London Stansted to Faro International Airport
The city of Faro on the south coast of Portugal is usually ignored by tourists who prefer instead the beaches of the Algarve. However, this charming little town has a great deal of historical interest having been a settlement since prehistoric times. It became wealthy under Roman occupation due to fishing and the extraction of salt from the local salt marshes.
Ossonoba, as it was known to the Romans, was the most important town in the region and it continued to flourish under the Moors. The Earl of Essex set fire to Faro during the Christian reconquest in 1596 although traces of the town’s Moorish past are still visible.
Flights between London Stansted and Faro International Airport are provided by easyJet. The airport is 6km (4 miles) from Faro city centre. Between 7am and 9pm the EVA bus operates from the airport to the city centre every 30-40 minutes and journeys take about 20 minutes. Taxis to Faro city centre cost between 7 and 9 euros (£1 is approximately equal to 1.45 euros).
Places of interest in Faro include:
- Faro Cathedral. In the centre of the old town is the whitewashed Faro Cathedral. Only the tower and doorway remain from the original church built on the site of a Roman temple in the 13th century, the rest was constructed between the 15th and 18th centuries. Although the exterior may seem rather plain, inside it is an eclectic mix of decorations. Marble statues, paintings, azulejo tiles and wooden carvings all compete for your attention. From the tower there are superb views of Faro and the coastline.
- Municipal Museum. The main attraction in this museum is the Roman mosaic that was unearthed in central Faro. Dating back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries, the moasic features the god Oceanus surrounded by geometric designs. The museum is housed in a former convent dating from the 16thcentury.
- Ilha Deserta. An interesting day trip from Faro is the boat tour through the Ria Formosa National Park’s salt marshes. The area is home to over 30,000 birds of over 200 species including herons, cormorants, flamingos and oystercatchers. When the trip reaches the large sandbar known as Ilha Deserta passenger are allowed to disembark and explore this beautiful area of golded sand and wild flowers. Ilha Deserta guided boat tours last for 2hrs 30mins and depart from the Porta Nova next to the old town.
- Carmelite Church. Attached to the back of the 18th century Carmelite Church is the rather macabre chapel of bones. The bones and skulls of hundreds of monks were unearthed from the attached cemetery in 1816 and used to construct this little chapel. This was a common practice in Portugal during the 15th and 16th centuries among the Franciscan orders.
- Beaches. Although most tourists head for the Algarve if they want to enjoy a beach holiday, just a 20-minute bus ride from the town is the relatively undeveloped Praia de Faro (Faro Beach) with its long stretch of sand.
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