Portugal | Postcards From Here and There

Visiting Faro

Faro is the capital of the Algarve in Southern Portugal and its largest city. It can trace its origins back over 2000 years and was occupied by the Moors for 500 years. For many visitors it is the gateway to the region because of its international airport but not everyone chooses to spend time here. It is a shame as it has a lovely old town that is well worth exploring and it makes an ideal base for visiting other parts of the Algarve as it has good transport links.

The Old Town.

The Old Town (Cidade Velha) is a wonderful place to wander aimlessly around its cobbled streets and just see where it takes you. It isn’t very big and you can easily take in the sights here in an hour or so.

Cranes nest on some of the buildings of the old town down by the water front. They make an amazing sight. As they leave and return to the nest on fishing trips.

Ria Formosa

The Ria Formosa is the coastal lagoon which divides Faro from the Atlantic Ocean. It was made a National Park in 1987 and it is of great ecological importance as a refuge for countless species of coastal birds. The waters here are flat calm and relatively shallow. A number of companies offer tours departing from the quayside in Faro (not the marina). You can read about our experience here.

Ilha Deserta.

The Ilha Deserta (deserted island) is a short ferry ride from Faro. It is deserted because no one lives here but it can still get very busy, especially in the summer. It is a beautiful island and lovely to visit off season when there aren’t so many people around.

The Marina.

The marina is only small but is a very popular place and is great for photos.

Eating and Drinking.

Epicur is a wonderful wine bar located at Rua Alexandre Herculano 22. It is only small but has a superb selection of Portuguese wines and some excellent small plates. The staff here are incredibly knowledgeable about both the food and wine and very helpful. I can’t recommend this place enough.

Close to the marina is Boheme (Avenida da Republica) which is a super little craft beer bar. With seating inside and out it makes a great venue for a beer after a day spent sightseeing. The beer selection is excellent with a plenty of choice either on draught or in bottles. The prices are very reasonable also.

Columbus Cocktail and Wine Bar (Praca Dom Francisco Gomes 13) is a very popular place for both locals and tourists. It offers a great range of cocktails as well wines and small plates. Not a restaurant as such but it serves excellent small snacks.

For me a trip to the Algarve would not be complete without sampling the grilled fish and there are plenty of restaurants to choose from. Do check opening as many are closed on Sunday.

Faro is well worth a visit and it can easily be done in a day trip.

The Ria Formosa

The Ria Formosa is a coastal lagoon in the Algarve, southern Portugal and covers an area of 18,000 hectares, stretching from Tavira, in the eastern Algarve to just west of Faro. It was made a National Park in 1987 and is of ecological importance, particularly for its bird life.

A series of barrier islands gives protection from the Atlantic Ocean and as a result the waters are usually flat calm and are relatively shallow.

A number of companies offer tours of the Rio Formosa from the quayside in Faro. A popular option is a 5 hour tour which includes visits to four of the islands and a lunch stop on Culatra Island for which you cover your own costs. Our trip was in a very comfortable catamaran, seating up to 12 people, with guide who is able to give a commentary in a number of different languages.

Ilha Deserta (the deserted island) is a popular island for visitors, especially in the summer, with its beautiful beach facing the Atlantic Ocean You can reach it by Ferry from Faro which runs all year round. It’s deserted in the sense that nobody lives there but there is a cafe/restaurant and toilet facilities. Visiting in early March was fantastic as the number of fellow tourists was very small indeed and you could appreciate the peace and tranquility of the place.

A short boat ride then takes you on to Farol Island complete with is lighthouse built in 1851. There are also some lovely little cottages here, many of which are now holiday homes and rentals. A busier island but still peaceful and quiet at this time of year.

Armona Island is opposite the town of Olhão from where you can pick up a water taxi to the island. Armona is busier with more of a resident population, a small convenience store and a number of cafes.There are still no cars or roads here as on previous islands and its is a nice place to wander aimlessly through the narrow, twisting streets.

The final stop was Culatra Island, also known as Fishermans Island. Here there is a harbour for the fishing boats that service the lslands main economy.

Here you can have lunch if you so desire and what else would you eat but fish. I am a huge fan of simply grilled fish and nowhere does it as well as its done in Portugal. Washed down with a zingy, fresh glass of Vinho Verde its a perfect end to an excellent tour.

It is then a 20/30 minute boat ride back to Faro where you get excellent views of the old town as you approach.

Travelling the Algarve by Train

For our recent trip to the Algarve we decided to forego hiring a car and see how much we could do just moving around using the local regional railway. We didn’t miss having a car but you do need to plan carefully how you will manage a visit and exactly what you want to see and do. I don’t suggest this option is for everyone but it does give a cheap option for those on a budget.

The Algarve Regional Railway runs from Vila Real De Santo António in the east to Lagos in the western Algarve. It is often necessary to change trains in Faro. The station at Faro can be somewhat confusing when catching a train as there are no departure boards. Even the locals can be unsure at times as to which platform to use. We found the staff to be most helpful in this regard. Most trains also have the destination on display at the front.
Trains to and from Lisbon connect with the regional railway at Faro, Loulé, Albufeira and Tunes. These trains have a different pricing structure and tickets can not be bought on the train.
Journey times are; Vila Real De Santo António to Faro is roughly an hour, from Faro to Lagos it takes 90 minutes. Trains are roughly hourly in each direction but not all trains run at weekends.
Tickets are relatively cheap compared to the UK. There are only two types of ticket, single and return. The cost of a return is double that of a single.
Tickets are not available in advance and must be purchased on the day. Not all stations on the line have a ticket office, in this case you simply purchase a ticket from the conductor on the train who come round after every stop. It’s worth noting that the conductor only deals in cash, he does not take card payments.
A tourist ticket is available. Called the Tourist Travelcard it can be bought as a two day or three day card. This allows you to use the Algarve line as often as you like but the days of use must be consecutive. A two day card costs 20.90 Euros and the tree day 31.90 Euros. It can only be purchased from a station with a ticket office, they are not available on the train. You may well want to check if it is actually a saving for you. Faro to Tavira is 6.40 Euros return and Faro to Lagos is 14.80 Euros for a return. We didn’t use a Travelcard for our visit.
It is worth checking in advance if the station of your chosen destination is actually close to where you want to go. The station at Albufeira is actually 3 miles from the old town, Lagos is much closer but it is still a reasonable walk to the old town though it is a very pleasant walk past the marina and along the river.