Faro is a beautiful and traditional town, with historic churches, museums, and shops selling authentic traditional arts and crafts. Next to the tourist office, the 18th-century Arco da Vila is one of the medieval gateways to the city. A narrow road leads you through an Arab entranceway to the deserted square. This was part of the old Muslim walls and represented the entranceway into the city for anyone arriving by sea. It is considered a unique example of Moorish architecture in Portugal with its high level of preservation and that it still remains in its place of origin.

Adjacent to the old city and facing the town fairgrounds is the mighty Igreja de São Francisco, with its impressively large facade. On the inside, there are some lovely examples of tiles, particularly the 18th century panels covering the walls of the main chapel and in the vaults with a valuable polychromatic panel representing the Heart of the Virgin forming the centrepiece. There is also an important collection of 18th century Italian-style sculptures featuring the life of St Francis.

The city's Museu de Etnografia, houses a valuable collection of objects and photographs related to the culture of the Algarve, in the context of a Territorial Interpretation Centre. It is located in the building of the District Assembly. It introduces you to Algarve's folk life, with photos of the once pristine, tranquil fishing villages of Faro.

The Boa-Nova Lighthouse was built in 1927, it stands 46 metres high and is thus one of the tallest in Portugal at 57 metres above sea level. It was linked up to the national grid in 1964 and began running the beacons on the sea break and the jetties to the north and south of Leixões and Felgueiras thus becoming the first remote control network ever set up in Portugal.

The Museu da Marinha exhibits three notable and fascinating, boat models. One is the boat that took Vasco da Gama's on his heroic journey to India in 1497, another boat used by a group of imperialists on their ride up the Congo River in 1492, and the third a boat that defeated the Turkish navy in 1717. There is also the Museu Marítimo which houses a small but interesting ethnographic collection related to marine activities and fishing in the Algarve, including models of the different types of vessels used.