What to see in Faro ?

Faro is often passed through without being seen, reduced to its airport and departure point for the Algarve. That's a mistake. The fortified old town, the Cidade Velha, concentrates several centuries of Moorish and Portuguese history within a perimeter you walk in twenty minutes. The Ria Formosa lagoon, just beyond, casts particular light on the city, caught between freshwater and Atlantic.

Two days suffices to grasp Faro without skimming it. September and October offer bearable heat and reasonable prices, far from the summer peak. You move on foot through the centre, and the train remains the simplest way to reach other coastal towns. Skip the restaurants around the marina: they live entirely off tourist flow and prices don't reflect quality.