Faro - The City

Busy Faro is the capital city of the Algarve, and its international airport is the gateway for many tourists arriving in southern Portugal. As the largest city in the region, Faro accommodates around 50,000 inhabitants and is a modern industrial and manufacturing hub. It is the Old Town, however, that sightseers will want to visit. Enclosed by sturdy defensive walls, Faro's Cidade Velha sits on Roman and Moorish foundations. The town was badly damaged by the great earthquake of 1755, and what you see today dates mostly from the 18th and 19th centuries. A warren of cobblestone streets and leafy squares surround the landmark cathedral. Explore further, and you'll find a number of cafés and restaurants tucked discreetly between rows of tidy houses and artisans' workshops. An excellent museum exhibits treasures unearthed in the area and further afield.

The Ria Formosa lagoon attracted human from the Palaeolithic age until the end of pre-history. The first settlements date from the 4th century BC, during the period of Phoenician colonization of the western Mediterranean. At the time, the area was known as Ossonoba, and was the most important urban centre of southern Portugal and commercial port for agricultural products, fish and minerals.  Between the 2nd and 8th century, the city was under the domain of the Romans, then the Byzantines and later Visigoths, before being conquered by the Moors in 713. From the 3rd century onwards and during the Visigothic period, it was the site of an Episcopal see, the Ancient Diocese of Ossoba (306-688). The Byzantine presence has endured in the city walls' towers that were built during the Byzantine period. 


With the advent of Moorish rule in the 8th century, Ossonoba retained its status as the most important town in the southwest corner of the Iberian Peninsula.
 In the 9th century it became the capital of a short-lived princedom and was fortified with a ring of defensive walls. At this time, in the 10th century, the name Santa Maria (Shantamariyyat al-Gharb in Arabic) began to be used instead of Ossonoba. By the 11th century the town was known as Santa Maria Ibn Harun. During the 500 years of Moorish rule some Jewish residents of Faro made written copies of the Old Testament. One of Faro's historical names in Arabic is أخشونبة (ʼUḫšūnubaḧ). The Moors were defeated and expelled in 1249 by the forces of the Portuguese King Afonso III. With the decline of the importance of the city of Silves (which was made the regional bishopric as Diocese of Silves shortly during and properly after the Reconquista), Faro took over the role of administration of the Algarve area. The nearby esplanade harbors a small marina, beyond which lies an expanse of lagoons and wetlands teeming with marine life. This beautiful natural park is also composed of numerous islets and enormous sandbars with their own fabulous beaches, including one named after the city.

Faro has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: Csa). Summers are warm to hot and sunny with average daytime temperatures of 27–35 °C (81–95 °F). The weather in the autumn and winter months is generally mild with temperatures around 8–17 °C (46–63 °F). Faro receives most of its rainfall over the winter months; rain is very rare between June and September. The annual average temperature is around 17 °C (63 °F) - 18 °C (64 °F) and the annual rainfall is around 500 mm (19.69 in). The average sea surface temperature is 15–16 °C (59–61 °F) in January rising to 22–25 °C (72–77 °F) in August. 

HOW TO GET TO FARO

Due to its peripheral location, the Algarve enjoys good transport connections, both internally with other Portuguese cities and externally with the rest of the world. The city of Faro has a privileged location, enhanced by the proximity to Faro International Airport, where various national and international airline regular flights connect Algarve to several main European cities. Faro International Airport is 4 km from Faro city centre.

The Algarve can easily be reached from anywhere in continental Europe. A superb network of motorways and dual carriageways allow one to reach Faro across attractive regions of southern Portugal. Lisbon, the capital of PoSpain) / A22 is about 2 hours and 30 minutes away by motorway (A2), and Andalusia, in Spain, less than an hour, via the A22.

Travelling by train is also an option, since Portugal is part of the European rail network and can easily be reached from most European capitals.

An alternative way to reach Faro is by bus. A train or a bus from Lisbon to Faro takes between 3 to 4 hours.
Last, but not least, you can reach the Algarve through the many ports and marinas spread all along the south coast of Portugal.

Useful links to get to Faro: 

By air: www.ana.pt (Algarve)

By train: Trains of Portugal

By bus: Bus of Portugal / Renex / Inter Centro

By road:

National Access Roads: IC1, N2, N120, N122

International Access Roads: N431 (Huelva, Spain) / A22

WHERE TO SLEEP IN FARO

"Amazing place! Can't fault it! Friendly, fun and helpful staff and volunteers as well as being tidy, clean and secure! 24-hour reception, made to feel very welcome, amazing meals every night and the opportunities for discounted tours and excursions during the day and loads of activities to do at night! 10/10, would recommend to anyone!" Casa d'Alagoa, Faro City Centre, Faro, Portugal <--- Click to Book

WHERE TO Eat IN FARO