Faro is a small city with a decidedly big city feel, combining its international airport, impressive shopping center and high-rise apartments with mosaic-paved streets and marina-side gardens. Faronese people are friendly and in the winter, Faro transforms into a quiet little corner of southern Europe. HAPPYCAR is here to help you find the best car hire Faro has to offer so you can take full advantage of this rugged island, with a direct car hire Faro Airport available. We check the prices of international and local providers so that you don’t have to check each website to provide you with the best deals to make your money go further on a rental car that fits your specific vacation needs.
General Information
Faro is the southernmost city in mainland Portugal and also wears the crown of the country’s leading beach resort. The city rose to prominence during the Roman Empire thanks to its proximity to the Ria Formosa Lagoon. With plenty of sun bleaching the Iberian and Moorish-influenced white-washed city, Faro is truly a bright spot in the beautiful Algarve. Nowadays, though previous earthquakes and sackings have left precious few historical monuments intact, there still remains a massive amount of things to do and enjoy in Faro, from a host of recreational activities to regional cooking, wining and dining in style and world-class golf courses.
To Do
You are spoilt for choice if you fancy a relaxing stroll down a sandy beach, as there are plenty of seaside attractions to pull in you. The Old City overlooks the harbor and is the best place for historic sites in the city. Here you’ll find the 17th century Igreja do Carmo Church, an unusual attraction as it incorporates the skeletons of over 1,000 monks into its walls. There are few museums in Faro, but those that exist are worth a visit. The Municipal Museum of Archaeology, the Maritime Museum and the Regional Museum of the Algarve are particular highlights. Take a boat to Ria Formosa, the system of barrier islands off the coast that make great bird watching sites and cycling tours.
Attractions
The city of Faro has a lot to offer with its snapshots into its chequered history. The Old Town is a delightful swirl of meandering cobbled streets, lined mainly by 19th century architecture, but much of the older remains are lost to the 1755 earthquake. At the Arco de Porta Nova, the oldest section of town, you can take a cobbled street to Faro Cathedral, built on a former Roman forum turned mosque. The cathedral has withstood the test of time and features an interesting mix of architectural styles. The famous Municipal Museum was originally a 16th century covenant but now houses a collection of art and artefacts that sheds an interesting light on the city’s varied history and culture.
Eating
Faro’s food is as rich and varied as its landscapes with a healthy spread of innovative modern restaurants and old world bodegas. Cod is particularly popular in southern Portugal, and as is the custom at sea, it is often salted to preserve. Prawns, octopus and squid are also in abundance. Faro also comes to life in its tapas bars, with quirky eateries dotted all around the Old Town that provide some fantastic local fare in the form of blood sausage, olives and prawns.
Excursions
A car hire in Faro can take you seven miles to the city of Estoi, where you can learn more about the area’s importance in the Roman Empire. Estoi is home to an expansive site of Roman ruins that dates back to 100 AD, along with Roman Baths, a Roman villa, a temple that was converted into a Christian Basilica, making it one of the earliest known churches. It also has an 18th century Estoi Palace, one of the few buildings to escape the searing earthquake in 1755. Visitors often use Faro to explore the more remote areas of the Algarve, such as the village of Alte with its cobbled streets, the town of Lagos and its beaches, and the Serra de Monchique mountains. Lisbon which is only three hours away, the same with Madeira , and with a Faro car rental you can continue your trip through Portugal at your own leisure without wasting your time in lines for the public transportation.