Algarve
Faro
Most people rush straight through Faro's airport, but the Algarve capital earns a night or two as a base for the Ria Formosa lagoon and its island beaches.
Best length
1-2 nights, or a base for Ria Formosa
Airport
Faro (FAO), ~7km / 4 miles west
Airport to centre
Bus 16 ~20 min (€2.35); taxi/Bolt ~12 min (€7-€15)
Best base
Old town or marina for walking; resorts elsewhere for beaches
In short
Faro at a glance
Faro is the Algarve's main airport city, and most people skip straight past it to the resorts. It is worth one or two nights for the walled old town and as a launch point for Ria Formosa boat trips and the island beaches: base yourself near the old town or marina, use the number 16 bus or a cheap taxi from the airport, and treat it as a calm bookend rather than your whole holiday.
The short version
- Stay near the Cidade Velha (old town) or the marina for the easiest first visit; both are walkable and well placed for boats.
- Don't rush straight to a resort: half a day in the walled old town plus a Ria Formosa trip justifies a night or two.
- The number 16 bus is the cheapest airport link at €2.35, but a taxi or Bolt is only €7-€15 and quicker with luggage.
- Faro is your Ria Formosa base: book a small-boat lagoon trip or ferry to Ilha Deserta rather than just sunbathing on Praia de Faro.
- If you're touring the wider Algarve, Faro is the natural place to pick up a hire car rather than driving from the airport on day one.
Most UK travellers see Faro only as the runway they land on before driving to Albufeira or Lagos, and that’s a missed trick. The Algarve capital has a small walled old town — the Cidade Velha — of orange trees, cobbled lanes and a cathedral whose bell tower gives you the best view in the city over the Ria Formosa lagoons. It won’t fill a week, but a night or two here at the start or end of an Algarve trip is a calmer, cheaper bookend than the resort strips, and the food in the backstreet tascas is better value too.
The other reason to stop is the Ria Formosa itself: a protected maze of tidal lagoons, salt marsh and barrier islands sitting right on Faro’s doorstep. A small eco-boat from the marina or the ferry across to the near-empty Ilha Deserta beach is the standout half-day, and Faro is the easiest place in the Algarve to arrange it. Getting in from the airport is simple — the number 16 bus is €2.35, a Bolt or taxi is €7-€15 for the 7km — so you’re in the old town within a quarter of an hour of clearing the terminal.
The structured planning below picks up from here: where exactly to base yourself, what the old-town sights cost, how the airport links compare, and a realistic Faro budget in pounds — plus when to come for the best mix of weather, warm sea and manageable crowds.
Plan your Faro trip
Keep a first trip focused: book the big timed sights, then leave room for neighbourhoods and food.
Top things to do in Faro
Faro Old Town Cathedral
Buy the single €3.50 ticket at the door and treat the cathedral as your way onto the bell tower — the climb up the narrow spiral gives the best view there is over Faro's walled old town, the marina and the Ria Formosa lagoon. The interior is a patchwork of 18th-century azulejo tiles and gilded chapels rather than a single showstopper. Go on a weekday morning: it's closed Sundays, shuts at 13:00 on Saturdays, and the stairwell traps heat by midday in summer.
Cidade Velha (walled old town)
Cidade Velha is Faro's small walled old town and the main reason to linger in the city rather than rush past it to the beaches. Entered through the elegant Arco da Vila, it's a slow loop of cobbled lanes, orange trees, whitewashed houses and a quiet cathedral square. It is free to wander, and best done as an early-morning circuit before the airport-and-day-trip crowds drift in.
Where to stay first
The areas that make a first visit easier — not an exhaustive directory.
Cidade Velha (Old Town)
££ mid-rangeThe historic core inside the Moorish walls: cobbled lanes, the cathedral and quiet at night once the day-trippers leave. Choose it for atmosphere and short stays; rooms are limited and it is the priciest pocket.
Best for: First-timers, couples, history
Marina and Baixa (downtown)
££ mid-rangeThe flat, central strip between the harbour and the pedestrianised Rua de Santo Antonio. Most hotels, cafes and the boat-trip jetties are here, and it is a five-minute walk to the old town and train station.
Best for: Easy access, boats, dining
Praia de Faro (Ilha de Faro)
£ valueThe sandbar beach reached by the number 16 bus or a bridge. Stay here only if a beach-first, low-key base matters more than restaurants and sights; it empties out and gets sleepy off-season.
Best for: Beach-first stays, surfers
Montenegro and the outskirts
£ valueQuieter suburban guesthouses and apartments near the airport, often better value with parking if you have a hire car. Less charming and you'll drive or taxi into the centre, but handy for an early flight.
Best for: Drivers, early departures, value
Airport to city centre
| Option | Time | Cost | Book ahead? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus 16 (Proximo) to the centre / Praia de Faro | ~20 min | about €2.35 single | Cheapest; every 15-30 min, less frequent off-season |
| Bolt or Uber to the centre | ~12 min | usually €7-€10 | Best value with luggage |
| Taxi from the rank | ~12 min | about €10-€15 (more at night/weekends) | Surcharge for bags; agree it covers the meter |
| Pre-booked transfer onward to Algarve resorts | varies | from about €25-€60 per car | Worth it for Albufeira, Lagos and groups |
When to go
Sweet spot: May, June, September and early October are the sweet spot: 24°C days, warm-enough Atlantic sea around 21-22°C, and the Ria Formosa boats running without the July-August crowds or peak fares.
High summer is hot and busy with airport churn; winter is mild and cheap but the beach islands and some boat operators wind down. Spring and autumn give you the old town and lagoons at their best, and flights are easiest to find at sensible prices.
What it costs
UK return flights to Faro are often £30-£90 outside school holidays when booked ahead; the Algarve is heavily served from regional airports, but Easter, half-terms and summer Fridays push fares well above £150.
Daily budget per person
Faro is cheaper than the resort strips: a prato do dia (set lunch) at a backstreet tasca runs about €10-€12, and grilled fish or octopus is €12-€20. You'll pay resort prices only if you eat on the marina front.
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