Faro airport is not unfamiliar with Brits looking to enjoy the fruits of the Algarve. But, all too often, the historic Old Town is ignored in favour of the all-inclusive resorts up the road.
Not fancying cocktails-on-tap, full-to-the-brim buffets and relaxation-impeding splash parks myself, I book a one-night round trip for just £80, to what feels like one of Portugal’s most overlooked gems.
And I’m pleasantly surprised.
Instead of following a line of mini-buses plastered with names of resorts that have spawned across the coastline of the Algarve, I jump in a €4 (£4.61) Uber straight to the beach.
Cheap – but it’s hardly surprising when the journey from the airport to the beach takes just five minutes.
Feeling well prepared, having changed into my bikini and given myself a healthy slathering of SPF50 on the flight, I’m primed and ready to squeeze the most out of my 24-hour holiday.
Somehow, I’m through border control, in the car and have a pint in hand in minutes – and I happily sink into the sands of Praia de Faro, with the scent of runway tarmac still lingering.
Towel chucked down, under-the-seat rucksack precariously positioned as my pillow, I sip on the €2.50 (£2.17) pint of Sagres I bought from one of the trendy bars and terraced restaurants that are drip-fed along the beach.
Layla Nicholson was left pleasantly surprised by her 24-trip to Faro Old Town, one of ‘Portugal’s most overlooked gems’
Known locally as Cidade Velha, Faro Old Town is the historic heart of the Algarve’s capital
Layla wasted no time in making her way to the beach from the airport – a journey that took just five minutes and cost £4.61 in an Uber
While it appears I’m not alone in my method, I’m able to enjoy the 30C heat, cheap booze, consistent waves brushing onto the sands and the ease of reaching this idyllic view, without it being swarmed by too many holidaygoers. Just a few miles down the road, you couldn’t say the same thing.
‘What a slice of heaven,’ I mumble to my friends. And, what I can only describe as a case of manifestation delivered by the holiday Gods, a man ever so impressively carrying a cooler box on his shoulder pauses in front of us.
‘Want to try?’, he asks, before, in a very heavenly manner, pulling out a Malassada (or Bolas de Berlim) – a golden brown Portuguese fried doughnut covered in sugar and injected with custard – and kindly giving us one for our group to share.
We pick at it like a trio of gluttonous pigeons.
But, it’s time to actually consume something other than free doughnuts from lovely Portuguese men and cheap booze from beach bar pop-ups.
Sporting a different – and slightly red – complexion from when I first started my day at Stansted in the early hours of the morning, I find respite at Faro Central Holiday Apartments – which features a sun terrace perfect for after-beach crisp consumption.
Just tucked away a few minutes walk into the heart of Old Town, the location is of perfect convenience.
I notice it’s a repeated theme here in Faro Old Town, known locally as Cidade Velha, small enough to feel intimate and easy – but also big enough to not feel too dense.
A panoramic view of Praia dos Pescadores in Albufeira at sunset in the Algarve
At the beach, Layla and her travel companions tucked into free Portuguese fried doughnuts that they had been given
While sunbathing, Layla settled down with a refreshing €2.50 (£2.17) pint of Sagres she bought from one of the trendy bars and terraced restaurants that are drip-fed along the beach
After teasing my stomach with a hefty selection of European supermarket crisps, I find myself lured outside by the gorgeous medieval architecture, cobbled streets, abundant greenery attached to public squares and pastel buildings drenched by the persistent sun.
Yet, of course, it must set – and I’m glad it does. Finding myself at the beautiful Faro marina at golden hour is like stepping into a postcard.
Boats sit dormant as the sun creeps closer to the horizon, palm trees stand tall as locals congregate for al fresco wine and tapas adjacent to the harbour.
It only leaves me – and my stomach – yearning for more of Faro. Before I feast on whatever the other side of the medieval walls has on offer, I watch the last of the orange hue deplete from a small pier tucked just across from the coastal rail line, located left of the marina.
My friends and I are joined by a handful of others – couples, small friendship groups and solo sunset lovers. It’s a far cry from watching the sunset smothered by overtourism down the road, though I’m frequently reminded of it by the constant stream of planes above.
Now that my eyes have eaten, it’s time to actually feed the rest of me. I go through the ancient Gate of Rest, or The Arco do Repouso, which is one of the oldest monuments in Faro, believed to have been built as early as the 12th century.
Weaving the streets, part decorated with street art, part scribbled with graffiti, I find myself at the Old Tavern, promising traditional Portuguese cuisine.
Sporadically placed tables covered with red and white gingham cloth provide not nearly enough space for the excellent tapas food advertised on the chalk board I had to lean towards to order.
Later, Layla spent some time exploring historic landmarks across the town, like the Arco do Repouso, one of the oldest monuments in Faro
A quiet and colourful street in Faro’s Old Town
Spicy sausage that comes alight, like the foodie version of a VIP club bottle of vodka, octopus salad and golden prawns go down nicely with a glass of sangria. And, later, a sip of port, when in Rome – am I right?
After a short walk back to the apartment, a long slumber in bed and a brief acquaintance with a pastel del nata, bought from one of the many bakeries below, the following day arises.
Although I must soon leave my one-nighter trip to Faro, I managed to squeeze in a quick visit to the Bone Chapel, or Capela dos Ossos, where more than 1,200 monk skeletons have been meticulously put on display.
Slightly creeped out and reminded of the inevitably of death, I decide that I need to make the most of life – and my 24-hour holiday.
Back to the bliss of Praia de Faro until my 8pm flight.
Not wanting my holiday to end, I take some of it with me – quite literally. Hair slightly damp, I take a £3 bus ride to Faro airport straight from the beach.
I clutch onto my holiday as grains of sand simultaneously cling onto my skin, entering back into the chaos of one of Portugal’s busiest airports.
Faro Old Town wields the authenticity of the Algarve, without the fierce commercial coating that much of the rest of the region has bowed down to. A juxtaposition of a destination for sure.
It’s unpolished, with some of the pastel buildings being maimed with graffiti. But, it only adds to the appeal – it feels lived in.
A little rough around the edges? Perhaps. A hidden gem of the Algarve? Absolutely.
