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Best of Faro
Capela d’Ossos (Chapel of Bones)
This peculiar chapel made of human bones is one of the greatest attractions of Faro. This chapel is inside the “Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Monte do Carmo do Faro”, which was erected from 1713 and was finished in the XIX century.The main feature of this church is its chapel, which was constructed in 1816, where it highlights the great number of human skulls and bones (approximately 1245) that cover its walls.
This church owns also a nice baroque altar and a bell tower to each side. Besides, the upper-level windows are latticed with gold and beautiful statues stand in niches on either side of the main portal of the church. This religious monument opens every day from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 15:00 to 17:30; it is located at the spacious “Largo do Carmo” square in the “Riberinho” neighborhood. Admission to the church is free and admission to the chapel costs one euro.
Chapel of Bones
Sé (Cathedral)
This church is the most important building in the Downtown and it was constructed over the former site of a mosque. This ancient church was originally of Gothic style, but almost all the former building was destroyed in the great earthquake occurred in 1755. The tower and a south window are the only remnants of the original design of the cathedral. Now the cathedral has a combination of architectural styles, which include Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance. This church is famous thanks to its beautiful tiles and chapels like “Nossa Senhora dos Prazeres” (Our Lady of Pleasures), a marvel chapel of baroque style, which contain several tiles, paintings, gilded carvings and marble items. Besides, the cathedral owns a wonderful organ decorated with Chinese motifs. The cathedral is open every day from 10:00 to 17:30.
Cathedral of Faro
Tavira
Tavira is a beautiful town situated just 29Km (18 miles) east of Faro city. This peaceful village is surrounded by marvel green fields, where it can find several carob trees. Tavira is located on the banks of the “Gilao” and “Ségua” rivers (an interesting detail is that the same river has a different name on each side, at west is called Gilao river and at east is called Segua river), therefore sometimes this village is called the Venice of Algarve. The village owns also a nice Moorish castle, where it can get excellent views of the village and surrounding countrysides; this castle is opened every day from 9:00 to 17:00 and admission is free. At the point where the two rivers meet themselves; there is an ancient seven-arched Roman bridge, whic is very beautiful. Very near Tavira is the “River Formosa nature Reserve”, which houses many species of birds. Besides, close to the village, there are several beautiful beaches, which are excellent places to spend the summer. The Tavira’s Downtown is full of nice shops and restaurants. Tavira has frequent bus connections from Faro city during all day; in addition to, it can easily be reached by train, which is probably the most quaint and nice way to visit Tavira.
Roman Bridge Over Gilao River in Tavira
Arco da Vila (Village Arch)
It is a monumental arch, which was designed by the famous Italian architect Francisco Xavier Fabri. It is located south of the “Manuel Bivar” garden. The arch was constructed in 1812 by order of the archbishop “Don Franciso Gomes”, on the site of a former medieval gate that had been destroyed in 1755 during the famous earthquake of that year. This monument mark the entry to the ancient city.The arch has a bell tower with a niche, which hosts a statue of “Thomas Aquinas”, the patron of the city.
Arco da Vila
Archaeological Museum
It is located to few meters south of Faro’s Cathedral at “Alfonso III” square, in the former convent of “Noss Senhora da Assunçao” which was erected in 1518. The museum works in this location since 1973. It owns an important collection composed by Roman, Manueline and Medieval items. Nevertheless, one of the main attractions of this museum is its ancient Roman floor of mosaic, which displays the figure of Neptune and dates from the III century. Another room of the building hosts the private collection of the diplomat Ferreira d’Almeida, which includes several paintings, portraits, silver jewelry and glass items. The museum also owns the two-story cloister, which is worth visit. The museum opens from Tuesday to Friday from 9:30 to 17:30 and Monday and Saturday from 14:00 to 17:30 during winter and from Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 20:00 and Monday and Saturday from 14:30 to 20:00 during Summer.
Museu Maritimo (Nautical Museum)
This museum is located at “Rua Communidade Luisada”. It displays a collection that provides a background to seafaring and fishing in the Algarve province. The naval museum owns a small but very interesting collection composed by several model boats and galleons showing the history of the coastal region. The exhibition is focused mainly on the Age of Discovery, which was the most glorious time for the Portuguese navy. It highlights a model of the “Sao Gabriel”, the flagship that was used by “Vasco da Gama” to travel towards India in 1497. This museum opens from Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 12:00 and from 14:30 to 16:30.
Estói
It is a little village situated 8Km (5 miles) northeast Faro city. This is a typical town of the Algarve province hinterland. The main attraction in this village is the famous “Palácio de Estói” (Estoi Palace), which was constructed in the last decades of the XVII century, by “Francisco José de Moura Coutinho”. This palace is partially covered by tiles with floral motifs. This castle has several dinning rooms, two tea salons, a nice hall and a chapel. Besides, at the entrance is a small church, where it can find a beautiful waterfall and some statues, which represent Greek deities like "Diana" and "Aphrodite". In addition to, the castle is surrounded by many gardens, lakes, marble statues and pottery.
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