Where to stay in Faro

The Baixa and Marina strip suits most first-timers, the walled Cidade Velha short atmospheric stays, and Praia de Faro anyone here purely for the sandbar beach.

Written by the Departly editorial team Reviewed against GOV.UK on 10 Jun 2026

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In short

Where to stay in Faro

For a first stop in Faro, stay in the Baixa and Marina strip rather than the old town itself. It is flat, walkable to the Cidade Velha, the train station and the Ria Formosa boat jetties, and it has by far the most rooms. Choose the Cidade Velha for old-town atmosphere on a short stay, Praia de Faro if a sandbar beach is the whole point, and a Montenegro guesthouse only if you have a hire car or a dawn flight.

The short version

Best all-rounder: the Marina and Baixa strip.
Best value: Montenegro and the airport-side suburbs, especially with a car.
Best atmosphere: the Cidade Velha (walled old town).
Best for the beach: Praia de Faro on the Ilha de Faro sandbar.
Avoid using the airport itself as your hotel filter; Faro's centre is a €7-€15 Bolt away and far nicer.

Best areas to book

Marina and Baixa (downtown)

££ mid-range

The flat central strip between the harbour and the pedestrianised Rua de Santo Antonio. It has the most hotels, the Ria Formosa boat jetties, the train and bus stations and the old-town gate all within a five-minute walk. The cleanest first-timer pick: pick a room a street back from the marina front to dodge the pricier waterside rates.

Best for: First-timers, boat trips, no car

Browse hotels Central, by the harbour

Cidade Velha (walled old town)

£££ premium

The historic core inside the Moorish walls, entered through the Arco da Vila: cobbles, orange trees, the cathedral and genuine quiet once the day-trippers leave. Rooms are limited, mostly small guesthouses, and it is the priciest pocket. Choose it for atmosphere on a one or two-night stay, not for choice or value.

Best for: Couples, history, short stays

Browse hotels Old town centre, 5 min walk from the marina

Praia de Faro (Ilha de Faro)

£ value

The thin sandbar beach reached by the number 16 bus or the road bridge. Stay here only if a beach-first, low-key base matters more than restaurants and sights; it is a handful of guesthouses and apartments, it empties out off-season, and you commit to the bus for anything in town.

Best for: Beach-first stays, surfers

Browse hotels 9km / bus 16 from the centre

Montenegro and the airport side

£ value

Quieter suburban guesthouses and apartments between the centre and Faro airport, often better value with parking. Sensible if you have a hire car for an Algarve tour or a dawn flight home, but it is charmless and you will drive or Bolt the 5-10 minutes into the old town for everything.

Best for: Drivers, early departures, value

Browse hotels 5-10 min drive from the centre

Bom Joao and the residential north

£ value

The local apartment district north of the centre, around the Forum Algarve shopping centre. It is cheaper per night and good for self-catering on a longer stay, but it is a 15-20 minute walk or a short bus to the old town and has nothing to draw you out in the evening.

Best for: Longer stays, self-catering, value

Browse hotels 15-20 min walk north of the centre

The simple choice

If you are only in Faro for a night or two before the rest of the Algarve, filter for the Baixa and Marina strip first and only look at the Cidade Velha if you specifically want to wake up inside the walls. That single rule keeps you walkable to the boat jetties, the old-town gate and the train station at once, which is the whole reason to stop in Faro rather than drive straight to a resort. Save Montenegro and the airport-side guesthouses for the night before an early flight.

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Safety and noise

Portugal is one of Europe's safest countries and Faro is a calm provincial city, not a party resort, so violent crime is rare. The day-to-day risk GOV.UK flags is pickpocketing in crowded spots and theft from parked hire cars, so if you stay in Montenegro or Praia de Faro with a car, use a hotel car park and leave nothing visible. For noise, the marina front and Rua do Prior bars can run late at weekends; a room one street back, or inside the old-town walls, sleeps much quieter.

Budget vs splurge

A clean mid-range double in the Baixa runs roughly £55-£90 a night outside July and August, while the small old-town guesthouses charge a premium for the cobbles and quiet. Montenegro and Bom Joao apartments undercut both, often with free parking, which matters if you are touring the wider Algarve by car. High summer pushes every category up sharply as Faro fills with airport traffic, so book the marina strip well ahead for July and August or shift your dates to May, June or September.

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Where to stay in Faro FAQs

Should I stay in Faro old town or by the marina?

For a first stay, the marina and Baixa strip is the easier base: it has most of the hotels, the boat jetties and the train station, and the old-town gate is a five-minute walk. Pick the Cidade Velha itself only if you want the cobbled atmosphere on a short trip and don't mind small rooms and higher prices.

Is it worth staying near Faro airport for an early flight?

A Montenegro guesthouse can make sense for a dawn departure, as it is a 5-10 minute drive from the terminal and often comes with parking. For everything else it is charmless and disconnected, so most visitors are better off in the centre and taking a €7-€15 Bolt to the airport on the day.

Where should I stay in Faro if I just want the beach?

Praia de Faro on the Ilha de Faro sandbar is the only genuine beach base, reached by the number 16 bus or the bridge. It is a low-key strip of guesthouses that empties off-season, so stay there only if swims matter more than restaurants and sights, and accept the bus ride for anything in town.

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