Gateway to Algarve: A Faro Walking Tour
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About the Tour
About the Tour
Moorish influences, maritime legends, and ghostly tales intertwine in Faro’s ancient Old Town. On this walking tour around the capital city of Portugal’s Algarve region, you’ll learn about Faro’s resilience in the face of natural disasters, wars, and changing empires while you wander down winding streets and past striking monuments that reveal the city’s rich and often dark history.
The tour starts in front of the Arco da Vila where you’ll hear how this medieval gateway has stood witness to centuries of invasions and intrigue. As you walk through the charming Old Town, you’ll explore Sé Cathedral, built on the site of a former mosque, where echoes of the past still linger. You’ll discover why Faro was once the target of English pirates and hear about what lies beneath its cobbled streets.
This tour isn’t just about history, it’s also about atmosphere. You’ll pass lively plazas where locals gather, linger by the shimmering Ria Formosa lagoon, and hear stories of sailors, smugglers, and spirits who refuse to be forgotten. The tour ends in front of Faro’s Chapel of Bones where I’ll tell who the Carmelite monks were and why they created the chapel.
On this 45-minute tour, you’ll have a chance to:
- Hear the heroic story of the Second World War American bomber that crashed 12 miles out at sea whilst looking for German U-boats
- Walk through Largo da Sé, an atmospheric square surrounded by historic architecture
- Discover the stories behind Igreja de São Pedro, one of Faro’s most beloved churches
- Stroll along Faro Marina waterfront and hear tales of Faro’s maritime past
- Learn how the Earl of Essex raided and burned Faro in 1596
- Encounter the eerie tales and superstitions hidden in Faro’s past
- See the Arco do Repouso (Arch of Rest) where, legend has it, King Afonso III rested after recapturing the city from the Moors in 1249
- Take in Comur Faro, a fish canning company that produces about thirty varieties of tinned goods, painstakingly prepared by the experienced hands of over a hundred women
This tour blends history, mystery, and stunning sights, offering an unforgettable journey through Faro’s streets!
Tour Producer
Tour Producer
Mark Whiteley
I trained as an actor at London's prestigious Arts Educational School where I learnt about the voice and the art of telling stories. I went on to work in theatre, television and film for 10 years eventually running my own theatre company for 20 years. As a company we tried to make the work as imaginative and unique as possible, in one show we walked across the UK with no money, food or accommodation to see if humanity was kind. In another play we emigrated to Poland and used the experience for an award winning UK tour about immigration. I turned shops into theatre spaces, I performed in barns, houses, fields and many of the UK's best theatres.
In 2014 I won a prestigious Manchester theatre award for my play Thick as Thieves. I've taken three shows to the Edinburgh festival winning rave reviews along the way. In 2020 our world changed forever as COVID hit. My theatre company "went dark" and I lost my passion for it. On a whim my wife and I bought a motorhome unseen in an auction and in blink of an eye a new obsession began... travel.
To date I have been to most countries in the European union, I have parked up in woods, on cliffs in car parks. I have travelled far and wide until I picked Portugal to put down new roots. But even that wasn't easy, where do you live in a foreign land? The answer is you go out in the motorhome and look, so that's what we did. From the mountains in the north through the midlands and into Algarve we travelled for two years until we discovered Tomar.
We bought our home in 2025 and because I needed to find work I started studying Tomar's rich history and researching the stories about Templar Knights, Portuguese kings and how Portugal once discovered the world. With my background in performance and storytelling I began take travellers around Tomar sharing not only the history, but Portugal's culture too. This is what brought me to Voicemap and their excellent team and production values.
On my audio tours I take the role of your friend in whatever city we are in, I like to make you smile and see a place as a real city, not a museum piece. Seeing a place warts and all is what makes the difference between an okay tour and a great tour.
Preview Location
Preview Location
Location 23
End: The Chapel of Bones
Entrance to the church is 2 euros and it's well worth it, the entrance is the door on the left, every time I've been, there's usually people begging outside. I have never had a problem with them, be polite and cons... Read More
View locations and route
How VoiceMap Works
Major Landmarks
Major Landmarks
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R. da Misericórdia 8
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Arco da Vila
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Casa do Arco do Repouso - Muralhas de Faro
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Igreja de Santa Maria
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Porta nova
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Memorial dos Pescadores Farenses
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Jardim Manuel Bivar
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Chapel of Bones of Faro
Getting There
Getting There
Route Overview
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Start locationR. da Misericórdia 8, 8000-168 Faro, Portugal
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Total distance2km
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Final locationLargo do Carmo 21, 8000-148 Faro, Portugal
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Distance back to start location588.69m
Directions to Starting Point
This tour begins at the Arco da Vila, R. da Misericórdia 8, 8000-168 Faro.
A very fancy archway that leads to the old town. It's next to the marina and a lovely gardens which is home to the bandstand.
Show Directions
Tips
Tips
Places to stop along the way
The sea gate and pier is a great place for coffee and to look at the ocean. At the arco do Repousol there is a lovely restaurant/café. When you get to the Comur, the canning company, you'll have lots of choice.
Best time of day
To get the best out of this tour aim for between 10am and 1pm then 2pm to 5pm. Everything will be open then.
Precautions
Faro is a very safe city. All I'd suggest is sunblock, a good pair of walking shoes and maybe a drink.
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Questions and Reviews
Questions and Reviews
