Faro holidays

Faro’s position near Portugal’s most southerly point puts it in prime beachgoing territory. The biggest swathes of sand are just the other side of Ria Formosa Natural Park, and are best reached by hopping on a boat or strolling along a long boardwalk. Things feel really secluded here, despite it being the main spot for incoming flights. Even in peak summer, you’ll easily get a garden-sized patch of sand all to yourself. Elsewhere, if you don’t mind a short drive, you’ve got plenty of built-up stretches home to cafés, bars and watersports centres.

Faro’s most famous beach is Cabo de Santa Maria – the southernmost point in mainland Portugal. You can reach it by following a long wooden boardwalk through Ria Formosa Natural Park. This place might be popular, but its size means it’s never crowded. And it’s as scenic as they come – think flat, grassy dunes giving way to silky sand and rolling turquoise waves.

If you don’t mind venturing a little bit further away from the city centre, try Culatra Beach on for size. This spot’s only reachable by ferry – it’s on an island in Ria Formosa Natural Park – and shows off more of the trademark toffee-coloured sand the Algarve’s known for. A little village marks the end of the island where the ferry port is, but the further east you walk, the quieter things get.

When you want to bag some bargains, you’ll have a few options here, including Faro Municipal Market. You can pick up souvenirs, essentials and on-the-go lunches from this covered marketplace, which sits in the centre of the city, just outside the old town. It’s not overly tourist-centred, either, which makes it a great place to mingle with locals.

If you’ve ticked off everything on your sightseeing list and fancy a day of full-blown retail therapy, hop in a taxi and head to Forum Algarve – a modern, open-air shopping centre on the edge of town. There are about a hundred shops here, including familiar faces like JD Sports, Levi’s and Mango, as well as plenty of Portuguese brands. And when it comes to quenching your hunger or thirst, you’ve got the likes of Pizza Hut, Ben & Jerry’s and Starbucks.

For designer goodies, your best bet is to head to Rua de Santo Antonio – a pedestrian shopping street with a mosaicked pavement and suspended canopies for shade. Here, you’ll find a department store called Antonio Manuel, which is stuffed full of high-end brands like Hugo Boss, Michael Kors and Armani.

For a low-key evening out after a long day exploring, head to Faro’s waterfront. The streets lining the marina are sprinkled with laidback bars, including a few rooftop numbers, each one sporting sea views. Live music’s sometimes on the agenda, too.

Faro’s city centre’s your go-to spot for a big night out. Here, you’ll find tonnes of bars and clubs, and most of the streets are pedestrianised, which means it’s easy to flit between venues. There’s a good mix of traditional Portuguese taverns and bang-up-to-date venues, which means you can sample the best of both worlds.

The Algarve’s famous for piri-piri chicken, and Faro’s no different. You might see it called frango piri-piri here. Chicken’s marinaded in a sauce made up of chilli, lemon, garlic and salt, then cooked – usually on a charcoal grill – and dished up with salad and chips. A lot of restaurants specialise in this exact dish, so you’ll have no trouble finding some to satisfy your craving.

The Algarve loves its seafood, and a lot of the region’s oysters come from Faro – or more specifically, Ria Formosa Natural Park. You’ll see them on many a menu around the old town, but for an authentic experience, make a beeline for a marisqueira – a type of restaurant that specialises in seafood.

This dish is Faro’s take on risotto. Net-fresh clams are combined with short grain rice, tomatoes, white wine, chillies, garlic and olive oil to create a creamy dish with plenty of flavour. Look out for it on the menus at seafood restaurants – it’s sometimes called razor clam rice.

There’s a reason why you can pick up a pastel de nata pretty much anywhere in Portugal – these simple-yet-delicious pastries are the ultimate sightseeing snack. Round, pastry tarts are topped with a creamy egg custard and sometimes a dusting of cinnamon. You can grab one at practically any bakery or café in Faro.

If you like cherry, you’ll love this local liquor. Made with Portuguese brandy, morello cherries, sugar and spices, it’s so popular in this part of the Algarve that there are entire bars dedicated to it. Some places even serve it in little chocolate cups, making it the perfect sweet treat to round off a big meal.