11 Best Things to do in Estoi

A 10 kilometre drive inland from Faro town centre, the sleepy town of Estoi features some of the Algarve’s best preserved Roman ruins.  The Milreu site, just off the N2 highway, was excavated in 1877.  The oldest part of the Roman ruins are thought to date back to 1^st or 2^nd century A.D. with a large villa and temple being added later, probably in the third century. 

A steep climb up to the highest point in Faro will bring the visitor to the Hermitage of Santo Antonio do Alte, a small church dedicated to St Anthony.  The saint most usually referred to as St Anthony of Padua was actually born in Lisbon and for this reason he has a special place in Portuguese religious sentiment.  In Portugal he is considered to be the patron saint of lost things, of unmarried men and women looking for a spouse and of the newly married.

Without doubt the most macabre of Faro's many attractions is the Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of the Bones), a minuscule ossuary chapel lovingly decorated with the bones and skulls of over 1000 human skeletons. The chapel forms part of the beautiful 18^th century Igreja da Nossa Senhora do Carmo (Our Lady of Mount Carmel) Church, with its whitewashed Baroque exterior and richly gilded interior.

The Igreja do Carmo in Faro, with its Baroque façade and twin bell towers is one of the finest churches on the Algarve. The Carmelite church was built throughout much of the 18th and 19th centuries, starting in 1719. Disaster struck in 1755 when the great earthquake that hit Portugal badly damaged the church. However, a new facade was designed by mason Diogo Gonçalves including the now iconic bell towers.

The Lethes theatre building may look a little tired on the outside, but don’t let that put you off.  Step inside and you will be transported to the latter half of the 19^th century.  The décor of plush velvet, painted ceiling and exquisite wooden carvings will make you feel as though you are in a bijoux version of a historic Italian opera house. There are four tiers arranged around the intimate auditorium and if you go to a performance here try to get seats in one of the boxes for that once-in-a-lifetime experience.  It won’t cost any more than the ordinary seats.

The Ermida de Nossa Senhora do Pé da Cruz (hermitage of Our Lady at the Foot of the Cross) is Largo do Pé da Cruz (formerly Largo do Poço dos Cântaros), a little way away from Faro's other sights. 

The original chapel was built here around 1644 but was almost completely destroyed by the Great Earthquake of 1755.  The understated, whitewashed Baroque style building we see here today was built in 1861. 

Faro’s Bivar Palace, close to the marina is a fine example of the Neoclassical style of architecture and is probably the best example on the Algarve.  Built in 18^th century, with later additions in 19^th and 20^th centuries, the two storey palace has a symmetry which is very pleasing to the eye.  At the front there are bay windows, each topped with a triangular pediment. There are wrought iron balconies and a balcony window with a lookout tower. 

Faro has a seafaring tradition going back to the times of the Phoenicians and in the small but interesting Maritime Museum you can learn about all things nautical connected with the area.  It only costs around €1 to enter and is free for children under 6, and you can easily spend some time admiring the vast collection of exhibits on display in the museum’s three rooms. 

It can be fun to spend some time admiring the flashy yachts on display in the marina, maybe stopping off for refreshments in one of the waterside cafes.  Just around the corner is the Porta Nova Pier, from which boats take day trippers out to enjoy the birdlife and beaches of the Ria Formosa Natural Park.  On balmy summer nights, it’s a pleasant stroll from the marina, down the waterfront promenade to the Old Town.

Faro's fine neo-classical archway is the entrance to the Algarve city's old quarter (Cidade Velha). It was built on the site of a much older medieval gateway in the city walls by order of Bishop Francisco Gomes do Avelar in 1812. He oversaw much of the reconstruction of Faro after the devastating 1755 earthquake.