Faro, Portugal

{{Quote box |width=25em |align=left |title_bg=#B0C4DE

|title=Timeline of Faro
Historical affiliations

|fontsize=80% |quote={{flagicon image|Vexilloid of the Roman Empire.svg}} Roman Empire 206 a.C.–411

{{flagicon image|}} Alans 411–560

{{flagicon image|Golden Greek cross and discs of the Byzantine Empire.svg}} Byzantine Empire 560–624

{{flagicon image|}} Visigothic Kingdom 624-711

{{flagicon image|}} Umayyad Caliphate 711-756

{{flagicon image|}} Emirate of Córdoba 756-929

{{flagicon image|}} Caliphate of Córdoba 929-1018

{{flagicon image|}} Taifa of Santa Maria do Algarve 1018-1051

{{flagicon image|}} Taifa of Seville 1051-1091

{{flagicon image|}} Almoravid dynasty 1091-1145

{{flagicon image|}} Taifa of Badajoz 1145-1155

{{flagicon image|Flag of Almohad Dynasty.svg}} Almohad Caliphate 1155-1249

{{flagicon image|PortugueseFlag1248.svg}} Kingdom of Portugal 1249-1580

{{flagicon image|Flag of Cross of Burgundy.svg}} Iberian Union 1580-1640

{{flagicon image|Flag of Portugal (1640).svg}} Kingdom of Portugal 1640-1910

{{flag|Portugal}} 1910-present

}}

File:FaroKesklinn.jpg]]

File:Faro Portugal 2.jpg

The Ria Formosa lagoon attracted humans from the Palaeolithic age until the end of prehistory. The first settlements date from the fourth century BC, during the period of Phoenician colonization of the western Mediterranean.{{citation |url=http://www.cm-faro.pt/menu/78/faro-na-historia.aspx |title=História |location=Faro (Algarve), Portugal |language=pt |year=2015 |publisher=Câmara Municipal de Faro |editor=Câmara Municipal}} At the time, the area was known as Ossonoba, and was the most important urban centre of southern Portugal and commercial port for agricultural products, fish, and minerals.

Between the second and eighth centuries, the city was under the domain of the Romans, then the Byzantines, and later Visigoths, before being conquered by the Arabic-speaking Muslims known as Moors in 713. From the third century onwards and during the Visigothic period, it was the site of an Episcopal see, the Ancient Diocese of Ossonoba (306-688). The Byzantine presence has endured in the [http://www.cm-faro.pt/3382/byzantine-towers.aspx city walls' towers] that were built during the Byzantine period.

With the advent of Moorish rule in the eighth century, Ossonoba retained its status as the most important town in the southwest corner of the Iberian Peninsula. In the 9th century, after a revoltA revolta dos Muladis de Xantamarya Al-Gharb (Histórias de Portugal em Marrocos) https://historiasdeportugalemarrocos.com/2014/02/03/a-revolta-dos-muladis-de-xantamarya-al-gharb/ led by Yahia Ben Bakr who was succeeded in office by his son, Bakr Ben Yahia, it became the capital of a short-lived princedom and was fortified with a ring of defensive walls. At this time, in the 10th century, the name Santa Maria began to be used instead of Ossonoba. By the 11th century, the town was known as Santa Maria Ibn Harun.

During the Second Crusade soon after the Anglo-Norman forces took Lisbon in 1147 a detachment of this group sacked Faro, which was still by then under Muslim rule, on their way to the Holy Land.

Again in 1217, during the Fifth Crusade, a Frisian fleet of crusaders on their way to Acre, sacked and burned the city.Villegas-Aristizábal, Lucas, "A Frisian Perspective on Crusading in Iberia as Part of the Sea Journey to the Holy Land, 1217–1218," Studies in Medieval and Renaissance History, 3rd Series 15 (2018, Pub. 2021): 88-149. https://www.academia.edu/37460772/A_Frisian_Perspective_on_Crusading_in_Iberia_as_part_of_the_Sea_Journey_to_the_Holy_Land_1217_1218

During the 500 years of Moorish rule, some Jewish residents of Faro made written copies of the Old Testament. The Moors were defeated and expelled in 1249 by the forces of the Portuguese King Afonso III. With the decline of the importance of the city of Silves (which was made the regional bishopric as Diocese of Silves shortly during and properly after the Reconquista), Faro took over the role of administration of the Algarve area.

File:Faro03LB.jpg

File:Faro Largo da Sé R01.jpg

File:Palácio de Estói - Portugal (14008045599).jpg with its mixture of Renaissance and Baroque styles]]

After Portuguese independence in 1143, Afonso Henriques and his successors began an expansion and Christian repopulation into the southern Iberian territory which had previously been occupied by the Moors. Following the conquest by D. Afonso III, in 1249, the Portuguese referred to the town as Santa Maria de Faaron or Santa Maria de Faaram. In the following years, the town became prosperous, due to its secure port and exploitation of salt. Consequently, by the beginning of the Portuguese Age of Discovery, the town was well positioned to become a leading commercial centre.

In the 14th century, the Jewish community began to grow in importance. In 1487, Samuel Gacon began printing the Pentateuco in Hebrew, the first book printed in Portugal. The Jewish community of Faro had long been a dominant force in the region, with many artisans and merchants contributing heavily to the economy and city development, but this level of prosperity was interrupted in December 1496 by an edict of Manuel I of Portugal, expelling those who did not convert to Christianity. As a result, officially, Jews no longer remained in Portugal. In the place of the Jewish village of Vila Adentro, the convent of Nossa Senhora da Assunção was founded and patronised by Queen Leonor, wife of the king.

Manuel I promoted the development and expansion of the city; 1499 had the construction of a hospital, the Church of Espírito Santo (or Church of the Misericórdia), a customshouse, and a slaughterhouse, all near the shoreline.

By 1540, John III of Portugal had elevated Faro to the status of city, then in 1577, the bishopric of the Algarve was transferred from Silves, which retains a co-cathedral, to the present Diocese of Faro.

In 1597, the city was sacked by English privateers led by Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex. The resultant fires damaged the walls, churches, and other buildings. At the same time, English troops seized the library of the Bishop of Faro, then Fernando Martins de Mascarenhas, which eventually became part of the collection of the University of Oxford's Bodleian Library. Among the looted books was the first printed book in Portugal: a Torah in local Hebrew (Judeo-Español), printed by Samuel Gacon at his workshop in Faro.

Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the city was expanded, with a series of walls during the period of the Restoration Wars (1640–1668), encompassing the semicircular front to the Ria Formosa.

The western city of Lagos had become the capital of the historical province of Algarve in 1577, but this all changed with the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. It affected many settlements across the Algarve, including Faro, which suffered damage to churches, convents (specifically the Convent of São Francisco and Convent of Santa Clara), and the episcopal palace, in addition to the walls, castle towers and bulwarks, barracks, guardhouses, warehouses, customshouses, and prison.

Much of the greater devastation across the coastal and lowland regions was caused by a tsunami, which dismantled fortresses and razed homes. Almost all the coastal towns and villages of the Algarve were heavily damaged by the tsunami, except Faro, protected by the sandy banks of the Ria Formosa lagoon. With the capital Lagos devastated, Faro became the administrative seat of the region the following year, 1756.

File:Vista aerea de Faro, Portugal - 12.04.2023.jpg

File:Ria Formosa D8S-85.jpgs on Ria Formosa]]

The municipality of Faro is divided into two distinct areas, the coastline, part of the Parque Natural da Ria Formosa (Nature Park of Ria Formosa) and the barrocal, characterized by hills and valleys, populated with typical Algarvan vegetation.{{citation |url=http://www.cm-faro.pt/menu/719/natureza.aspx|title=Natureza|location=Faro, Portugal|language=pt|year=2015|publisher=Câmara Municipal de Faro |editor=Câmara Municipal}}

The nature park was created by Decree-Law 373/87, on 8 December 1987, and is considered one of the seven natural wonders of Portugal, with a beach that is around {{convert|7|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} from the downtown. It includes the river and a lagoon system, interspersed with dunes, forming a small islands and peninsulas, that protect a large area of marshes, channels, and islets. The beaches in Faro are situated on the peninsula of Ancão and island of Culatra, along the corridor of the nature park.{{citation |url=http://www.cm-faro.pt/menu/483/praias.aspx |title=Praias |location=Faro, Portugal |language=pt |year=2015 |publisher=Câmara Municipal de Faro |editor=Câmara Municipal}} The park is a rich and complex aquatic ecosystem, consisting of barrier islands, marshes, and channels, comprising sandy shorelines that separate the waters of the Ria Formosa and Atlantic Ocean. The beaches of Faro and Barrinha/Barra de São Luís, are located on the Ancão peninsula, the beach of Barreta on the Ilha Deserta, and the beaches of Farol and Culatra are located on the Ilha Culatra. The barrier islands are separated by tidal flats and shallows, including (from west to east) the Barra do Ancão/Barra de São Luís, the Barra de Santa Maria/Barra do Farol, and the Barra da Culatra/Barra da Armona (in the municipality of Olhão).

Annually, many species of aquatic migratory birds transient northern Europe and nest there during the winter. These include flamingos, terns, pied avocets, Eurasian wigeons, and common chaffinches.

Within the town are gardens and open spaces, among which are the Manuel Bivar Garden, Alameda João de Deus Garden, and the Mata do Liceu.

The variety of species and natural conditions result in the region being a popular ecotourism zone, promoting birdwatching, boating trips into the delta, kayaking along the Ria Formosa, pedestrian trails, and biking tours, accompanied by nature guides. The municipality is crossed by the southern Ecovia do Algarve, a bicycling circuit that connects the Algarve to the rest of Europe.

Faro has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa), moderated by a transitioning Portugal-Canary current giving a certain resemblance to Southern California that is not heated in the summer by the Mediterranean Sea like Algarve. Given this region is highly susceptible to the difference of precipitation throughout the seasons of the year, in the future scarcity of water could appear in conjunction with the increase of temperature and less incidence of rains.

Summers are warm to hot and sunny with average daytime maximum temperatures of {{convert|27|–|35|C|F}}. Summer warmth can linger well into October. The weather in the winter is generally mild by European standards, managing around 6 hours of sunshine each day, with temperatures averaging around {{convert|8|-|16|C|F}} in the coldest month. The city receives most of its rainfall over the winter; rain is scarce between June and September. The annual average temperature is around {{convert|17.5|to|18.5|°C|1}}, however it is becoming hotter and hotter, reaching as high as {{convert|19.3|C|F}} in 2023, with average temperatures since 2010 or even since 1994 being around {{convert|18|-|19|C|F}},{{cite web | url=https://www.pordata.pt/portugal/temperatura+media+do+ar+(media+anual)-1067-10165 | title=Temperatura média do ar (Média anual) }}{{cite web | url=https://www.ine.pt/xportal/xmain?xpid=INE&xpgid=ine_indicadores&indOcorrCod=0009895&contexto=bd&selTab=tab2 | title=Statistics Portugal – Web Portal }} and the annual rainfall is around {{convert|500|mm|2|}}, however in recent years, rainfall has diminished, even reaching as low as {{convert|178.6|mm|in|2|disp=or}} in 2019,{{cite web | url=https://www.pordata.pt/portugal/precipitacao+total-1070-10195 | title=Precipitação total }} with the average yearly rainfall from 2017 to 2021 being closer to {{convert|350|mm|in|0|disp=or}}. The average sea temperature is {{convert|16|-|17|C|F}} in January rising to {{convert|22|-|24|C|F}} in August and September. Higher sea water temperatures are reached if the weather patterns produce a significant outflow of warmer surface water out of the Mediterranean which bathe the coastal Algarve with much warmer water.{{Cite journal|last1=Berte|first1=Elena|last2=Panagopoulos|first2=Thomas|date=2014-07-03|title=Enhancing city resilience to climate change by means of ecosystem services improvement: a SWOT analysis for the city of Faro, Portugal|journal=International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development|language=en|volume=6|issue=2|pages=241–253|doi=10.1080/19463138.2014.953536|s2cid=153909896|issn=1946-3138|doi-access=free}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.seatemperature.org/europe/|title=Europe sea temperatures {{!}} Sea Temperatures|last=Ltd|first=Copyright Global Sea Temperatures-A.-Connect|website=seatemperature.org|language=en|access-date=2019-04-19}} During the summer months, tropical nights are common and, on average, Faro has 37 tropical nights per year, which is the highest in Portugal.{{Cite web |title=Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera |url=https://www.ipma.pt/pt/oclima/normais.clima/1981-2010/#554 |access-date=2024-01-28 |website=www.ipma.pt}} Faro has the highest minimum temperature ever recorded in Portugal, which was {{Convert|32|C|F}} on 26 July 2004.{{Cite web |title=Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera |url=https://www.ipma.pt/pt/oclima/extremos.clima/ |access-date=2024-01-28 |website=www.ipma.pt}}

With over 3000 hours of sunshine a year, Faro is often regarded as one of the sunniest cities in Europe, alongside nearby Tavira.{{cite web|url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/galleries/worlds-sunniest-destinations/faro/|title = The sunniest places on Earth|work = The Daily Telegraph|location=London}}{{cite journal|title = Recent spatial and temporal variability and trends of sunshine duration over the Iberian Peninsula from a homogenized data set|year = 2007|publisher = Arturo Sanchez‐Lorenzo, Michele Brunetti, Josep Calbó, Javier Martin‐Vide|doi = 10.1029/2007JD008677|last1 = Sanchez-Lorenzo|first1 = Arturo|last2 = Brunetti|first2 = Michele|last3 = Calbó|first3 = Josep|last4 = Martin-Vide|first4 = Javier|journal = Journal of Geophysical Research|volume = 112|issue = D20|pages = D20115|bibcode = 2007JGRD..11220115S|doi-access = free}}{{cite journal|url = https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1029/2008JD011394|title = Dimming/brightening over the Iberian Peninsula: Trends in sunshine duration and cloud cover and their relations with atmospheric circulation|year = 2009|publisher = Arturo Sanchez-Lorenzo, Josep Calbó, Michele Brunetti, Clara Deser|doi = 10.1029/2008JD011394|last1 = Sanchez‐Lorenzo|first1 = Arturo|last2 = Calbó|first2 = Josep|last3 = Brunetti|first3 = Michele|last4 = Deser|first4 = Clara|journal = Journal of Geophysical Research|volume = 114|issue = D10|pages = D00D09|bibcode = 2009JGRD..114.0D09S}} July and August have the most sunshine, while December has the least.

{{Weather box

| location = Faro (FAO), 1981-2010 normals, extremes 1981–present, sun hours 1971-1995

| metric first = yes

| single line = yes

| Jan record high C = 22.1

| Feb record high C = 24.7

| Mar record high C = 28.9

| Apr record high C = 30.3

| May record high C = 34.1

| Jun record high C = 37.5

| Jul record high C = 44.3

| Aug record high C = 39.9

| Sep record high C = 37.4

| Oct record high C = 33.3

| Nov record high C = 28.6

| Dec record high C = 24.0

| year record high C = 44.3

| Jan high C = 16.1

| Feb high C = 16.9

| Mar high C = 19.1

| Apr high C = 20.4

| May high C = 22.8

| Jun high C = 26.4

| Jul high C = 29.2

| Aug high C = 28.8

| Sep high C = 26.6

| Oct high C = 23.2

| Nov high C = 19.6

| Dec high C = 17.0

| year high C = 22.2

| Jan mean C = 12.0

| Feb mean C = 12.8

| Mar mean C = 14.8

| Apr mean C = 16.1

| May mean C = 18.4

| Jun mean C = 21.9

| Jul mean C = 24.2

| Aug mean C = 24.1

| Sep mean C = 22.3

| Oct mean C = 19.3

| Nov mean C = 15.7

| Dec mean C = 13.3

| year mean C = 17.9

| Jan low C = 7.9

| Feb low C = 8.7

| Mar low C = 10.5

| Apr low C = 11.8

| May low C = 14.0

| Jun low C = 17.3

| Jul low C = 19.1

| Aug low C = 19.4

| Sep low C = 18.0

| Oct low C = 15.3

| Nov low C = 11.7

| Dec low C = 9.6

| year low C = 13.6

| Jan record low C = -1.2

| Feb record low C = -1.2

| Mar record low C = 2.3

| Apr record low C = 3.6

| May record low C = 6.7

| Jun record low C = 8.0

| Jul record low C = 11.9

| Aug record low C = 13.1

| Sep record low C = 9.9

| Oct record low C = 7.8

| Nov record low C = 2.7

| Dec record low C = 1.2

| year record low C = -1.2

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation mm = 59.7

| Feb precipitation mm = 52.0

| Mar precipitation mm = 39.4

| Apr precipitation mm = 38.8

| May precipitation mm = 21.6

| Jun precipitation mm = 4.3

| Jul precipitation mm = 1.8

| Aug precipitation mm = 3.9

| Sep precipitation mm = 22.5

| Oct precipitation mm = 60.6

| Nov precipitation mm = 91.2

| Dec precipitation mm = 115.8

| year precipitation mm = 511.6

| Jan sun = 182.1

| Feb sun = 172.0

| Mar sun = 242.6

| Apr sun = 253.6

| May sun = 305.0

| Jun sun = 326.9

| Jul sun = 360.6

| Aug sun = 344.9

| Sep sun = 279.1

| Oct sun = 227.0

| Nov sun = 191.6

| Dec sun = 159.0

| Jan percentsun = 59

| Feb percentsun = 56

| Mar percentsun = 65

| Apr percentsun = 64

| May percentsun = 68

| Jun percentsun = 74

| Jul percentsun = 81

| Aug percentsun = 82

| Sep percentsun = 75

| Oct percentsun = 65

| Nov percentsun = 63

| Dec percentsun = 53

| source 1 = IPMA{{cite web|url=https://www.ipma.pt/bin/file.data/climate-normal/cn_81-10_FARO.pdf |title=IPMA – 008 |publisher=Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera |access-date=2015-07-10}}{{cite web |title=Faro 1971-1995 normals (sunshine) |url=https://www.ipma.pt/bin/file.data/climate-normal/cn_71-00_FARO.pdf |publisher=IPMA |access-date=4 February 2021}}

| source =

}}

{{Weather box

| width = 100%

| collapsed = Y

| open =

| metric first = y

| single line = y

| location = Faro (FAO), elevation: {{convert|8|m|abbr=on|disp=or}}, 1961-1990 normals and extremes

| Jan mean C =11.9

| Feb mean C =12.6

| Mar mean C =13.7

| Apr mean C =15.1

| May mean C =17.5

| Jun mean C =20.6

| Jul mean C =23.3

| Aug mean C =23.4

| Sep mean C =21.8

| Oct mean C =18.7

| Nov mean C =15.1

| Dec mean C =12.7

| Jan high C =16.1

| Feb high C =16.7

| Mar high C =18.4

| Apr high C =19.8

| May high C =22.4

| Jun high C =25.4

| Jul high C =28.7

| Aug high C =28.8

| Sep high C =26.7

| Oct high C =23.1

| Nov high C =19.4

| Dec high C =16.7

| Jan record high C =22.4

| Feb record high C =25.6

| Mar record high C =27.4

| Apr record high C =28.3

| May record high C =33.8

| Jun record high C =36.7

| Jul record high C =39.8

| Aug record high C =39.4

| Sep record high C =37.4

| Oct record high C =33.3

| Nov record high C =28.8

| Dec record high C =25.4

| Jan low C =7.7

| Feb low C =8.4

| Mar low C =8.9

| Apr low C =10.4

| May low C =12.5

| Jun low C =15.7

| Jul low C =17.9

| Aug low C =18.0

| Sep low C =16.9

| Oct low C =14.3

| Nov low C =10.9

| Dec low C =8.6

| Jan record low C =-1.2

| Feb record low C =-1.2

| Mar record low C =1.8

| Apr record low C =3.6

| May record low C =5.6

| Jun record low C =7.4

| Jul record low C =10.5

| Aug record low C =11.6

| Sep record low C =10.2

| Oct record low C =6.0

| Nov record low C =2.2

| Dec record low C =-1.4

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation mm =78

| Feb precipitation mm =72

| Mar precipitation mm =39

| Apr precipitation mm =38

| May precipitation mm =21

| Jun precipitation mm =8

| Jul precipitation mm =1

| Aug precipitation mm =4

| Sep precipitation mm =14

| Oct precipitation mm =67

| Nov precipitation mm =86

| Dec precipitation mm =94

|Jan humidity = 77

|Feb humidity = 77

|Mar humidity = 71

|Apr humidity = 68

|May humidity = 64

|Jun humidity = 65

|Jul humidity = 60

|Aug humidity = 60

|Sep humidity = 65

|Oct humidity = 71

|Nov humidity = 75

|Dec humidity = 77

|Jan sun = 172

|Feb sun = 165

|Mar sun = 234

|Apr sun = 251

|May sun = 314

|Jun sun = 332

|Jul sun = 368

|Aug sun = 352

|Sep sun = 273

|Oct sun = 226

|Nov sun = 182

|Dec sun = 167

| unit precipitation days = 1 mm

| Jan precipitation days =8

| Feb precipitation days =9

| Mar precipitation days =5

| Apr precipitation days =6

| May precipitation days =3

| Jun precipitation days =1

| Jul precipitation days =trace

| Aug precipitation days =1

| Sep precipitation days =2

| Oct precipitation days =6

| Nov precipitation days =7

| Dec precipitation days =8

| source = NOAA{{cite web

| url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_VI/PO/08554.TXT

| title = Faro (08554) – WMO Weather Station

| access-date = 28 March 2019

| publisher = NOAA}}

}}

File:Portugal_M_Suessen-2266.jpg

Administratively, the municipality is divided into four civil parishes (freguesias):{{cite web|title=Law nr. 11-A/2013, page 552 48|url=http://dre.pt/pdf1sdip/2013/01/01901/0000200147.pdf |access-date=22 July 2014|author=Diário da República|language=pt|author-link=Diário da República }}

• Faro (Sé e São Pedro)
• Conceição e Estoi
• Montenegro
• Santa Bárbara de Nexe

{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Portugal}}

Faro is twinned with:{{cite web |title=Geminações|url=https://www.cm-faro.pt/pt/menu/292/geminacoes.aspx|website=cm-faro.pt|publisher=Faro|language=pt|access-date=2019-12-11}}

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}

• {{flagicon|GNB}} Bolama, Guinea-Bissau
• {{flagicon|CHN}} Haikou, China
• {{flagicon|USA}} Hayward, United States
• {{flagicon|ESP}} Huelva, Spain
• {{flagicon|MOZ}} Maxixe, Mozambique
• {{flagicon|CPV}} Praia, Cape Verde
• {{flagicon|STP}} Príncipe, São Tomé and Príncipe
• {{flagicon|MAR}} Tangier, Morocco

{{div col end}}

File:Faro Airport 2021.jpg]]

File:Alfa Pendular Series 4000 No 4005 (11952353213).jpg train at Faro railway station ]]

Faro is served by a transport network connecting it to the Algarve, and by extension, other European markets. Faro is about 3 hours and 30 minutes by air from the principal European destinations. By car, it is about 2 hours and 30 minutes from Lisbon, along the A2, and less than 1 hour from Andalusia, along the A22.{{citation |url=http://www.cm-faro.pt/menu/477/como-chegar.aspx |title=Como Chegar |location=Faro, Portugal |language=pt |year=2015 |publisher=Câmara Municipal de Faro |editor=Câmara Municipal}}

Faro international Airport managed, as of 2024, nearly 10 million passengers,{{cite web |title=VINCI Airports - Traffic as of December 31, 2024 |url=https://en.newsroom.vinci-airports.com/news/vinci-airports-traffic-as-of-december-31-2024-0e435-46ae7.html| date=16 January 2025 | access-date=17 January 2025}} with 45 airlines serving this airport, including many low-cost airlines.{{citation |url=http://www.cm-faro.pt/416/aeroporto.aspx |title=Aeroporto |location=Faro, Portugal |language=pt |year=2015 |publisher=Câmara Municipal de Faro |editor=Câmara Municipal}} In recent years, the number of visitors travelling through the airport has increased as more and more low-cost airlines compete to offer cheap flights to the Algarve. The transport facilities to and from Faro airport and the centre of Faro include taxicabs and a bus line.

Faro is served by the centrally located Faro railway station, and a smaller halt in the east of the city at Bom João.{{citation |url=http://www.cm-faro.pt/413/transporte-ferroviario.aspx |title=Transporte Ferroviário |location=Faro, Portugal|language=pt|year=2015|publisher=Câmara Municipal de Faro |editor=Câmara Municipal}} The main station is operated by the national railway operator Comboios de Portugal (CP), which operates the Alfa Pendular, Intercidades and CP Regional routes, as well as a special service during the summer, the InterRegional line. The Alfa Pendular service connects Faro to the North and terminates in Porto. The Intercidades and InterRegional services connect Faro to Lisbon. The CP Regional service operates across the east and west Algarve and connects Faro to Lagos in the west Algarve, and Vila Real de Santo António in the east Algarve. Bom João is only served by the CP Regional trains heading east. Despite the proximity of Seville, it is not connected by train.[https://wetravelportugal.com/trains-algarve/ Trains in the Algarve]. wetravelportugal.com. Retrieved 20 April 2020.

The town is served by a public transport network that include minibuses, local bus lines, and regional services across the Algarve.

Due to its position along the coast, a need exists to connect the shoreline communities with the outlying with various islands; with the exception of the island of Faro, most are accessible only by boat service.{{citation |url=http://www.cm-faro.pt/421/barcos-para-as-ilhas.aspx |title=Barco para ilhas |location=Faro, Portugal |language=pt |year=2015 |publisher=Câmara Municipal de Faro |editor=Câmara Municipal}} Throughout the year (from the commercial wharf or Portas do Mar wharf, depending on the time of year), regular and tourist services are operated along the estuary.

{{See also|Algarve Metrobus}}

The Algarve Metrobus is a transport project under development which will connect the areas of Faro, Olhão and Loulé together through bus rapid transit. The metrobus will have 24 stops, including the Mar Shopping Algarve, airport, the two campuses of the University of Algarve and Parque das Cidades (Algarve Stadium). All this, on 100% dedicated lines, with frequencies every 12 minutes, during rush hour, and with extended opening hours.{{citation |url=https://www.sulinformacao.pt/2024/02/ccdr-adjudica-estudo-tecnico-do-tracado-base-para-o-metrobus/ |title=Algarve Metrobus |location=Faro, Portugal |language=pt |year=2024 |publisher=Sul informção |editor=Sul informação}}

The Faro city holiday is on 7 September.{{cite web |title=CRÓNICA DE FARO: 7 de Setembro, dia da cidade |url=https://jornaldoalgarve.pt/sms-7-de-setembro-dia-da-cidade/ |website=Jornal do Algarve |access-date=7 May 2021 |language=pt-PT |date=7 September 2019}} The students' festival (Semana Académica da Universidade do Algarve), organized every year by students from the University of the Algarve, is also an important event in Faro.{{cite web |last1=Lemos |first1=Pedro |title=Semana Académica recebeu "mais de 30 mil pessoas" |url=https://www.sulinformacao.pt/2019/05/semana-academica-recebeu-mais-de-30-mil-pessoas-em-festa/ |website=Sul Informação |access-date=7 May 2021 |language=pt-PT |date=14 May 2019}}

The Faro motorcycle club is responsible for one of the largest motorcycle events in Portugal and Europe.{{cite web |title=Concentração internacional de motos |url=https://www.cm-faro.pt/pt/8064/concentracao-internacional-de-motos.aspx |website=cm-faro.pt |access-date=7 May 2021 |language=pt-pt}}

File:Estádio do Algarve.jpg opened for Euro 2004.]]

A 30,000-seat stadium Estádio Algarve, shared by the cities of Faro and Loulé, was one of the venues of the Euro 2004 football championship. Louletano Desportos Clube (a club from the city of Loulé) and Sporting Clube Farense (from Faro) also use smaller municipal stadiums. The stadium is also used for concerts, festivals, and other events.

File:Maria Veleda, 1912.png

File:Cannes 2018 21 - Sara Martins (cropped).jpg

• Bakr Ben Yahia, important Marrano figure in Gharb al-Andalus
• Madragana (born {{circa|1230}}), mistress to king Afonso III of Portugal
• Brites de Almeida (born 1350), known as the Baker of Aljubarrota, a legendary figure and Portuguese heroine whose name is associated with the victory of the Portuguese, against Castilian forces, at the Battle of Aljubarrota in 1385
• Francisco Barreto (1520–1573), soldier, explorer and an officer in Morocco
• José Maria da Ponte e Horta (1824–1892), Portuguese noble, Governor of Angola, Macau and Mozambique
• Sebastião Custódio de Sousa Teles (1847–1921), senior politician and military officer
• Maria Veleda (1871–1955), educator, journalist and activist
• Raul Pires Ferreira Chaves (1889–1967), civil engineer and inventor
• Adelino da Palma Carlos (1905–1992), first Prime Minister of Portugal after the Carnation Revolution of 1974
• Carlos Quintas (born 1951), stage and TV actor and singer[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0704170/ Carlos Quintas, IMDb Database] retrieved 5 June 2021.
• Sara Martins (born 1977), Portuguese-born French actress of Cape Verdean descent[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0554120/ Sara Martins, IMDb Database] retrieved 5 June 2021.
• Diogo Piçarra (born 1990), singer. He won the Portuguese version of Pop Idol in 2012.

• Manuel Balela (born 1956), football coach
• Ana Dias (born 1974), long-distance and marathon runner; four-time Olympian
• Rui Machado (born 1984), retired professional tennis player
• Inês Murta (born 1997), tennis player
• José Rafael (born 1958), retired footballer

;Notes

{{Reflist}}

;Sources

• {{citation |url=http://cms.cm-faro.pt//upload_files/client_id_1/website_id_1/museu/A%20Fortificacao%20Moderna%20nas%20duas%20Cidades%20Portuarias_Faro%20e%20Setubal.pdf |title=A Fortificação Moderna nas duas Cidades Portuárias: Faro e Setúbal |first=Margarida |last=Valla |language=pt |publisher=Câmara Municipal de Faro |location=Faro, Portugal}}

{{Commons category|Faro}}

{{EB1911 poster|Faro (town)}}

{{Wikivoyage|Faro}}

• [http://www.cm-faro.pt Official municipal website] {{in lang|pt}}

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