Shopping Guide to Faro, Portugal: Discover the Best Stores and Markets august 22, 2024 – Posted in: Portugal, Travel – Tags: Algarve, Faro, Holiday, Portugal, Shopping, Souvenirs, Vacation
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Top Shopping Destinations in Faro
If you’re planning to shop in Faro, here are the best tips for stores and pedestrian streets in this charming coastal town. Faro, the main city of the Algarve Coast, has always been known for its excellent shopping options.
Just behind the waterfront promenade, you’ll find winding streets and squares where local markets and shops share space with international brands. Faro offers clothing and shoes at affordable prices, and you can also pick up a local ceramic souvenir featuring beautiful Portuguese patterns.
The Best Shopping Streets in Faro
One of the city’s most popular shopping areas is the old town, where narrow streets lead to small shops selling everything from crafts and souvenirs to locally produced goods like ceramics, leather items, and jewelry.
Another popular destination for shopping enthusiasts is Rua de Santo António, known for its trendy stores, cafes, and galleries. Here you can find everything from well-known chain stores to local artisans.
Markets in Faro
Don’t miss the local food market, Mercado Municipal de Faro. The market is a 15-minute walk from the waterfront promenade and is open every morning until 2 PM. If you want to take home some fresh fish for grilling, be sure to arrive early!
Additionally, on the 2nd Sunday of each month, there is a Gypsy Market from 8 AM to 4 PM. Here you can buy inexpensive rubber shoes, second-hand clothing, and antiques.
Shopping Centers and Malls in Faro
For those who prefer modern shopping malls and stores, Faro offers excellent shopping opportunities. Forum Algarve is a massive mall that provides a vast selection of shops, restaurants, and entertainment all under one roof. Here, you can find everything from fashion and electronics to dining options and cinemas.
Opening Hours in Faro
In Faro, large supermarkets are open from 9 AM and often stay open until 10 PM, seven days a week. Most shops and smaller supermarkets are open Monday to Saturday from 9 AM to 6 or 7 PM. Many also close for lunch from 1 PM to 3 PM.
Remember to check the calendar for public holidays in Portugal, when everything is closed.
Souvenirs – What to Bring Home from Faro?
A fun and very personal souvenir can be found at the sardine can store The Fantastic World of the Portuguese Sardine. In this festive and colorful store, you can purchase canned fish with the perfect date for your loved one. Enjoy the store itself, which is decorated with shop fixtures from the previous century.
If you’re looking for a local and thoroughly delightful souvenir, visit the souvenir shop just around the corner on Rua da Marinha. Portugal has a long and proud tradition of handmade and hand-painted ceramics, and in this store, you will find mugs, plates, and hand-painted tiles – all featuring fish. In Portugal, fish is both a worldly symbol of wealth and abundance and an important element in the Catholic faith.
If you are looking for larger quantities of azulejos, the beautiful Portuguese tiles, we have a great tip! We searched the internet extensively for a place where we could buy whole boxes of these lovely tiles and eventually found a tile store a little north of the large shopping mall. At MarcosMat, they have EVERYTHING you could wish for in Portuguese tiles, Spanish azulejos sevillanos, tiles, and mosaics. The tiles are mass-produced, so the price is significantly lower, and you can purchase them by the box.
Where to Stay in Faro?
Whether you’re spending a vacation in Faro or just passing through on your way further along the Algarve coast, it’s good to know about the top hotels in Faro. We stayed at two hotels right by the waterfront and marina: Hotel EVA Senses and Hotel Faro & Beach Club. Both offer a vibrant city atmosphere throughout the day and are very close to the marina and pedestrian streets where all the action happens. Both hotels are a 5-10 minute walk from the Faro train and bus stations.
Hotel EVA Senses
Hotel EVA Senses stands prominently above the marina and lively waterfront with its many bars and cafes. Here, you’ll be right in the heart of the city, just a few minutes’ walk from the pedestrian streets and museums. And don’t miss the hotel’s infinity pool on the roof! Relax with a cocktail on the rooftop terrace while enjoying the stunning views over the Ria Formosa lagoon.
And get ready to enjoy breakfast! The breakfast buffet stretches endlessly through the room, and from the large, beautiful space, you’ll also have the most fantastic view, complemented by popular melodies from the pianist at the grand piano. It’s so delightful that you might just have room for one more Pastel de nata!
Hotel Faro & Beach Club
Just across from the waterfront and still offering splendid views over the lagoon is Hotel Faro & Beach Club. The beautifully light rooms are newly decorated in a modern style, and during our stay in 2024, there was no noise from the street. Like Hotel EVA, the breakfast here is also excellent – with everything you could wish for, including freshly baked bread, fresh fruit, and small cakes. However, Hotel Faro has one advantage over Hotel EVA: from the bar on the rooftop terrace, you can look directly into the stork nest where the stork mother was tending her chicks when we visited!
If you’re not into the large rooftop pool or spa facilities, the hotel also offers a shuttle service to their beach club during the summer season.
Which Hotel Should You Choose?
We will definitely return to the Algarve coast and look forward to visiting Faro again. Whether we stay at Hotel EVA Senses or Hotel Faro & Beach Club next time is secondary, as both hotels offer excellent standards, breakfast, and locations.
There are many other great hotels in Faro, which you can explore by clicking here: hotels in Faro. You can also conduct your own search for hotels in Faro right here: