One Day in Faro: Best Things to Do, See and Eat
“Faro was built to confuse you,” declared our tour guide. The streets by the marina had certainly done that last night as I’d tried to find an ATM for the taxi at 11pm. Apparently taxi drivers don’t accept card or contactless here.
“The Romans and Moors people built it that way to confuse intruders, and it worked.”
Our tour guide took us to the entrance to the citadel and regaled the story of a princess falling in love with the head of the opposition. She told him to meet her for a tryst in the tunnels under the city, which was wonderful news to him. Tunnels? Under the city? Long story short, he told his army and they invaded, and took the city as theirs. No beautiful love story there, unfortunately.
Anyway, our tour leader Bruno’s story gave some scope to the winding nature of the city, and the fact that when you’re in the centre, nowhere is actually that far apart. At home I’m slowly making my way through Game of Thrones for the first time and the walled, winding cobbled streets felt disturbingly familiar.
One day in Faro
Faro is an island – best known as a flight hub for travellers going to the Algarve region. I visited at the beginning of March, just for a day, which, it turned out, seemed to be the ideal amount of time to spend there.
It’s the kind of city I think would be great to live in, like Southsea where I do. There’s enough to do to keep you busy day to day, and great restaurants, but there’s not loads to do – it’s no Lisbon or Porto. Which is a good thing if you want to relax.
Look up most lists off ‘things to do in Faro’ and you’ll find most suggestions are to get out and see the Algarve, but Faro is definitely worth at least a day of your time.
Here’s how to make the most of a day in Faro mooching the historic old town and the scenic waterfront.
Free walking tour in Faro’s Old Town (Cidade Velha)
Let’s put the aforementioned tour guide (Bruno from Faro Free Walking Tours) at the top of the list, seeing as the tour really made my day in Faro. We met at the Arco da Vila, an impressive neoclassical archway and bell tower that serves as the gateway to the historic district. But on the day I was there, it was surrounded by scaffolding.
We wandered through the cobbled streets and admired the charming whitewashed houses adorned with azulejos (traditional Portuguese tiles).
He took us to Sé de Faro, the city’s cathedral, which dates back to the 13th century. You can climb to the top of the bell tower for panoramic views over Faro and the Ria Formosa lagoon.
He regaled us with stories and history as we wandered the streets, I was just about getting my bearings given I’d gone out at around 7am for a wander, before realising everything was shut and I should go back and eat my hotel breakfast. It was much better seeing the city with him to explain it all though – I’d definitely recommend.
We went to the Bishop’s Palace, the peaceful Largo da Sé Square and wandered up the shopping street too.
- Faro Free Walking Tours run at 11-1 or 3 to 5, and you pay what you can.
Make sure to bring your comfortable walking shoes. I was fine with my worn in waterproof trainers, which was good seeing as I ended the day on 16,000 steps in all weathers.
Lunch at Tertúlia Algarvia
For lunch, Bruno had recommended Tertúlia Algarvia, so I did what I was told and went for some authentic Algarve flavours.
So happy with my order there, and I got the sunniest part of what had been forecast as a rainy day, too.
I went for the traditional Algarvian cod salad, and a ‘Tiborna’ of dried tuna ‘muxama’ with olive oil and oregano off the appetiser menu. The sun helped, but devouring this with a glass of wine outside was pretty special. The staff were lovely too.
Next door The Old Tavern looked intriguing, and popular too. They had great music and regularly bought out sausages over a flame to finish cooking at the table.
I’d go there next time, if I wanted meaty tapas, but it’s seafood the city is famous for so that’s why I went all out on the fishy offerings at Tertúlia Algarvia.
I’d actually planned to get the traditional cataplana de marisco – a seafood stew cooked in a copper pot. But, they only made it for two, and I was travelling alone.
If you prefer a quick bite, head to a pastelaria for a bifana (pork sandwich) and a pastel de nata (custard tart). I had a pastel de nata at a bakery as I didn’t have much time and just wanted a quick one, but I did pop my head into Yellow Bourbon. Such a cool cafe with amazing looking cakes, but it was so busy I couldn’t face it.
Add it to your Faro foodie list though!
Museums
The Museu Municipal de Faro is housed in a former convent, near the restaurants I mentioned above. This museum offers a fascinating collection of Roman artefacts, religious art, and exhibits about the region’s history. Outside you’ll find the statue of Alfonso III.
The number one thing for tourists to do in Faro, is to visit is the intriguing Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of Bones) inside Igreja do Carmo. The chapel is lined with the bones of over 1,000 monks. Get this though, you can see them from the nursery next door. Quite the circle of life hey? Wonder what those kiddies think!
Just watch the times that it’s open though – I went TWICE on my day in Faro – and still didn’t actually get in. It’s meant to be 9-1 and 3-7 but I gave up at 9:30, and then went back at the end of the tour at 1 but didn’t realise it closed.
It costs €2 to go in, if you manage it.
Make sure to look up
As you admire the architecture of Faro, look higher at the roofs of the buildings – you might see some storks. They’re actually protected by the government in Portugal as they were going extinct.
Nowadays the numbers are fine, but if a stork decides to build a nest on your house, well, then it’s pretty much their house now. Legally you’re not allowed to do anything to them, but the noise and the mess will apparently drive you crazy.
In one particular windy episode in the city, a stork’s nest fell off the Arco da Vila – luckily not hitting anyone – as they weighed it and it was 200kg.
Wander the waterfront
After lunch, take a relaxing walk along the marina, where you can enjoy the view of bobbing boats and the tranquil waters of the Ria Formosa. Snap a picture next to the Faro sign too.
If you have time, book onto a short boat tour to explore the Ria Formosa Natural Park. It’s a coastal lagoon with diverse wildlife, including flamingos and other migratory birds. No time for that for me on my Faro extreme day trip though.
Go shopping
Stroll through the Old Town to discover cute boutiques selling handmade ceramics, cork bags, and unique jewellery. If you’re into fresh food and regional goodies, Mercado Municipal is a must-visit. Rua de Santo António is a charming street full of cool little shops.
Don’t miss the sardine shop, selling tinned sardines from every year over the last 100. Makes for the perfect souvenir. Sure my dad loved his!
Head up to a rooftop bar
I had to leave for my flight at 4pm but there’s more to do in the evening.
A sunset drink at one of Faro’s rooftop bars, such as O Castelo, offers fantastic views over the old town and the lagoon.
If you’ve still got some energy after all that (I definitely wouldn’t), then you could head to the party time area of S Pedro.
Visit Praia de Faro
I went to the beach for 45 minutes in between buses and on my way to the airport. It was a blustery day but great to see it. Must be amazing to relax here in summer.
Unfortunately it was so blustery, and then a dog chased me, so I sought solace in a beach bar with a local Don Gabriel wine and enjoyed the view from there.
I had actually thought about staying here so I could do a morning dip, but I’m glad I didn’t with that weather. On the flight over our captain had said that ‘Faro was broken’ which given the torrential rain showers I experienced in my 24 hours, I’d agree with!
Tried and tested tips for Faro
What I spent on my day in Faro
- Walking tour = £13 (€15)
- Taxi = £13 (€15)
- Hotel with breakfast and sauna = £103
- Lunch at Tertúlia Algarvia = £12.29
- 2 bus trips = £4.72
- Dinner = £19.54
- Sardines = €5
- Pastel de nata = €2
Where I stayed in Faro
I stayed at the Hotel Faro Beach Club. I specifically chose this hotel for its year round swimming pool as it boasted on Booking.com. I checked the website, the week before when I booked, all good.
I turn up and the pool isn’t open. I was pretty annoyed about this to be honest as I could’ve just stayed at a €50 hotel instead of forking out the €100 for this one.
Apart from that, it was a decent hotel. A few quirks with the lift, and I felt like they gave me a pretty shitty room next to a men’s toilet with a few of the roof, but I slept well and the breakfast spread was good. I went and asked for the Turkish sauna to be turned on and he did it efficiently. Really enjoyed my time in there. It was also in a great location and they stored my bags safely after checkout. You could also try Eva Senses over the road as that looked pretty good too.