Tour of Faro Historic Center
Arco do Repouso
You can leave the Cidade Velha (Old Town) through the medieval Arco de Repouso (Gate of Rest). It is one of the gateways to the medieval walls. Dates from the 12th and 13th centuries. The name of the Arch of Rest is related to two legends, being the first one in which the troops of D. Afonso III, after having taken the city, rested in this place. The second legend tells us that a Moorish princess, daughter of the Arab governor, fell in love with a knight and here she was enchanted by her father and here she rests.
Arco da Vila
After the Arco do Repouso, we walked along the castle walls till Arco da Vila, the main entrance to the historic center. Monumental neo-classical archway leading to the old town, with remains of original Moorish wall.
Set in one of the medieval gates of the city, this monumental portal was built by Bishop Francisco Gomes de Avelar in the 19th century. It is a good example of Italian neoclassicism in the Algarve heritage.
Inside, we can still see the Arab Gate. It was part of the old Muslim walls and was the entrance to the city for those who came by sea. It is considered as a unique example of Arab architecture in Portugal, taking into account the good state of conservation and the fact that it is still in the place of origin.
Cathedral of Faro
Orange trees bloom all along the “Largo de Sé”, the vast square where the Cathedral of Faro stands. Built by command of King Alfonso IV, the cathedral stands over the ruins of a mosque dating back to 1215 (shortly after the Arabs took the city of Faro). Even more, under the mosque lied a previous Hispanic-Gothic church.
Although it can be loosely associated with the transition between the Romanic-Gothic and Renaissance styles, this church does feature a myriad of architectonic styles. Only the base of the bell-tower remains from the primitive church.
Three naves of four segments each compose the interior of the church, characterized by the wooden ceilings and Doric-order columns, which date back to the 16th century. The cathedral is also home to a museum exhibiting several religious objects, paintings, and garments of great beauty.
The Gothic chapel boasts an impressive coffered ceiling covered in 17th century tiles, and the presbytery features a valuable Renaissance reredos.
The wooden organ, painted in red and decorated with Chinese motifs, is alsoa must-see. Climb to the top of the Medieval tower and enjoy some amazing views over the walled city and coast of Algarve.
Convent of our Lady of the Assumption / Faro Municipal Museum
Faro Municipal Museum was the second museum to be created in the Algarve. In 1894, on the 500th
anniversary of the birth of Infante Dom Henrique (Henry the Navigator), Faro inaugurated the Museum
Archeologico Lapidar Infante D. Henrique dedicated to the heroe of Sagres.
This renaissance style building features a Manueline church with a baroque dome and a lateral renaissance portal entrance.
Noteworthy is the two floored “Coimbrão” style cloister with tower buttresses, rounded arches on the ground floor, an architrave on the upper floor being decorated with gargoyles.
In 1519 Queen D. Leonor, orders the construction, on the grounds where for centuries a prosperous Jewish Quarter was settled, a convent for the Nuns of Santa Clara. The construction passes onto Queen D.
Catarina that appoints the architect Afonso Pires for continuing it.
By 1550 the Nª Sra. da Assunção Convent or the also called Nun’s Convent construction is complete.
The British troops attack in 1596 causes major damages as the 1755 earthquake did leading the church and part of the dorms to collapse.
In the 19th century the convent is abandoned and the nuns moved to Tavira. Late that century the building is bought by private investors that established a cork factory in it.
In 1948 is classified as a National Monument, being restored in the 60’s decade.
The museum’s archaeological collection is the most significant, with artefacts from pre-historical, roman and medieval periods. The most important objects are those from the roman period which include a mosaic
from the 2nd/3rd centuries, the busts of Emperor Hadrian and Agrippina and a collection of epigraphs of
Ossonoba. The high-quality painting collection from the 16th to 19th century is mainly composed of religious works of art, originating from ancient temples in the Algarve. Also, the 20th cent. painting by Carlos Porfírio about legends of the Algarve is very important.
The Museum has been a member of the Portuguese Museum Network since 2002.
It was awarded with the prize for the best Portuguese Museum in the triennial 2003/05 by the Portuguese Association of Museology.
Praça Afonso III
After the Cathedral we went to the Municipal Museum, that is located in Praça Afonso III, where the statue of the king D. Afonso III, because he was the one conquering Faro to the Moorish.
It’s a statue in honor of Dom Afonso III (1210-1279) former King of Portugal, the king who completed the Christian reconquest of the southwest end of Portugal.
Tour Guide: Luís Santos (Historic Tour Guide & Superior Municipal Museum Technician)
Church of Our Lady of Carmel (Carmo Church)
Built by the Ordem Terceira de Nossa Senhora do Monte do Carmo between 1713 and 1719 this church is a fine example of baroque architecture on a symmetrical facade.
This single nave church, features a chancel and four side chapels decorated with tiles and gilded wood carvings.
In the adjoining former cemetery, you can find the very impressive Chapel of Bones built in 1816.
Bone Chapel (Capela dos Ossos) is one of the best-known monuments in Évora, Portugal. It is a small interior chapel located next to the entrance of the Church of St. Francis. The Chapel gets its name because the interior walls are covered and decorated with human skulls and bones.
About Algarve Treasures:
Algarve Treasures is a tourism services company that organizes activities
and tourist experiences in the Algarve region.
We select our offer of tours and experiences with the utmost rigor, working exclusively with local partners to offer a wide range of authentic options for both groups and individuals.
Our team, with more than 20 years of experience in Tourism businesses, also provides Consulting, Development & Management of New Projects to companies that want to boost their business and open doors to tourism.
Our mission is to share with our clients and visitors the genuine culture and traditions of the Algarve, showing what our people do in their daily lives. The Authentic is our passion!
Faro Municipal Market
Faro Municipal Market is located at the heart of the city of Faro in a whitewashed building as is customary for buildings in the Algarve region. We strongly recommend that you visit the Municipal Market of Faro to get to know the local customs of the capital of the region. Indulge yourself with the huge variety of fish and meat that are on display, as well as with the other traditional products such as olives, fruit or corn.
Restaurante A Madrugada
Restaurant that serves local Portuguese cuisine.
The Dishes that Catherine tasted –
Starters:
Caracóis (snails)
Ameijoas à Bulhão Pato (Clams in garlic sauce)
Pataniscas de Camarão (shrimp “pataniscas”)
Main Dish
Arroz de Corvina com camarão (croacker rice with shrimps)
Dessert
Bolo 3 Delícias (3 delights cake – almond, fid and carob cake)
Dom Rodrigo (no translation…)
Wine
João Clara White Wine, Algarve Region
Digestiv
Licor de Amêndoa Amarga – Bitter Almond Liqueur
Ginginha em copo de chocolate – Sour Cherry Liqueur served in an edible chocolate cup
Tertúlia Algarvia
Tertúlia Algarvia is the fulfillment of the dream of a group of friends, who in 2006 decided to create an organization to promote gastronomy, history and traditions of the region.
After many plans, accounts and, most importantly, a lot of persistence, Tertúlia Algarvia opens to the public in August 2013 in Vila-Adentro, the historical centre of Faro.
In addition to traditional meals, the Tertúlia Algarvia provides to its visitors showcookings and culinary workshops, crafts workshops, exhibitions, among other experiences. For this, it has many versatile, comfortable and welcoming spaces.
Alongside our activities at our restaurant in the Vila-Adentro in Faro, we also organise initiatives such as catering services, classes and cookery demonstrations at other venues.
The Dishes that Catherine tasted –
- Tuna Moxama – is a characteristic product of the Algarve because tuna fishing has been very important in the region for a long time. It is a product we sometimes call cured sea ham because the production process (salting and drying) is similar to that used in cured ham;
- Maize porridge (Xarém) with cockles and shrimps – Xarém is traditionally a food of poor people who worked in agriculture and who often had nothing more to eat than cornmeal to which they had what they had or what was offered. They could add potatoes or vegetables, small pieces of bacon to give some taste or cockles that were offered by the fishermen for being a product with low commercial value. To “Xarém” they could also gather honey and thus they had something sweet to animate them and help to face the difficult life. Nowadays “xarém” (maize porridge) is enriched with the best seafood from Algarve
- Octopus tentacles, greens and “punched” potatoes – The artisanal octopus fishing is also ancestral in the Algarve. Some say that the best octopus in the world is from the Algarve. Like cod fish there are a thousand ways to cook octopus, This dish is just one of them: steamed tentacles in the oven with “punched potatoes”;
- Sweet potato swiss rol – The sweet potato is another of the emblematic products of the region. The best known are those from Aljezur, a municipality on the west coast of the Algarve. The sweet potato is excellent to accompany fish dishes, meat and to prepare different types of cakes and desserts.
Oyster Picking in Culatra Island
The crew embarked on a journey guided by António, from Eating Algarve Tours, on a boat through the natural park of Ria Formosa towards the picturesque Culatra Island. There, we were met by a woman (Sílvia Padinha) who manages the family-run oyster production. She talked us on the life cycle of her oysters and the importance to the community of this type of production in this very special and un spoilt ecosystem, while we were sampling natural and fresh oysters with the water on our ankles.
Quinta da Tôr – Winery
Quinta da Tôr is a family business and the current owner bought it about 8 years ago. It is inserted in an estate of 47 hectares, 12 of which with vineyard, where 7 different varieties of grapes are produced. All grapes are harvested manually and due to the soils and the perfect climatic conditions of this region, they produce excellent wines, some that can reach the 17 degrees of alcohol!! They have worked so hard in these 8 years, that they have already 14 different varieties of wine selling on the market!! And some of it already with Medals!! The top one is the Golden Algibre (red wine)!! And the most “uncommon” is the 17% alcohol Syrah that was a very successful and pleasant “mistake”. They also provide guided tours, including Wine Tastings, with the option of having Tapas with it.
What we love most about Quinta da Tor, apart from the excellent wines they produce, is the warm welcome and the familiar ambiance that we always feel when visiting the winery with our clients! So unique in such a touristic region as the Algarve!!
The Wines that Catherine tasted –
Quinta da Tôr – Reserve Algibre (2015)
Deep Ruby colour. Intense aromatic profile, scents of ripe red
fruits and various spices harmonized by the 17 months stage in new French
oak barrels. A wine with much character and volume of a fine and velvety
texture.
Wine type: Red
Year: 2015
Region: Algarve
Bottle: 750 ml
Volume of alcohol: 14,5% VOL.
Maturation: French oak barril (17 months)
Castas: Touriga Nacional, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon
Winemakers: Pedro Mendes
Produced and bottled: Turinox,lda | Quinta da Tôr | Loulé
Quinta da Tôr – Syrah (2017)
The vineyards are located in Tôr- Loulé, which has a terroirconducive to a balanced ripening. There is a good concentration of colour, an intense ruby. Aromas of red fruits and spices are present which brings out notes of cassis and pepper.Strong wine with character, full of life and body.
Wine type: Red
Year: 2017
Region: Algarve
Bottle: 750 ml
Volume of alcohol: 17% VOL.
Maturation: Inox barril
Castas: Syrah 100%
Winemakers: Pedro Mendes & Joaquim Roque
Produced and bottled: Turinox,lda | Quinta da Tôr | Loulé
Quinta da Tôr – White Reserve (2017)
Yellow colour with slight green tones. Aroma reveals citric profile with notes of tangerine, pear and peach. Dense, fresh and persistent finish in the mouth. Elaborated with the grapes: Chardonnay, Síria and Arinto.
Wine type: White
Year: 2017
Region: Algarve
Bottle: 750 ml
Volume of alcohol: 13% VOL.
Maturation: French and American oak barril
Castas: Chardonnay, Síria and Arinto
Winemakers: Pedro Mendes
Produced and bottled: Turinox,lda | Quinta da Tôr | Loulé
Tapas
Queijo – Goat cheese
Chouriço – Chorizo
Presunto . Ham
Azeite regional – local olive oil
Pão – bread
Tour Guide: Vanda Lopes of Algarve Treasures Tours & Experiences
About Vanda Lopes:
Vanda Lopes is 40 years old, holds a degree in Tourism & Marketing, has a postgraduate degree in Business Management and has been working in the Tourism sector for more than 20 years. After carrying out operational, commercial and management functions in the areas of rent-a-car, outgoing and Incoming travel agencies and more recently having coordinated a tourism project to boost a local Cork Factory, Vanda awoke to the need to create an organized offer of activities and authentic experiences in the destination and decided to create his own company of tours and experiences in the Algarve in 2018 – Algarve Treasures.
Being passionate about the authentic and the local, Vanda constantly seeks to establish new partnerships with local entrepreneurs such as farmers, factory owners, wine producers, liqueurs or other regional products, owners of typical restaurants, organizers of boat trips, tour guides, among others, to be able to design the itineraries and offer differentiated products to its clients. She accompanies many of her groups and loves to show the hidden treasures of the Algarve to visitors!
About Algarve Treasures:
Algarve Treasures is a tourism services company that organizes activitiesand tourist experiences in the Algarve region. We select our offer of tours and experiences with the utmost rigor, working exclusively with local partners to offer a wide range of authentic options for both groups and individuals. Our team, with more than 20 years of experience in Tourism businesses, also provides Consulting, Development & Management of New Projects to companies that want to boost their business and open doors to tourism.
Our mission is to share with our clients and visitors the genuine culture and traditions of the Algarve, showing what our people do in their daily lives. The Authentic is our passion!
Portuguese Table Dinner
The Menu included:
Appetizers:
Carrot pate with tuna
Board of regional cheeses
Homemade Jams
Portuguese Chorizo (from Alentejo and Algarve)
Main dishes:
Fish
Cod broth with potato, spinach, cod, egg, fresh goat cheese and poejo (aromatic herb)
Meat
“Tomatada” pork – pork made with tomato with white rice.
Beverage:
Sangria of aromatic herbs with red wine
Dessert:
Sweet rice
Seasonal fruit
Coffee and spirits
The Recipe for the Cod Broth:
Ingredients (serves 4)
2 cod slices
4-6 potatoes (sweet or white)
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
2 small fresh goat cheeses (hard consistency)
1 bunch of spinach
Mushrooms (optional)
4 eggs
1 bay leaf, 1 branch of pennyroyal and coriander
1/4 of homemade bread broken to bits
Method
- Make a stew with onions, garlic, olive oil, bay leaves, pennyroyal and coriander.
- Add water and peeled potatoes.
- When the potatoes are almost cooked, add the cod and the spinach.
- After 10-15 minutes, when the cod is cooked, reserve it.
- Add to the broth the cheeses, which take about 3 minutes to cook.
- Reserve the cheeses and remove the pennyroyal from the broth.
- Apart the eggs are poached.
- Put in the bottom of a bowl, the bread bits, cut by hand, and pour over the broth and the cod in small pieces. Stir well to wrap all the elements until they look like homogeneous.
- Pour a serving of broth with a poached egg over and bits of cheese to accompany.