15 Best Things to Do in Faro Portugal — A Hidden Gem in the Algarve (2026)

🇵🇹 We visited Faro as a day trip from Albufeira during our 2 Weeks in Portugal. We took the Regional 5910 train from Ferreiras station — 40 minutes, €3.80 each way — and it turned out to be one of the best days of the entire trip.

Most people arrive at Faro Airport, collect their hire car, and immediately drive west to Albufeira or Lagos without spending a single hour in the city itself. This is a profound mistake.

Faro is the capital of the Algarve — and one of Portugal's most underrated cities. It has a beautifully preserved medieval old town (the Cidade Velha) enclosed by Roman walls, a Gothic cathedral with a climb-able tower offering views over the extraordinary Ria Formosa lagoon, a fascinating bone chapel, and one of the best seafood scenes in southern Portugal. The city has almost no foreign tourists beyond those in transit — which gives it an authenticity that the resort towns further west have largely lost.

We visited Faro from Albufeira — a cheap, easy train journey that took 40 minutes from Ferreiras station. Read on for everything worth doing in Faro, from our first-hand experience.

Things to Do in Faro Portugal

1. Explore the Cidade Velha (Old Town)

Faro's Cidade Velha is a small, walled medieval quarter entered through the impressive Arco da Vila — an 18th-century neoclassical gate set into ancient Roman walls. Inside, whitewashed buildings, cobblestone lanes, and orange tree-lined squares create a remarkably peaceful atmosphere. Almost no cars. Almost no crowds. Just Faro's lived-in historic centre.

Key highlights within the walls:

• Largo da Sé — the magnificent cathedral square, flanked by orange trees and the Bishop's Palace
• Museu Municipal de Faro — housed in an old convent with a strong collection of Roman mosaics from the region
• Jardim Manuel Bivar — a lovely garden outside the old town walls, perfect for a sit-down with a bica (espresso)

Entry to the Cidade Velha is free and always open.

2. Climb the Faro Cathedral Tower

The Sé (Cathedral) of Faro dates to the 13th century and is a mix of Gothic, Mannerist, and baroque styles inside — the azulejo-tiled chancel is particularly beautiful. But the real reason to come is the climb to the top of the bell tower. The views over the terracotta rooftops of the old town, the Ria Formosa lagoon, and the barrier islands stretching into the distance are absolutely breathtaking.

Entry: Tower climb costs €3.50. Open Mon–Sat.

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3. Visit the Igreja do Carmo and the Chapel of Bones

Faro's answer to the more famous bone chapel in Évora. The Igreja do Carmo is a beautiful 18th-century baroque church — and attached to it is the Capella dos Ossos (Chapel of Bones), lined with the skulls and bones of approximately 1,245 monks. It is macabre, sobering, and strangely moving. Entry to the bone chapel costs €4.

4. Boat Trip through the Ria Formosa Natural Park

The Ria Formosa is a system of lagoons, channels, and barrier islands stretching 60km along the Algarve coast — one of Portugal's most important nature reserves and a stunning place to spend a morning on the water. Boat tours depart from the quay near the Faro waterfront.

Options include:

• Deserta Island (Ilha Deserta) — the furthest barrier island, completely wild with no permanent residents, extraordinary beaches, and excellent snorkelling
• Culatra Island — a working fishing village accessible only by boat
• Armona Island — popular sandy island with beach bars

Book: Faro Ria Formosa Boat Tour to Deserta Island

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Also on Tiqets: Ria Formosa Nature Cruise from Faro

This was the highlight of our Faro day trip. We took the ferry to Ilha Deserta, swam off an almost entirely empty beach, and ate lunch at the one restaurant on the island (a brilliant fish restaurant — book ahead).

5. Walk the Ria Formosa Boardwalk (Free)

If you do not have time for a boat trip, the Ria Formosa ecological trail (Ecovia da Ria Formosa) runs along the lagoon edge from Faro's train station. A 5km walk through salt marshes and bird hides — flamingos are frequently spotted, as well as spoonbills and dozens of wading bird species. Completely free.

6. Visit the Municipal Museum (Museu Municipal de Faro)

Located in a converted 16th-century convent, the municipal museum has an impressive collection of Roman artefacts from the nearby Milreu ruins — including the largest in-situ Roman mosaic in Portugal. The Moorish-era artefacts and the ethnographic collection are also excellent. Entry is €2.

7. Eat at the Mercado Municipal de Faro

Faro's covered market — recently renovated — has an excellent food hall with fresh local produce, cheese, cured meats, bread, and a selection of simple restaurants where locals eat lunch. Outstanding value and more authentic than most restaurant options near the waterfront.

8. Explore the Milreu Roman Ruins (Day Trip from Faro)

Just 8km north of Faro, the Milreu ruins are one of the most significant Roman archaeological sites in Portugal — a 2nd-century AD villa with extraordinary fish mosaic floors (Portugal's Roman-era obsession with fish goes back a very long way). Reachable by bus from Faro.

9. Watch Birdlife at the Ludo Marshes

The marshes and ponds west of Faro Airport are an extraordinary birding location — flamingos, spoonbills, black-winged stilts, purple herons, and ospreys are all regularly sighted. A 4WD track runs along the edge of the marshes. Free and accessible year-round.

10. Stroll the Faro Waterfront (Doca de Recreio)

The marina and waterfront promenade make for a lovely evening stroll — boats reflecting in the calm water, the salt-smell of the lagoon, and a string of cafés and restaurants with outdoor seating. The fish restaurants along the Doca serve some of the best and freshest seafood in the Algarve.

11. Visit the Museu Regional do Algarve

A small but fascinating museum dedicated to traditional Algarvian rural life — agricultural tools, traditional costumes, fishing equipment, and domestic artefacts from the pre-tourism Algarve. Located in the old town. Entry is free.

12. Take the Ferry to Culatra Island

The fishing village of Culatra on its barrier island feels like stepping back in time. No cars. Colourful fishing boats. Whitewashed houses. A working fish-drying industry still visible on the quays. The beach on the ocean side of the island is spectacular. Ferries from Faro quay run regularly throughout the day (€2.60 return).

13. Day Trip to the Algarve Interior: Estói

The village of Estói, 10km north of Faro, has two extraordinary sites: the Palácio de Estói (a pink rococo palace with magnificent azulejo-lined gardens, now converted into a Pousada hotel) and the Milreu Roman ruins. Combine both into a half-day trip from Faro.

14. Eat Percebes (Barnacles)

Percebes — stalked barnacles harvested from the Atlantic rocks — are a local delicacy rarely seen outside Portugal and Spain. Several Faro waterfront restaurants serve them steamed with sea salt. Expensive but extraordinary eating.

15. Watch the Sunset from the Arco da Vila

The old town gate faces west across the lagoon. At sunset, the light turns the mudflats and shallow water a deep bronze-gold. Flamingos are often visible on the far shore. It is completely free, completely beautiful, and completely unknown to the tourists 40km west in Albufeira.

How to Get from Albufeira to Faro

This is a straightforward and very cheap journey:

1. Take a taxi from Albufeira centre to Ferreiras train station (6km, ~€6 by taxi, 10 minutes)
2. Board the Regional 5910 train towards Faro — this is the specific service we took both ways
3. Journey time: 40 minutes
4. Cost: €3.80 one way

Tip — buy tickets on the CP app before you go. The ticket queue at Ferreiras station can be long, especially on summer mornings. We bought our tickets in advance on the CP (Comboios de Portugal) app — took 2 minutes, and we walked straight onto the train. Highly recommended: download the app, create a free account, and purchase the Ferreiras → Faro ticket the night before.

The train arrives at Faro station, which is a 5-minute walk from the Old Town and the waterfront. You cannot miss it.

Alternatively, some travellers take the direct bus from Albufeira bus station to Faro (Eva bus company) — takes about 1 hour and costs €5, but the train is faster and more reliable.

Practical Information

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Faro worth visiting in Portugal? Absolutely and emphatically yes. Faro is one of the most underrated cities in Portugal. The old town, the cathedral, the bone chapel, and the Ria Formosa are all world-class. And because so few tourists bother to stop here, you experience it with almost none of the crowds that afflict Lisbon.

Is Faro expensive? Faro is one of the more affordable Algarve destinations — restaurant prices are lower than in the resort towns, and there is much more free content (the old town, the waterfront walk, the marshes).

Is Faro good for a day trip from Albufeira? Perfect. We did exactly this. The train is cheap and frequent. You can comfortably do the old town, cathedral, and a boat trip to Deserta Island in one day.

Can you swim in Faro? Not from the town itself (the lagoon is too shallow). Take the ferry to Culatra or Deserta Island for swimming — both have excellent ocean beaches.

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