The 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...
The whitewashed building of the Bishop’s Palace (Paço Episcopal), with its distinctive red-tiled roof, dominates the tranquil square of Largo da Sé in Faro's Old Town quarter.
The Palace was completed in 1585, but 11 years later was almost destroyed when Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex and a favourite of England’s Queen Elizabeth I, sacked the city of Faro. Before destroying the building the English troops ransacked the palace’s library which included many precious manuscripts, including Portugal’s first ever printed book, a Hebrew Old Testament...
The 17th century whitewashed church of São Lourenço de Amancil is somewhat unusual in appearance having more features than most churches of its size. To one side there is a bell tower to which a long staircase rises from the front of the building. The corners of the roof are decorated with pinnacles and adjacent to the bell tower is a copula.
What really marks São Lourenço out though is the interior and particularly the azulejo work. These characteristic blue tiles are both noteworthy for their age and their quality - dating back to 1730 they have been attributed to one of the...
The castle at Loulé formed what would have been the northwestern corner of the city walls. What remains of the original castle are the gate tower and three further towers along with the walls that connect them. All seem in remarkably good condition, and this is largely due to the extensive restoration work during the 19th century.
Loulé Castle suffered extensive damage during the 1755 great earthquake and was again damaged by a much lesser earthquake in 1969.
Along with many of the Algarve's other castles, Loulé's dates back to...
The 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...
Situated less than 10 km from Faro and the coast is the charming little town of Estoi. It is well worth a visit if you are staying on the coast although it probably doesn't constitute a day trip in its own right.
The village is the usual Algarve...
Albufeira
Cascais
