Hotels in Faro

Faro is the Algarve's capital and the place most visitors see only through the window of a transfer coach, landing at Gago Coutinho International Airport and heading straight for the resorts further along the coast. That is a mistake, if a forgivable one. Behind medieval walls, the compact Cidade Velha holds the cathedral, cobbled lanes and the Arco da Vila, with white storks nesting on the rooftops, while the Igreja do Carmo's bone-lined chapel adds a macabre detour.

The real draw is the Ria Formosa, a protected lagoon of salt marsh and barrier islands reached by ferry from the marina, where beaches like Ilha Deserta and Culatra feel far emptier than anything in Albufeira. Be honest: Faro has no beach in the town itself, planes pass low overhead, and outside the old quarter it is a working regional city and university town rather than a polished holiday spot. Stay near the marina and old town, where you can walk to the restaurants, Rua de Santo António and the island ferries.