Faro


 * For the island in Sweden, see Fårö.

Faro is a city in the Algarve region of Portugal that is a popular sun destination in the summer, and a base for exploring the surrounding area.

Understand


Faro (FAH-roo, /ˈfa.ɾu/) is the southernmost city in mainland Portugal. During summer, Faro is a popular destination for sun-seekers from northern Europe and the UK, especially due to the presence of its international airport. It also enjoys a reputation as being more friendly than many other parts of the region.

Outside of summer, the beach-goers are mostly gone, but it is still a base to explore the more remote areas of the Algarve, a convenient stop between Lisbon and Seville (or Spain in general), and what it loses in partying outside summer, it gains in peacefulness, reverting to a quaint and charming small city.

By plane
Other airports around are in Lisbon and Seville.

By bus


For buses from and to local nearby towns and cities, check out the list of lines and their timetables at the Algarve transport company Vamus Algarve page.

By car
Car hire is an option for visitors. You can arrange car hire at the airport, however, as with many tourist locations it is wise to arrange your vehicle hire prior to arrival - this can save both money (the airport car rental desks can be far more expensive) and disappointment as availability during peak season may be very limited. Organising it from home before you arrive is now a very simple process with numerous companies specialising in pre-booking car hire in Faro.

Roads can be quite busy, but if you want to see a bit more of the city and indeed the Algarve region then driving by car is an easy option. Driving in the Algarve region is far easier than in the rest of Portugal, there are more non-toll roads and road-signs are plentiful and relevant.

By boat
Main harbours: Portimão, Faro.

On foot
Downtown is small and close to the public transport options: the train and main bus stations being within 250 m of one another few hundred metres from the city centre. Walking is very viable for most visitors.

By bus
Regional buses are run by the Vamus Algarve that connects Faro with other cities in Algarve.

Local buses are run by the Proximo company. Buses 14 and 16 go around the city, to the airport and to the beach of Faro. Tickets can be bought from the driver for €2.70 (Jan 2024).

By e-hailing
Bolt and Uber cover the town.

By train
Faro lies on the Algarve rail line connecting Lagos to V. Real St. Antonio and it's feasible to use the train system for getting to nearby towns especially to the east - Olhao (~10 minutes), Fuseta (~20 minutes), or Tavira (~40 minutes), see Get in - Train section and the train services operator Comboios de Portugal.

By car
It can be difficult to find a parking slot in the center. Most of the parking stations near the restaurants and shopping malls are payable. However, there is a free car park located alongside the bus station which is close to the Hotel Faro and a huge free car park located behind the old town heading in the direction of Olhao.

By boat
Regular ferries run to four destinations:


 * Faro beach (Praia de Faro) on a narrow peninsula by the airport. Large number of departures during high season, from 29th of October to 31st of December 5 times daily. Adult €2.15/€3.75 one-way/return.
 * Ilha Deserta dock next to Ilha deserta beach (Praia de Ilha Deserta) on the Ilha de Barreta island. Available as ferry (45 minutes) or shuttle (fast boat, 15 minutes). As of Nov 2023, there are altogether 11 daily departures. Adult €5 one-way for ferry and €10 for shuttle (when booking online in advance, shuttle has to be booked as a return trip; combining different boat types is possible).
 * Ilha do Farol and Ilha da Culatra docks in the respective small settlements on the Ilha da Culatra island. The settlements are about 3km apart via Praia do Farol beach or via a network of footpaths. Ilha do Farol: From 18th of May to 30th of September, 4-6 times daily, adult €3/€5 one-way/return. Ilha da Culatra: From 1st of June to 31st of August, twice daily, adult €3.50/€6 one-way/return.

The regular ferries are run by private operators, see the Faro municipality website for the summary of timetables.

It is possible to get to the islands also via various hop-on/hop-off, tour, or water taxi services. Tour operators have booths by the harbor at the Avenida de República. ( updated Nov 2023)

See




Buy
You can buy groceries in the many minimarkets in town. Somewhat more products you find in supermarkets Algartalhos and Minipreço in the city centre and at Pingo Doce at Tridente. The large supermarkets in Faro are Auchan and Continente.



Budget
The restaurant of the supermarket Pingo Doce at Tridente has very affordable meals for lunch and dinner.

All these are in the city centre:

Sleep
Faro has a thriving trade in both package deal hotels and short-term apartment rental. If that fails, locals have become very comfortable renting out every scrap of space in their homes to desperate travellers. Book months in advance for the high season, many places are closed during the low season.



Stay safe
Faro and the Algarve region are reasonably safe year round. Pickpockets are not unheard-of, however, especially near beaches at night, so be on your guard.

Not unlike other Mediterranean tourism hot spots like Alicante or Mallorca, Faro attracts its share of poorly-mannered tourists (especially from the UK, the Netherlands, and Germany) that go to Faro to drink and let loose. Though the police does a great job at maintaining order, do be careful at night.

Go next

 * Seville - via bus
 * Serra de Monchique
 * Lagos
 * Silves
 * Quinta do Lago — a golf resort 17 km away
 * Tavira
 * Sagres