The capital of the Algarve, Faro is a modern, lively city with attractive shopping precincts, good restaurants and a frenetic nightlife.

Particularly attractive is the old part of the city surrounded still by the Roman walls. Inside a spacious open square that was once the site of the Roman Forum is a 13^th Century Cathedral that faces the 18^th Century Episcopal palace. An interesting building is the neighbouring 16^th Century Convent that is now turned into the home of the city’s archaeological museum. The church of Nosso Senhora do Carmo is an excellent example of gold-leaf woodwork and contains a chapel lined with the bones of more then 1.200 monks, an inscription over the doorway translates to: "Stop here and think of the fate that will befall you."

Faro is also the home of the Ria Formosa lagoon, a nature reserve of over 17.000 hectares and a stopping place for hundreds of different birds during the spring and autumn migratory periods. The beach is almost 7 Kms distant from the city and is a long sandy spit reached by crossing a bridge not far from the International Airport.