Faro Off The Beaten Path

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Milreu is well known for its imposing temple and for these - fish mosaics. The date from the 3rd-4th century and were added when the Roman villa was refurbished. Some of the best examples can be found in the villa and also around the foot of the temple.

Open: 9.30am-12.30pm & 2-6pm Tues-Sun, closed Mondays. Admission: €2
Directions: Take N2 out of Faro towards Sao Bras de Alportel and turn off at Estoi.

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Located about 10km (6 miles) to the north of Faro, Milreu is a fine example of a major Roman villa that shows signs of having been continuously inhabited from the first to the tenth century AD. At the end of the third century AD, the residential area was reorganised around a large central peristyle whose colonnades surrounded an open patio with a garden and pool. The main entrance was given a monumental style in the fourth century AD, while the peristyle and baths were embellished with mosaics depicting marine life and shells. Simultaneously, an imposing temple dedicated to a water god was built on the south side of the road and was, in the fifth century, turned into a paleo-Christian church.

Open: 9.30am-12.30pm & 2-6pm Tues-Sun, closed Mondays. Admission: €2

Directions: Take N2 out of Faro towards Sao Bras de Alportel and turn off at Estoi.

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After you visit the Igreja de São Francisco, located on the other side of the large car park from the old town, if you walk north along Rua dos Cacadores 4, you'll pass by these nice small single-storey flat-roofed houses.

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Just 5 kilometers from Faro is a complex of impressive Roman ruins which is now a national monument and one of the most important sites recording the Roman presence in Algarve. Milreu was a luxurious villa which was transformed into a prosperous farming enterprise. The complex is composed of the manor house, farm buildings, wine press, baths, a temple, and mausoleums among others. In the baths, one can still see very well-preserved tiles decorated with fish and marine life. One can see from what remains the opulent lifestyle of the villa's former inhabitants, as well as imagine the richness of the region, with its fertile lands, abundant sources of water, good climate, and proximity to the sea.

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Estoi is a nice white village some 11 km far from Faro. It is well known for its palace and for the Roman ruins of Milreu. Well, unfortunately the palace was closed for restoration (it will be turned into a parador), it was not permitted even to visit the gardens. The ruins of Milreu have various ruins of buildings, but there aren't many mosaics.

The village has a nice main square with a church and a couple of cafes. If you climb a staircase, or follow some paths you arrive to a beautiful shaded square surrounded by some small houses

Alte is a nice village in inland Algarve. It is some 35 km far from Faro. It has lots of cafes, restaurants and a very interesting art gallery (Off the wall) where you can find some handmade presents to take home.

You can go to Alte by bus, but first you have to go to Loulè from Faro. Then you have to take another bus. Unfortunately in the summer there are few buses operating in the afternoon. So I'd recommend to vist Alte in the morning.

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The highlight of the Ria Formosa trip was a visit to one of the islands on the lagoon, the Ilha Deserta. This is apparently the most Southern point of Portugal and gets very busy with sunlovers and watersports enthusiasts in the summer. In early February however it was completely deserted, wild and primitive looking. There is one massive wooden structure, a bar cum restaurant and some dilapidated beach huts but absolutely no other buildings of any sort. A neatly crafted boardwalk runs right through the centre of the island and all along the various stretches of beach. At that stage in the afternoon, the sun had gone in, the wind was rising and the light was grey and eerie. We walked right round the island and had a chat with a man lying on a hammock outside one of the beach huts. It says in the books that the island is uninhabited but he looked very much at home. The beaches are magnificent and I would recommend a trip here whatever time of the year you visit.

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Touring the Ria Formosa is quite an exciting feature of a trip to Faro. If you look at a map you will see that the city of Faro is seperated from the sea by an extensive area of lagoons, small islands and sandbanks. This nature reserve is actually a National Park and covers over 17,000 hectares. The main photo here was taken from the plane and gives some indication of how exotic it looks in certain parts.

On Sunday afternoon we took a boat trip sold to us by a smooth-talking salesman on the Marina outside our hotel. Along with a family of five we were the only passengers and it was quite an intimate and relaxed trip all round. The boat wound its way through channels and sand spits and we got the chance to observe loads of birds especially Egrets and Sandpipers (photos 2 & 5). The crew consisted of a guide who handed out binoculars to observe the wildlife with and a very laid back captain. So relaxed was he that he handed over the wheel to me and took himself off to sit down on a more comfortable seat. When I veered too far left or right he waved his hand in the appropriate direction. Even more amusing was on the return journey, when a little girl of about 9 with only one functioning eye took over.

Like I say, very relaxed indeed and great fun. The trip lasted for about two and a half hours and cost EUR 20 per person. A little on the expensive side maybe but the very comfortable boat and friendliness of the crew compensated. The company's website is below and their sales people are on The Marina every day.

After eating by the marina, we followed the water's edge towards the mouth of the harbor (on the left bank), and wandered along a nice paved path.. very quiet and romantic, before cutting through an archway back onto the paved city streets. Great pictures and a relaxing walk.