Faro
Faro
is well worth exploring. The Old Ciity, close to the Marina, is picturesque
and houses the Bishops Palace and Cathederal. The church in the Largo
do Carmo has a chapel built from the bones and skulls of over a thousand
monks - not for the squeamish but it is the sort of thing that can make
boys of a certain age interested in visiting churches! There are also
two museums one specialising in Martime history and the other is the Ethnographic
Museum which is an interesting way to while away an hour. There are two
galleries near to the Largo de São Francisco, the Galeria de Arte
Arco, on top of the city walls, and Galeria de Arte Trem, in a former
military barracks, which have exhibitions of the best in contemporary
Portugese art.
Parking in the centre of town can be difficult.
Being the capital of the region Faro has plenty of shops and also one of the largest new shopping centres in Portugal - Forum Algarve - which houses over 100 shops, a hypermarket and many mostly fast food restaurants.
There
are plenty of good restaurants in the streets off the Avenida da Republica
near to the marina and old town many of which specialise in traditional
rice and seafood dishes served in cataplanas.
The local beach, Praia do Faro, is reached by a causeway from the airport road. The beach is long and sandy with plenty of opportunities for birdwatchers and planespotters. There are plenty of bars and cafes open in the summer season.