Faro is the capital and administrative centre for the whole of the Algarve region in Portugal with a population in excess of 58.000 people. The city has both Arab and Roman ruins but most of the present attractive older buildings were constructed after the disastrous earthquake of 1755.

Particularly attractive is the old part of the city surrounded still by the Roman walls. Much of the city is now composed of apartments and there are many attractive shops and a particularly artistic theatre. Faro is also the home of the Ria Formosa lagoon, a nature reserve of over 17.000 hectares and a stopping place for hundreds of different birds during the spring and autumn migratory periods...Outstanding! The beach is almost 7 Kms distant from the city and is a long sandy spit reached by crossing a bridge not far from the International Airport.

An attractive town with many points of interest, it is also the kick-off point for the numerous resorts for which the Algarve is famous. And the area is paradise for golfers with around 19 courses on the coastal stretch between Faro and Albufeira.