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Best Things to Do in Olhao
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Parque Natural da Ria Formosa Can Stock Photo IncAwarded Natural Park status in 1987, the Ria Formosa is a coastal lagoon protected by a group of sandy barrier islands. It features marshes, tidal flats, waterways and some excellent sandy beaches and is rich in marine and birdlife.
Regular boat trips take visitors out to explore Cultura Island with its fishing community, lighthouse and beaches and the uninhabited Barreta Island - known to the locals as the 'desert island'. These trips provide a wonderful opportunity to escape the crowds and get close up to...
Capela dos Ossos - Faro Jonny JokaWithout 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 18th century Igreja da Nossa Senhora do Carmo (Our Lady of Mount Carmel) Church, with its whitewashed Baroque exterior and richly gilded interior. Towards the back of the church, on the right hand side, a small door leads to a walled garden and this is where the Capela dos Ossos...
Ilha da Culatra from the air João Domingos | BY-SAThe car-free sandbank island of Culatra is a popular destination for day-trippers who come here to get away from the crowds on the Algarve mainland and to enjoy the calm waters and stunning beaches on offer here.
The Ilha da Cultura is basically one huge beach on which you will always be able to find a quiet spot to throw your towel down. Nude sunbathing is not unheard of here so don't be surprised if you go wandering among the dunes!
Apart from tourism, the main economic activity here is fishing, and the small settlement of Culatra is a working fishing...
4. Arco da Vila
Arco da Vila - Faro Morgan Davis | BY-SAFaro'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.
The design is the work of Genoese architect Francisco Xavier Fabri. Also hailing from Italy is the statue set in the recess above the arch - it is a figure of St Thomas Aquinas, a 13th century Italian religious scholar.
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Faro Cathedral Whilst much of the cathedral you see today date back to the 13th and 14th centuries this site has considerably more history. The oldest records show that there was a Roman forum built here around two thousand years ago. Following this a mosque was built here. With the Christian reconquest of Faro in 1249 the mosque was torn down and the Sé (cathedral) put up in its place. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary the cathedral is also known as the Igreja de Santa Maria de Faro.
The cathedral was considerably extended in the 15th century as the population of Faro increased, although the main...
Praia da Conchas on the Ilha Deserta Animaris | BY-SADeservedly known as the "deserted island", Barreta is a narrow 7 km long sandbank off the coast of Faro. It is in fact the closest of a number of sandy islands that make up this stretch of coast. Forming part of the Ria Formosa National Park, this is one of the best destinations for those wishing to escape the crowds and experience the remote calm of an undeveloped wilderness.
Ferries and speed boats depart daily from Faro. Be sure to check the time of the last boat back-this island has no...
Roman complex in Milreu Região de Turismo do AlgarveA 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 1st or 2nd century A.D. with a large villa and temple being added later, probably in the third century.
Faro City Walls Sónia Lopes | BY-SAFaro's ancient city walls (Muralhas de Faro), parts of which form a broken ring around Faro’s compact Cidade Velha (Old Town) have an interesting history, reflecting the town's tumultuous past. The Romans, who called the town Ossonoba, made their presence felt here and built a wall around the area which would have contained the forum and various important buildings.
The Moors who later held the town from the early 8th century for almost 500 years reinforced the defensive structures and today Moorish influences can still be seen in the arches around the various...
Faro Museu Municipal Nol Aders | BY-SAAlso known as the Museu Municipal, this was founded as an archaeological museum in 1894 and is well worth a visit if you are in Faro. It occupies the site of the 16th century convent of Nossa Senhora da Assunção (Our Lady of the Assumption) whose peaceful, cloistered gardens alone make the visit worthwhile.
Most of the exhibits here are of Roman artefacts, but there are also collections from pre-historic, Moorish and medieval periods, including a gallery of religious artworks and some 20th century paintings by local artist Carlos...
Ermida de Santo António do Alto Paulo MoreiraA 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.
The church building is believed to have been built in the 15th or 16th century, with significant alterations made in...
Ermida de Nossa Senhora do Pé da Cruz Nol Aders | BY-SAThe 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.
The Roman Catholic church contains a single altar, dedicated to Our Lady. There are some very nice gilded wood...
12. Teatro Lethes
Teatro Lethes Rafaelade AlmeidaThe 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 19th 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 acoustics here are...
Arco do Repouso and Hermitage Concierge.2C | BY-SAThe Ermida Nossa Senhora do Repouso (Hermitage of Our Lady of Rest) is a small chapel with a Baroque-style façade. The building we see here today was mainly built in 18th century under the sponsorship of the Queen. A notable feature of the church is that it is built into the Arco do Repousa, one of the ancient Arabic arches of the defensive walls of Faro's Old Town.
Legend tells that King Afonso III rested here in 1249 after expelling the Moors from the city and that he experienced a vision of Our Lady. From...
Igreja do Carmo CanStockPhoto/PhilipusThe 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.
Although the exterior of the church was not completed until 1878, the lavish interior was complete 150 years earlier...
15. Palácio Bivar
Palacio Bivar C.M. FaroFaro’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 18th century, with later additions in 19th and 20th 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.
Unfortunately, the building is not open to the public. Part of it is still used as a private residence by members the Bivar...
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Olhão travel guide »
Olhao is a coastal town in the Algarve which grew out of the fishing industry in the seventeenth century. Olhão, located just ten kilometers east of Faro, is still one of the Algarve's...