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Faro's Old Town is, to use that hackneyed phrase, a little gem. It's small, quiet and wonderfully atmospheric. You enter through the 18th century Arco da Vila ( main photo on the Introduction page) walk uphill through impeccably cobbled streets framed by elegantly balconied houses ( photo 2) and arrive at the Largo da Se.Further on is the Praca Alfonso 111, where the Muncipal Museum stands and off these squares in every direction are little streets and lanes which just beg to be explored. You can walk from one end of the Old Town to the other in about 30 minutes and leave by the other Arch, the Arco da Repouso, emerging by the edge of the water on the Largo da Sao Francisco.
What's special about this part of town is that there are no postcards or souvenir shops, just a few bars and restaurants and in parts an almost rural atmosphere ( photos 3 & 5). I do appreciate that it might look a little different in high season but on the second week of February it was an absolute joy. Address: Cidade Velha, FaroPhone: 289 803604Directions: At the eastern end of the port. Access through the town Gate, Arco da VilaWebsite: www.algarvenet.com
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Faro's Cathedral is described quite rapturously in several of the books I've read but inside and out, I found it a little disappointing. There are several treasures, especially in the side chapels but I find the claim of 'The best example of Baroque carving in The Algarve' a little difficult to accept. Inside, I loved the stained glass windows, bordered by azulejos (photo 3)and the tiled ribbed vaulting, (photo 4) but was not tempted to linger too long. Outside it's a bit of a mish mash with only the surviving main doorway and bell tower, looking remotely cathedral-like. This of course is because the original building was mostly destrioyed during the British attacks of 1596 and the great Earthquake of 1755.
Outside is the large expanse of Largo da Se, much too big and irregularly shaped to be called a square. Built on the site of the old Roman Forum, it's a fabulous space, housing the Cathedral, the Bishops Palace and the Town hall and lined all round with Orange trees bursting with fruit and colour ( photos 2 & 5). A great place to amble round and take close up photos of oranges. Colourful, beautiful and very Portugese, don't miss Largo da Se. Address: Largo da Se, 8000, FaroDirections: The Old Town square that the Cathedral and Episcopal Palace are situated in.Website: www.algarvenet.com
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Faro Harbour is quite small but full of boats and you can watch the local fishermen mending their nets. Beyond the harbour walls you can see the islands of the Rio Formosa which is a nature reserve that spans 60km between Faro and Tavira. It's an important haven for a wide number of bird species and in summer you can take boat trips it but they weren't running in January when I was there.
The square facing the harbour is pretty and has gardens in the middle which is a nice place to sit on a sunny day. The mosaic pavements are beautiful and there are a number of imposing buildings around the square.
There's also a cafe on the waterfront where the service is friendly and the food very good and very cheap. It has tables and chairs outside in summer but even in winter, you get a good view of the harbour because all the walls are glass. Leave a Comment
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Chapels crammed with skulls would not be high on my 'to-do' list but my husband was particularly keen to see this one. As it's attached to the Igrega do Carmo described above it wasn't any extra trouble and like the church there was no entry charge. Again, I'm not sure if this applies in high season but the entire time we were in Faro, we didn't have to pay an entry fee to any of the buildings we visited.
The Capella dos Ossos ( Chapel of Bones) is at the back of the church and serves to remind us of the brevity of human life. But humans these days being very hard to frighten, everybody just wandered around taking close ups of the skulls and showed no signs of being affected in any way by the gruesome sight. In fact it wasn't really gruesome or scary at all, just walls and ceiling covered with skulls that in the distance looked like stones. I didn't find this at all interesting but if you've never seen a Capella dos Ossos, then you might enjoy it. Address: Largo do Carmo, FaroPhone: 298 824 490Directions: Behind the Church at Largo do CarmoWebsite: www.algarvenet.com
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 Arab door by GerremLeave a Comment
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The Old Town of Faro is its best feature, with lots of tiny streets still surrounded by Roman walls. In the centre is a beautiful square, Largo da Sé, that used to be the Roman Forum. It's lined with orange trees and on one side is a 13th Century cathedral, an 18th Century Episcopal palace and a 16th Century convent that is now the Faro Museum of Archaeology. There is also a small cafe.
Many of the buildings in the Old Town are in need of repair but this gives it charm. Children play outside and cats and dogs wander around and you can't help thinking that life here hasn't changed much at all in centuries. To service the dwellings, vehicles do enter the area but have to pull their wing mirrors in to get through the narrow arches in the old city wall. Leave a Comment
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Vila Adentro is the old core of Faro. This large area is enclosed by walls. Here you can see the Cathedral, the Monastery of Nossa S. ra da Assuncao, the Palacio Episcopal and many streets bordered by white buildings.
The original cathedral was built in the 13th century on the site of a mosque. It was largely damaged during the 1755 earthquake.
The monastery of Nossa S.ra da Assuncao was founded by Queen Leonor; wife of John II. It hosts the Municipal Museum (see tip...) and has a beautiful cloister.
Inside Vila Adentro there are also some cafes and a shop where you can buy books, postcards and souvenirs. Leave a Comment Directions: Vila Adentro is quite near the marina.
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 Stork outside my hotel
window... with a friend by AnnS, 3 more photos
Wherever you are in Faro area, look up and you'll probably see one. Leave a Comment
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 by Maurizioago
Here you can see various archaelogical finds; a large Roman mosaic and a collection of paintings.
The monastery has a nice two storey cloister with a shrub maze at the center. Leave a Comment Address: Pr. Alfonso IIIDirections: The monastery is located just behind the cathedral.
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The "golden" church of Nossa Senhora do Carmois is claimed to be the best example of gold-leaf woodwork in southern Portugal. It also contains the macabre spectacle of a chapel lined with the bones from over 1200 monks!
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