Cidade Velha
AtmosphereInside the walls: the cathedral, cobbled lanes, the bone chapel and almost no traffic.
Faro city guide
Things To Do In Faro
The Algarve city everyone flies into and nobody stays in. A walled old town, a lagoon of sandbar islands, and prices a third of what Lagos charges.
21
Hostels in the city
8.3
Average, from 14,578 reviews
60km
Of Ria Formosa lagoon
€2–5
The ferry to a beach island
4
Islands you can reach by boat
The airport city that is a city
Almost everyone who visits the Algarve lands at Faro and leaves within an hour. The ones who stay find a small walled old town, a cathedral you can climb, storks nesting on every rooftop, and a lagoon full of sandbar islands with beaches better than most of the resort coast.
The Ria Formosa is the point: sixty kilometres of protected lagoon, tidal flats and barrier islands, with ferries running out to Culatra, Farol and Deserta from the town quay for a couple of euros.
Two days is enough, and Faro works better as a base than people expect — Tavira, Olhão and the Spanish border are all short train rides, and the beds cost a third of what Lagos charges in August.
Where to stay
Faro is small. Almost everything is within ten minutes of the marina.
Baixa and the marina
ConvenienceThe pedestrian streets and the waterfront, where the ferries, restaurants and most hostels are.
Praia de Faro
Beach daysOn the sandbar at the end of the airport road: a long beach, a few bars and the lagoon behind it.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 11 top-rated hostels. Map © MapTiler © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Faro
Take a boat into the Ria Formosa. Ferries from the quay reach Culatra and Farol in about 45 minutes for a couple of euros each way, and both are sandbar islands with almost nothing on them but a beach, a few houses and a fish restaurant. Small tour boats do the lagoon and its birdlife for €25 to €35.
The old town takes an hour: a walled quarter entered through the Arco da Vila, a cathedral with a roof terrace you can climb for the lagoon view, and the Capela dos Ossos, a chapel lined with the bones of a thousand monks.
The municipal museum in a former convent is quiet and good. And the airport road runs out to Praia de Faro, a long sandbar beach ten minutes by bus.
Free things
Free things to do in Faro
The old town costs nothing to walk and takes an hour, including the walls, the Arco da Vila and the storks nesting on every tower.
The marina and the boardwalk along the lagoon are free, and the sunset from the quay is the best thing in town on a clear evening.
Praia de Faro is a free beach at the end of a €2.50 bus, and the salt pans east of town are a birdwatching site where flamingos turn up between November and March.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Faro
Faro eats better than the resorts because it feeds people who live here. A prato do dia runs €7 to €10 in the streets behind the marina, and the fish is landed at Olhão twenty minutes away.
Clams — amêijoas à Bulhão Pato, cooked with garlic, white wine and coriander — are the regional dish and cost €10 to €14.
The islands do the best fish lunch in the Algarve: a handful of restaurants on Culatra and Farol grilling whatever came in that morning, eaten in a plastic chair with sand underfoot.
The town has a small bar scene around Rua do Prior, aimed at students from the university rather than visitors.
Nightlife
Going out in Faro
Faro has a university, and the nightlife reflects that rather than tourism. The bars around Rua do Prior and Rua Conselheiro Bívar fill with students from Thursday, and prices are local.
It is small — a handful of bars and two or three clubs — and it is nothing like Lagos or Albufeira, which is either the appeal or the problem.
Beer is €1.50 to €3, and the marina terraces charge more for the view.
In summer, the beach bars at Praia de Faro run until late and the last bus back is the thing to check before you settle in.
Getting around
Getting around Faro
Everything in town is walkable. Bus 16 runs from the airport to the bus station in 20 minutes for about €2.50, and the same line continues to Praia de Faro.
Ferries leave the quay below the old town for Culatra, Farol and Deserta several times a day, more often in summer, for €2 to €5 each way. Check the last return before you go.
The train station is five minutes from the centre, with the Algarve line running west to Lagos in an hour and three quarters and east to Tavira in 40 minutes and the Spanish border beyond it.
Buses reach Seville in about three hours, which makes Faro a useful hop into Andalusia.
Costs
What Faro costs
Faro is the cheapest place to stay on the Algarve in summer, because it is a working city rather than a resort. Dorms run €14 to €24 even in August, when Lagos is asking €35.
A day is €35 to €50.
Ferries to the islands cost a few euros, the beaches are free, and the town's restaurants are priced for residents. The one real expense is a lagoon boat tour at €25 to €35, which is worth it.
Safety
Staying safe in Faro
Faro is a quiet, safe city with very little crime aimed at visitors, and the centre is comfortable at night.
The lagoon is the thing to respect. Tides move fast across the sandbars, channels are deeper than they look, and people get caught out walking between islands at low water. Check the ferry times and the tide before going anywhere on foot.
Praia de Faro is Atlantic, with rips and no lifeguard outside the main season. Swim between the flags when they are up.
Emergency number is 112.
Day trips from Faro
The eastern Algarve is quieter than the west, and Seville is closer than Lisbon.
Tavira
A Roman bridge, tiled churches and an island beach reached by ferry. The prettiest town on the Algarve and much calmer than the west.
Olhão
The coast's best fish market in two brick halls on the waterfront, and ferries to Armona and Culatra.
Seville
A different country for the day, and close enough to make an overnight worth considering instead.
Estoi
A rococo palace and the Roman ruins at Milreu, in the hills just inland.
What's on
What is on while you are there
A small calendar, and one enormous motorbike rally.
15–25 October
Santa Iria Fair
Feira de Santa Iria is one of the oldest and largest fairs in the Algarve, held annually in October at Largo de São Francisco.…
4 Oct – 14 Nov
Recante
Recante presents an event scheduled for November 14, 2026, in Faro, Portugal. The gathering will take place at 58 Rua de São Luís, offering…
7 October
Parent's House: Piano Solo
Rui Massena marks a decade of his compositions with a special solo piano concert at Teatro das Figuras. The performance features his new album…
11 October
Recante
Recante presents an event scheduled for October 11, 2026, in Faro, Portugal. The event will take place at 58 Rua de São Luís and…
16–18 October
Pedro Abrunhosa
Pedro Abrunhosa brings his Inverbo Tour to some of Portugal's most iconic venues, sharing the deep atmosphere of his latest album. The tour highlights…
17–18 October
Pedro Abrunhosa
Pedro Abrunhosa brings his 'INVERBO' Tour to Teatro das Figuras, showcasing the deep, word-centered atmosphere of his latest album alongside career-spanning classics. The Portuguese…
21–22 October
Art
Three friends find themselves in an unexpected conflict over a white painting, revealing the unpredictable sides of friendship. The play explores adult friendships, ego,…
28 November
Dário Guerreiro
Dário Guerreiro is a stand-up comedy show by the Algarve native Dário Guerreiro. The performance explores his childhood and the experiences that shaped who…
Hostels
Where to stay in Faro
A small scene, mostly in and around the old town and the marina, and the cheapest beds on the Algarve in August. Live from Hostelworld.
Sustainable
Casa da Madalena Backpackers Hostel
Dorms from €25 a night
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Pirate Backpackers Faro
Dorms from €30 a night
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Wax Hostel
Dorms from €31 a night
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Tilia Hostel
Dorms from €22 a night
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Casa d'Alagoa
Dorms from €22 a night
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Hostellicious
Dorms from €16 a night
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Hotel Sol Algarve
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Baixa-Portugal Terrace Hostel
Dorms from €18 a night
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Sustainable
HI Faro – Pousada de Juventude.
Dorms from €19 a night
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Hostel Dreams House
Dorms from €20 a night
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Guest House São Filipe
See dates and bookWhen to go
Faro is mild all year and never as full as the resort coast. April to June and September to October are best.
Jan
Mild and very quiet. Flamingos on the salt pans
Feb
Almond blossom and storks returning to the rooftops
Mar
Warming. Good for walking and the lagoon
Apr
Excellent. Everything open, sea still cold
May
Warm, quiet and cheap. One of the best months
Jun
Long days and the season starting properly
Jul
Hot. Busy at the beach, still calm in town
Aug
Peak, though far less extreme than Lagos
Sep
The best month. Warmest sea and thinning crowds
Oct
Still swimmable and very good value
Nov
Quiet and mild. Flamingo season begins
Dec
Empty, cheap and pleasant for walking
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs. The eastern Algarve is slightly warmer and drier than the west, and the lagoon water is warmer than the open Atlantic.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros.
Faro barely has a high-season premium compared with the resort towns, which is the main argument for basing here.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Faro travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
Is Faro worth staying in?
For two days, yes, and as a base for the eastern Algarve it beats the resorts on price. It has a walled old town, a lagoon full of island beaches and beds a third cheaper than Lagos in August.
Does Faro have a beach?
Not in the town. Praia de Faro is a long sandbar beach ten minutes away on bus 16, and the better beaches are on the islands — Culatra, Farol and Deserta — reached by ferry from the quay.
How do I get from the airport?
Bus 16 takes twenty minutes and costs about €2.50, running to the bus station in the centre and on to Praia de Faro. A taxi is €12 to €15.
What is the Ria Formosa?
Sixty kilometres of protected lagoon, tidal flats and barrier islands along the eastern Algarve, with flamingos in winter and sandbar beaches you reach by boat.
Faro or Lagos?
Lagos for cliffs, beaches and nightlife. Faro for a real city, cheaper beds, island beaches and quick trains east to Tavira and Olhão. They are an hour and three quarters apart, so many people do both.
When should I visit?
May, June, September or October. August is busy but far less extreme than the resort towns, and winter is mild, empty and good for walking and birdlife.
Can I get to Seville from here?
Yes, about three hours by bus for around €20. It is closer than Lisbon and worth an overnight rather than a day trip.
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