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20 Hotels in Faro (PT)
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Main Sights in Faro, Portugal
The principle area for sightseeing in Faro is the Old Town or Cidade Velha. The most popular place of in-terest in the Old Town is the Igreja do Carmo, an ornate 18th church adorned with human bones. Faro is also home to several museums of interest, such as the Ethnographic Museum and Archaeological Museum. Ria Formosa Nature Reserve is located just outside the city and is a great spot for bird watching and ob-serving this unique ecosystem. Faro’s beach is outside the city center, near Faro Airport.
Cidade Velha
The Old City or historical center of Faro is entered through an 18th century gate and enclosed by the rem-nants of medieval walls. Cidade Velha is where one experiences classic Portuguese architecture in Faro, with its charming winding streets and white walled buildings. Places of interest in the Old City are Sé Cat-edral (originally built in the 14th century and reconstructed after the earthquake of 1755), Igreja do Carmo, Igreja da Misericórdia (dating from 1583), Faro Castle, The Faro Municipal Museum and various old churches and hermitages.
Faro Castle
Located in the Cidade Velha or Old City, Faro’s Castle and defensive city walls date from the time of the Moors in the 9th century and probably have origins in Roman times. Much of the city’s walls were de-stroyed by the English in 1596 and the castle and walls have seen modifications throughout the years, but still help provide much of the old medieval flavor which gives the Old City its character.
Praia de Faro
Faro’s nearest beach, Pria de Faro, is about 7 km from the city center, close to Faro Airport and can be reached by crossing over a bridge near the airport. The beach itself is a wide sandy expanse and hosts many events organized by the municipality throughout the year. Praia de Faro is a good location for water sports and beach-side restaurants.
Estói Palace
Located bewteen Faro and São Bras de Alportel, the Palácio do Visconde de Estói is a rococo palace with lush gardens and decorative statues. Estói Palace dates from the 18th century. It is a 5 minute walk from the village center and is in the process of being turned into a luxury hotel/lodge.
The Algarve Coast
The finest sight in the Algarve is probably the coast itself, which stretches 200 km and is dotted with beautiful beaches, sandy dunes, enchanting lagoons, and spectacular cliffs, crags, islets and grottoes. The coast is a wonderful expanse for water sports and climbing, relaxing on the beach or on a boat, or just enjoying the view.
Milreu Ruins
A few kilometers from Faro and just next to Estói are the Milreu ruins, a fantastic archeological site fea-turing the remains of a luxurious Roman villa. The Casa Rural das Ruínas has been transformed into a visi-tors centre displaying depictions of Roman life in the Algarve. The Milreu site contains remains of a manor house, farm buildings, a wine press, baths and a temple, as well as two mausoleums and a peristyle of 22 columns, a courtyard and gardens. The old Roman villa had an excellent water supply network, heated rooms, thermal springs and baths on the west side, where it is still possible to see brightly colored tiles depicting a variety of marine life.
The Archaeological Muesum
The Museu Nacional de Arqueologia, located on Praça Afonso III in Cidade Velha (Old City) and housed in a 16th-century convent — complete with gargoyles — contains an impressive Roman mosaic discovered in Faro in 1976, featuring a portrait of Neptune, the Roman god of the sea, at its centre. Examine the muse-ums historical architecture, beautiful Moorish artifacts and variety of paintings from the Renaissance to futurist works by contemporary artists.
Faro Municipal Museum
The Museu Municipal de Faro, located in the Old City, is the oldest museum in the Algarve and is housed in the location of the Convento da Nossa Senhora da Assuncao, a former convent dating from the 16th cen-tury. Inside are finds from the Milreu Roman Villa, Moorish artifacts and Manueline window frames, as well as a nice collection of paintings and some sketches by Paul Gauguin.
Museum of Regional Ethnography
The Museu Etnográfico Regional, on the Praça da Liberdade in the District Assembly building, provides a view into the way of life and folk art of the local people of Faro. The museum houses a collection of typi-cal pieces of regional art, such as paintings and other crafts.
Ria Formosa Nature Reserve
The Ria Formosa Nature Reserve is located just outside the city and is a great spot for bird watching and observing a truly unique ecosystem. This national park, a beautiful network of sand flats and waterways which spans 17,000 hectares, is a stopping place for hundreds of different birds during the spring and au-tumn migratory periods.
Igreja do Carmo
The most famous touristic sight in the Cidade Velha, the Igreja do Carmo (or Carmo Church) is an impres-sively ornate and beautiful site with a distinctly macabre interior. From the outside it is a classic Portu-guese church, but the inside welcomes you with detailed 18th century gold leaf wood carvings and painted statues. Most fascinating is the Chapel of Bones, with its vaulted ceilings covered with bones (including 1,245 human skulls) interred from the church’s cemetery by monks in 1816.
