Faro is the capital of the Algarve and home to the region's international airport, making it the first stop for most visitors. Many people rush straight to the beach resorts, but the town itself deserves at least a day.
The old town — the Cidade Velha — sits within medieval walls, entered through the ornate Arco da Vila. Inside you will find the Cathedral with its Roman-Gothic origins, the Nossa Senhora da Assunção Convent (now the Municipal Museum), and quiet cobbled squares. The Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of Bones) at the Carmelite Church is one of Portugal's most unusual sights — its walls are lined with over a thousand skulls and bones.
Faro is also the gateway to the Ria Formosa Natural Park, a lagoon system of barrier islands, salt marshes, and tidal flats stretching along the coast. It is one of Portugal's most important wetlands for birdlife, and ferries run from Faro to island beaches like Ilha Deserta and Ilha da Culatra with warm, clear water and far fewer crowds than the resort towns to the west.