don’t worry you also have some options here like True Food, Outro Lado or Vegan box. There is also a good Nepali Fast Food and a lot of restaurants with asian food. But let's not forget the traditional Portuguse food. If you like fish you should try O Chalavar.
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Just wanna Have Fun?

Let's experience the Faro Nightlife


The nightlife in Faro is very rich and diverse, this Portuguese university city is proving to be a popular evening stop with all kinds of entertainment like bars, restaurants, night clubs, rooftop bars and more. For a lot of students Faro is their home so it is natural that the city lights up after the sun goes down, it's full of life and sounds of music.
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Wandering around the Old Town

The Old Town, with its 9th century walls, charms us with its beautiful cobble streets and typical whitewashed houses and several cafes, restaurants, and bars, some of which has the views over the Ria Formosa Natural Reserve, for example the well known O Castelo.
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Walking around Faro Marina 

The magical Marina of Faro is a great place for an evening stroll. It is full of bars, cafes, restaurants, ice-cream parlours, a children’s playground and, during the summer, there are a lot of concerts and dance shows, all this and more makes Faro Marina the perfect place to relax after a busy day.
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Strolling around Downtown Faro

Like Faro Marina, Faro’s Downtown is one of the best places to enjoy a good atmosphere in the evenings. The beautiful streets with its typical Portuguese sidewalk are a big part of the city’s history. With several shops with regional products, restaurants, cafes, bars, the downtown of Faro is definitely the right place to enjoy the nightlife.
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Bars and discos in downtown Faro

Faro is actually a great city for people that like to have fun and go out at night. You can start with the prestigious Columbus Cocktail & Wine Bar, or if you prefer something more homey don’t hesitate to visit the Brazilian bar Baixaria, or others, the streets are full of different establishments, you can just choose but don’t forget to finnish your night at clubs such as the First Floor, Twice or the Prestige Dance Club, because Faro has a wide range of bars and nightclubs.
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Festivals in Faro

Fair Santa Iria

The traditional Santa Iria Fair, which promises a week of intense entertainment, usually takes place in October at Largo de São Francisco. With several centuries of history, it is one of the oldest and most traditional fairs in the region. Although it is not possible to specify the exact year of its origin, there are manuscripts that refer to the year 1596 as the year of the first free fair.
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Baixa Street Fest

The Baixa Street Fest program initiative takes place on Friday evenings between the end of June and August.. Let yourself be carried away by the peacefulness of Faro’s hot nights and enjoy the concerts, theatre, circus and sound and light shows on the streets.
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Faro Motorcycle Concentration

During summer, the city of Faro hosts one of the largest concentrations of motorbikes of the entire world. The event features demonstrations of skills, talent contests, various performances and music concerts every night. At the end of the event, there is a parade in which all the motorcyclists strut their motorbikes through Faro. This is certainly an event that no real fan of motorcycles will want to miss.
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Festival F

Festival F takes place in early September to mark the end of summer in the city of Faro, in the area of ​​Vila Adentro. The festival turns the streets of the historic city centre into one of the best music festivals in the country. For three days, the best national artists perform throughout the night in a farewell to another fantastic summer.
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Ria Formosa Festival

The Ria Formosa Festival is one of the largest gastronomic events in the county of Faro and is usually held between the end of July and the beginning of August, in Largo de São Francisco, Faro. For about 10 days it is possible to taste the best seafood from Ria Formosa, as well as other regional specialties.
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O Açoteia - Faro Rooftop Festival

Increasingly, identity is a value that should be praised. For those who live in the municipality of Faro and the region, this is a good way to draw attention to a wide range of unused spaces in the city and highlight its potential. For those who visit us this is a good way to show the city from another point of view. Açoteia - Faro Rooftop Festival will allow you to visit the top of buildings that are normally not visitable and look at the city and Ria Formosa from another perspective. This is a cultural event that addresses three major areas: environmental sustainability, community and the arts.

islands
 
Ilha da Culatra

Culatra island is a part of the Ria Formosa National park located south of the Faro city. The islands attract with its beautiful natural scenery, the combination of wildlife, golden beaches and calm crystal clear waters on one side and large lagoons on the other.
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Have you ever seen "Cast Away"?
 
Ilha Deserta

Deserta is an island in the Ria Formosa Natural Park. The shape of Deserta looks like an arrow pointing south, between the Atlantic Ocean and Ria Formosa.  Ilha Deserta is a hotspot of biological diversity – different kinds of birds, various types of plants and flowers, crustacean, chameleons and many others. The island itself is a touch of paradise with its endless, practically deserted beaches and clear sea.
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Farol

The island of Farol belongs to one of those islands forming the sandy barrier between the sea and the Ria Formosa Natural Park. The small village of Farol is home mostly to fishermen or cultivators of shellfish. Despite its urban and tourist occupation, when you follow the beach to the east it gradually becomes more peaceful.
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​If you’re not sure which things to choose for you to see in Faro you can check our other articles where we planned for you a The best one day experience in Faro or 3 days trip in Faro, so you can enjoy and have the best experience. Also you can pop up for a drink in one of The top 5 Rooftop Bars in Faro. ​If you are a bike enthusiast then don't forget about our article  Faro biking checklist. Are you a student? Check out our Erasmus Top Spots article, where you can read about favourite places of younger people haging around Faro.

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