Faro, Portugal - What to do in there?

First time I visited Portugal I stayed in the Algarve and spent 10 days travelling their cities, villages and hamlets from Faro to Sagres.  I collected some good experiences and could enjoy wonderful food and learn a lot about the city's past and important role in the South of Portugal just by strolling on the streets, going inside the museums and churches. 


It is a shame so many tourists only go to Faro because of Faro International Airport, they don't know what they are missing! Below, some pictures I took during my trip. Hope to see you there soon! 

One of the many Shopping Streets in Faro

Café Aliança is the oldest café in town and of huge cultural traditions. It occupies the ground floor of the building built by Jose Pedro da Silva constituting on the whole an interesting testimony to the revivalist architecture.  In addition to the main entrance and another at the rear, it also features a side entrance that allows access through the kiosk.
Café Aliança, which recently celebrated one hundred years, is amongst the three oldest cafés in the country, along with A Brasileira in Lisbon, and the Majestic in Porto.

Known for its social gatherings, the café was a meeting point for distinguished people such as Fernando Pessoa, Marguerite Yourcenar and Simone de Beauvoir.

Capela dos Ossos

"The Capela dos Ossos, or Chapel of Bones, is one of the most eccentric and unusual attractions in Faro. This chapel was built in the nineteenth century and is lined with human skulls. Over 1200 human skulls, in fact. This makes it one of the most morbid attractions in the area, but also the one that is the most interesting. Aside from this grim attraction, the chapel is also known for its beautiful Gothic and Renaissance architectural style which should be of interest to anyone who is a fan of nineteenth century architecture or history." (source: click here)

Indeed this Chapel of Bones is something really weird!  Check this other photo I took 

Arco da Vila, one of the 3 medieval Portal Entrances of the city 

In the Historic Centre of Faro is very compact -  you can visit basically all the important spots in one day and besides that, you can also go on a boat tour of the beautiful Ria Formosa.

"Since the mid-eighties, the Ria Formosa has been a nature reserve, where sea water birds find protected breeding places and many fish species of the Northern Atlantic as well as other marine organisms reproduce." (via Algarve Portal)

You also have the Faro Archeological Museum, Maritime Museum, The City Cathedral etc.

Don't forget to enjoy some hot chestnuts sold on the streets of Faro! 

  

And if you speak Portuguese or study the language, Faro is an excellent place to try what you know.  Unlike Albufeira, Lagos and other popular tourist spots in the Algarve, there you walk on the streets feeling the very almost intact Southern Portuguese spirit - the shops have their signs written in Portuguese (bless!) and everyone in the bars, cafés and "pastelarias" speaks Portuguese.   :)     

Next time you visit the Algarve, don't miss out Faro!  And if you live near Southend on Sea, you can fly to Faro from Southend Airport from April 2012 !  Woo-hoo !