Top 10 Things to do in Faro with Kids – PORTUGAL
Things to do in Faro with Kids – Faro, the capital of the Algarve makes an excellent and often sunny city break, either in its own right, or before you head off to your villa. Our kids loved it, and most attractions offer FREE ENTRY for kids. There’s even a beach.
1 Church of Bones – Things to do in Faro with Kids
FREE ENTRY FOR KIDS – Carmo Church, or the Ingreja Nossa Senhora do Carmo, is a beautifully gilded, golden church in its own right with cute cherubs dotted all over the building. But, let’s be honest, the kids were really interested in the Chapel of Bones (Capela dos Ossos) constructed from the skeletons of 1000 monks! Eery but strangely beautiful. Price approx €2.00.
2 Ria Formosa Boat Trip – Things to do in Faro with Kids
There are a host of boat trips available out of Faro, from wildlife spotting and island hopping, to exploring the natural beauty of Ria Formosa. We’re talking 18,000 acres that await. Marshes, islands and lagoons, all ripe for exploration. Some boat trips are hop on/hop off, others are solid boat trips, setting off throughout the day or at sunset. Browse a mix of options in person at the popular embarkation point in Faro’s Old Town at Cais das Portas do Mar, or browse and prebook online.
We took an economical option, taking the boat/bus to the local beach. It passes through the renowned Ria Formosa Natural Park so you see the landscape en route. €3.90 return for adults, €2.25 for kids return, so we were €12.30 in total for a family of four. Boats leave very regularly, but be sure to arrive 15 mins ahead of time to guarantee a spot as it’s a case of first come first served. Check out timetables here.
3 Beach Day – Things to do in Faro with Kids
FREE – Once you’ve caught the boat to the beach (see para above), visiting the beach itself is free. The beach is situated on a kind of large sandbank peninsula. On one side (the Atlantic) the waves are big (this whole coast is known for surfing) so our boys loved paddling and jumping the waves rather than swimming out to sea. For more gentle waters go to the other side of the sandbank (where the boat docked), facing back towards Faro where it’s more sheltered. There are several cafes to frequent too, plus very sandy public toilets as well.
5 Faro Cathedral (Se) and its Tower
FREE ENTRY FOR KIDS. Faro Cathedral itself is a mix of Renaissance, Gothic and Baroque, and a huge German built organ. A small museum includes ornate vestments but the kids were fascinated by the bony reliquaries. Quelle surprise! There’s a small garden, but the main draw was ascending to the top of the bell tower for views over the city and the Ria Formosa Natural Park. It’s not too high though, only around 70 steps. Adult tickets were €3.50, and children were free. More info about opening times/prices here.
6 Train – Things to do in Faro with Kids
Look up hop on hop off tickets and let the train take the strain. A cute way to travel through the key attractions of the city, especially on very hot/wet days.
Book your hop on hop off train ticket here.
7 Admire the Old Town, Architecture & Tiles
FREE Try not to rush as it’s definitely worth taking time to admire your surroundings. Walk through the old city gates, admire the tiling found on SO many buildings, and take in the colour and the vibrant creativity. Even Faro banks look stunning – look at their local Santander (above) 🙂 We stopped so often to allow me time to photograph tiles!
8 Get a Pic at the Faro Sign
FREE – Right by the marina, strike a pose at the huge Faro sign. Cheesy, but fun.
9 Enjoy Excellent Food & Drink
Chelsea Coffee & Brunch
Chelsea Coffee & Brunch makes for a wonderful informal lunch and brunch stop. Thoroughly recommend. The ‘Eggs Benedict’ here were SO fine – poached eggs on sourdough bread, pickles, avocado, chia seeds, bacon, chives and hollandaise sauce. Its Shakshuka red pepper and tomato stew was also a winner. The desserts looked as good as they tasted. I tucked into a delicious pistachio cheesecake. Friendly service too.
Vila Adentro
The Vila Adentro restaurant dates back to the 1400s, with a mysterious well and beautiful tiling on the walls. There’s ample outdoor seating, but with such gorgeous tiles (each telling a story, such as the Battle of Faro) we opted for indoor seating. Giant menus offered up monkfish wrapped in cured ham, custard tarts, egg pudding and port, to name a few highlights. It also has a good wine cellar and a rooftop terrace.
O Castelo
O Castelo is a modern block of a building, but its appeal is the sweeping views out over the water and marshes of Ria Formosa. Both covered and unshaded outdoor terrace seating are available. (The venue also hosts Fado nights approximately three times a week.) Customer service was a little cold, you could tell this is a tourist hot spot, but my Sangria was good and we enjoyed our hour sitting in the sun with drinks for all the family.
10 Find a Family Friendly Place to Stay
We found a two bedroom apartment (one double, one twin) at a great price right in the heart of the Old Town. It also has an outdoor terrace that (during our April stay) got the sun all morning. The apartment has everything, from toiletries and sun cream, to condiments, washing powder, teas and about 6 different types of coffee machines! The welcome pack included milk, wine, beer, cereal and crisps – such a treat when we arrived quite late at night. The living room TV has an array of channels, from Disney to Netflix, and there was even a PS4. The host personally welcomes you to the house (even late flights as we were!), which was friendly and helpful too.
Check prices and reserve this apartment here.
If you need/wish to stay near Faro airport I’d seriously consider this airport hotel with an outdoor swimming pool. It’s not quite walking distance to the airport (we booked an Uber for our 4am check in and had no problems) but the pool was a huge draw for us. You can dine onsite, but we opted to walk ten minutes to the huge and very attractive shopping mall Mercado Municipal de Faro (see pic below) and chose from a host of vendors at the food court. The supermarket here is so vast and fresh that if we visit again I’d seriously consider doing a weekly shop here before heading to our accommodation.
Check prices and reserve this hotel here.
11 Take a Day Out from Faro – Silves
FREE FOR KIDS Many people head east along the Algarve coastline. A great day out from Faro, or a pit stop en route to a resort/villa, is the town of Silves. Its red Moorish castle, Silves Castelo, is great for little legs to explore. Walk the castle walls, find a very unexpected and random museum about the Iberian Lynx, there’s also a cafe and toilets inside. Remarkably cheap at €2.80 for adults and free for kids.
For refreshments be sure to find Silves’ Da Rosa Cafe. Set in a dappled terrace, with bright yellow exterior walls, this cafe offers light lunches and lush bakery treats. We opted for rustic toasties for the kids and I had a goats cheese, walnut and fig jam sandwich. Inside the cafe is a calming oasis of white and blues tiles, a perfect escape from the heat of the day.
An alternative is to head east to the small fishing village Olhão. This is what we plan to do if we return to the area. Whatever you do, make the most of your time in Faro.
Find Things to Do in Lisbon with Kids here
Discover Cascais and Sintra with Kids here
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