Only 5 miles from a gorgeous beach, Faro is a town that ensures any visitor gets the perfect balance of seaside fun and cultural exposure. The 9th century city walls still encircle the old town and within it lays a splendid 13th century cathedral that sits atop the site of the town’s old Roman Forum.
View of Ria Formosa - Faro, photo by António Sacchetti
It was during this era that the city, then named Civitas Ossobonensis, came to prosperity and there are ruins from this time dotted around the city. Though because of Faro’s close proximity to the Rio Formosa, humans have been living there since the Palaeolithic Age. There are also a few Moorish ruins throughout Faro, and it was this people, who occupied Faro from the 8th to the 12th century, that contributed the most to turning Faro into a bustling trade town. Unfortunately, much of infrastructure erected by both was destroyed in the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in 1755 so most of the old buildings of Faro come from after that year. The 16th century saw the town flourish and continue on its path as an increasingly important trading town and was thus given its charter in 1540.
Faro is the capital of the Algarve region and is thus a busy city with plenty to do. It has become a popular place of residence and a holiday destination for many of Portugal’s wealthier families and this is evident in many of the impressive houses that line many of its streets. This has also resulted in a number of palaces being erected here over the 19th century, most namely the Palace of Estói which is a manor house located only a few miles outside of Faro. Many of these types of houses have been converted into places for visitors to rent, and within the city there are also some streets lined with old and charming or more modern apartments.
Despite the devastation of the earthquake, there are still some beautiful things to see in Faro. The church of Nossa Senhora do Carmo is known as the golden church as it is a fine example of gold-leaf woodwork and is an unusual and almost angelic church well worth stopping for. There is also a bone chapel, which is literally made up of the bones of thousands of different monks that has to be seen to be believed. The old town is full of cafes and narrow streets to get lost down and the medieval quarters are beautifully preserved.
More information: visitportugal.com
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