Faro

The gateway to the Algarve

City Overview

Faro is the gateway to the Algarve and often overlooked by visitors. It is the capital city of the southernmost region of Portugal.

Known for its mild weather all year round and an airport that connects the city to all corners of Europe, Faro’s strategic location lets tourists explore the Algarvian beaches and resorts with ease.

A stone’s throw from the city by bus, is Faro beach. Boat tours depart from Faro Marina to the small islands just off the coast, perfect for sunbathing on a quiet, sandy beach and diving into crystalline waters. Located between the beach and the city is Ria Formosa nature park is rich in wildlife and offers breath taking sunset views.

Airport Transfer

The transport facilities to and from Faro airport and the centre of Faro include taxi and a bus line.

The airport (FAO) is located just 4 kilometres west of the city centre, so it has no train or bus station, as you can quickly get to the stations in town. For that, there are always taxis and a regular bus service.

Bus numbers 14 & 16 of the local “Próximo” network stop outside the arrival’s hall once or twice per hour, depending on the time of day.

Number 16 is more frequent, but both have the bus station in town as their final destination. Number 14 is slower, taking about 30 minutes, while number 16 takes just 20.

The schedules change depending on time of year with first bus at around 5.00am and the last one at around midnight. The ticket is purchased from the driver. The bus station is a short walk from the marina and the Old Town, as well as from the train station.

You’ll find taxis outside the arrival’s hall at the airport. Depending on traffic, time of day and whether you have luggage, the ride to the centre of Faro should cost 10 to 15 euros and take just approximately 15 minutes. Note that fares increase at night (after 10pm) and on weekends, and there’s always a surcharge for luggage. Eight-seater taxis are also more expensive than the typical four-seater. It’s recommended that you take a taxi to Faro only.

For the other towns in Algarve (such as Albufeira, Lagos, Tavira or Vilamoura), it’s cheaper to use a transfer. The most convenient and fastest way to reach other towns from Faro Airport is taking a pre-booked transfer. The drivers wait at the arrivals hall and you go straight to your hotel.

Getting Around

Faro is served by a transport network connecting it to the Algarve. The town is served by a public transport network that include minibuses, local bus lines, and regional services across the Algarve.

Faro is served by the centrally located Faro railway station, and a smaller halt in the east of the city at Bom Joao. The main station is operated by the national railway operator Comboios de Portugal (CP), which operates the Alfa Pendular, Intercidades and CP Regional routes, as well as a special service during the summer, the InterRegional line.

The Alfa Pendular service connects Faro to the North and terminates in Porto. The Intercidades and InterRegional services connect Faro to Lisbon.

The CP Regional service operates across the east and west Algarve and connects Faro to Lagos in the west Algarve, and Vila Real de Santo António in the east Algarve.

Places to stay

Hotels in Faro are plentiful and offer good value for money. Whatever type of accommodation you are looking for, you are sure to find it here on the capital of southern Portugal’s Algarve region.

A number of hotels and guesthouses are conveniently located in the city centre and coast, while the centre itself offers plenty of establishments from which to choose.

Out of town there is a range of boutique options in secluded rustic locations, guesthouses perched right on the beach or large family hotels in some of the Algarve’s most prestigious holiday and leisure resorts.

The Algarve is well known for its resort developments and the area around Faro is no exception.

Sightseeing

Visit the Benagil Cave from Faro to explore the iconic Benagil Cave. Enjoy a day of swimming, hiking, and sunbathing.

Dolphin and wildlife watching tours can be books to explore marine life around Faro in a cruise that sets sail on the Atlantic Ocean with a marine biologist. You will get to see dolphins and bottlenose, marine birds, bluefin tuna, and maybe even orcas and sharks.

Ria Formosa Natural Park and Islands can be booked on a boat cruise from Faro. These tours sail to the Ria Formosa Natural Park and visit stunning islands on a catamaran that takes up to 12 people with a choice of either morning or afternoon tour departures.

This mix of influences can be seen as soon as you enter the old town (Cidade Velha), where a baroque gateway (Arco da Vila) lets you in. Narrow cobbled streets guide you towards the beautiful Sé (a cathedral bombed during WWII, that offers stunning views of the city from the top of its tower), surrounded by colourful orange trees that decorate the Largo da Sé, the main square hosting the city hall and bishop’s palace. 

Bars, Clubs & Parties

Faro’s nightlife reflects this Portuguese city’s mixed heritage, an exciting combination of sedate eateries and lively bars, traditional entertainment and modern upbeat sounds.

As a university city Faro has an active nightlife all year round, making it the perfect location not just for high-summer hedonism but also for off-season visitors looking for some evening action.

On warm summer nights Faro’s streets are filled with the sounds of music and laughter as the young crowd spill out onto the cobbled pavements of the Rua Conselheiro Bivar and Rua Infante Dom Henrique and the narrow walkways that weave away from them. The Rua do Prior forms the centre piece for this nightlife area and is home to some of the best-known clubs and bars in town.

There are literally dozens of venues to choose from here, catering every musical taste and thanks to the student population prices are exceptionally reasonable for such a major Mediterranean destination.

In many Mediterranean country’s nightlife begins late and ends late, and Portugal is no exception.

There is no official closing time and it is quite common to see party-goers heading home in their finery as the sun rises in the East to herald another day on the beautiful Algarve.

While the Old Town has traditionally been the heart of Faro nightlife, don’t miss the city’s marina area, especially in high summer, for some sophisticated fun against the backdrop of the water, salt flats and sandspits that characterize the coastline throughout this section of the Algarve.

Beaches

Steep cliff drops, dramatic rock formations are amongst the characteristics that have made the Algarve beaches in Portugal famous. Yet the first-time visitors they are often pleasantly surprised to discover that to the east of this 200km stretch of coastline lies another Algarve, one of sweeping white sands, calm waters and peace and tranquillity.

For most visitors arriving from abroad, Faro serves as the gateway to the Algarve, a place in which people arrive and are promptly dispatched to the many resorts that flank this delightful southern coast of Portugal. But those who take the time to explore the city itself and the towns and beaches of the surrounding area are pleasantly surprised.

Faro and its surrounding coastline are protected by a series of sandspits, creating shallow waters that are protected from the Atlantic waves.

Faro beach itself is a wide stretch of golden sand, easy on the eye and close enough for easy access. Known as Ilha de Faro, or Faro Island, like many of the beaches in the area it is located on a sandbar wrapping around the coastline a short distance offshore.

The Ilha de Faro offers something for everyone, with safe bathing waters and pretty views to the lagoon side, while the Atlantic side is flanked by a wide stretch of golden sand with plenty of water sports activities. Both sides are packed full with facilities including shops, restaurants, hotels and water sports centres that are popular with a local crowd at weekends.

Ilha Deserta, or “Desert Island”, is the sandspit that curves around the coastline directly in front of Faro city. It is accessible from several points of departure on the shoreline of the mainland via regular ferryboat or private water taxi and is well worth the trip. Part of the Ria Formosa National Park, the Ilha Deserta offers 10 km of sweeping golden sands, approached via a maze of wetland channels from which you can admire the flamingos.

The beach offers a nature trail for exploration, plenty of sand and safe shallow waters for in which to take a dip. There are plenty of umbrellas for hire should you feel the need to shelter from the midday sun and cafes\restaurants serving a variety of freshly-cooked snacks available without the need to leave the comfort of the sandy beach.

Ilha da Armona is one of the largest and most popular beaches in the area located just east of Faro around two kilometres off the coast of Olhao. Ilha da Armona is accessible via a fifteen-minute ferry ride from Olhao itself or from nearby Fuseta. Here a series of sand dunes provides plenty of room for fun and exploration and are home to a variety of restaurants and beach facilities catering for a mixed crowd of locals and tourists.

Whatever you are looking for from your time on the Algarve beaches, there is no need to venture far from Faro to find it.

Cafes & Restaurants

Eating out in Faro is a delight for the senses and never more so than in the Algarve. There are restaurants in Faro to suit every taste and budget here, from small “cantinas” to contemporary modern emporiums and just about everything in between.

Eating options in Faro are divided more or less equally between restaurants on the beach, right on the golden sands of the Algarve; city centre restaurants located in the downtown area; quirky eateries nestled right in the heart of the Old Town and some out-of-town retreats designed to take you back in time and away from the stresses and strains of everyday life.

Shopping

Rua de Santo Antonio is a quaint street with pretty buildings and shiny pavements featuring all sorts of shops. The Mercado (market) also has good deals and promotions, as well as the Forum shopping centre.

Other

Currency - Euro (EUR)

Language - Portuguese

Visas - Not needed for travellers from the US, Canada and Europe

Best Time To Visit - March – October

Timezone - Western European Standard Time (GMT)

Homosexual Activity - Legal