Museu Regional do Algarve

The basics

Highlights of the Museu Regional do Algarve include recreations of 19th-century rooms and shops; handmade wicker and palm-leaf objects; authentic wooden carts and fishing boats; and paintings and black-and-white photographs. Thanks to the museum’s convenient location in Faro Old Town, it’s a great place to combine with area highlights such as Arco da Vila, a grand 19th-century gateway, and Capela dos Ossos, a chapel built from the bones of Carmelite monks (a unique sight, though perhaps not for the faint of heart).

Things to know before you go

• There’s a small fee to enter the museum.
• The museum doesn’t feature any multimedia exhibitions, and may appeal more to adults than to kids.
• Panels in the galleries are only in Portuguese, so download a translation app to put the exhibits into context.

How to get there

The Museu Regional do Algarve is in Faro Old Town, a 10-minute walk from Faro station—where trains from Lisbon and the central Algarve go. If you’re coming from Faro International Airport, it’s a 10-minute drive away, and you can use a rideshare service such as Bolt or Uber.

When to get there

The museum is open Monday to Friday, from mid-morning until early evening, though it closes for an hour at lunchtime. It’s closed on weekends and public holidays. Plan to spend around 45 minutes exploring this compact, 4-room museum.

Cultural experiences in Faro

After visiting the Museu Regional do Algarve, other places to learn more about the heritage of the region include Faro Story Spot, an immersive, multimedia museum that takes you on a journey from past to present and delves deeper into the ecology of Ria Formosa National Park. You can also add on a food-tasting experience to sample sweet and savory Algarvian delicacies.