The closest that most holidaymakers come to Faro is its international airport, the main gateway to the resorts of the Algarve. That being said, however, this city of 40,000 people still has something to offer tourists. Sights include an attractive walled old town - all that remains of the original city before it was devastated by an earthquake in 1755 - with its cobbled streets and fine old restored buildings. There's an appealing harbour area and a good - albeit rather distant - beach, as well as exuberant nightlife in summer. The countryside, with its numerous picturesque local villages, beckons to more independent-minded holidaymakers who have access to a car. Two or three days is probably enough to do justice to Faro and its environs.

Business people, conference groups, singles, couples (all ages), historians. Mid- to upmarket.

Pensions and residential apartments for the most part, with one 3- and one 4-star hotel.

4 mls distant, Faro's "town beach" (Praia de Faro) is long and sandy, narrow in parts and backed by dunes and private homes; it also has more than its fair share of bars and restaurants, and can get crowded in high season.

Excellent choice of clothes, shoes and souvenir shops. Anything from china dinner services to goatskin rugs.

Daytime: strolling the cobbled streets of the old town, with its mix of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture. Roman antiquities and more modern artefacts at the Archaeological Museum. Displays of local handicrafts and traditional life at the Ethnological Museum. The Maritime Museum has scale-model ships. Lavishly adorned church of Nossa Senhora do Carmo, with some of Portugal's finest giltwork. The harbour, with adjacent gardens and outdoor cafes. Ria Formosa lagoon, a 42,000-acre nature reserve frequented by migrating birds in spring and autumn. Nightlife: handful of discos, some with DJs. Numerous bars, some with live music.

Restaurants to suit all tastes (and purses) - from pizzerias, seafood and traditional-style to African etc.

Major bus station in town centre near the harbour, with buses to all major resorts in the Algarve; good service also to Lisbon and the N. Nearby is the train station, serving the Algarve and Lisbon. Various taxi ranks around town. Car hire readily available.

Remains of Roman villa at Estoi. Village of Almancil, with its blue-tiled church. See also Quarteira, Vale do Lobo and Quinta do Lago.

Towards the middle of the Algarve coast. 180 mls SE of Lisbon. 5 mls E of international airport.

On relatively flat, low-lying land fronted by generally marshy coast and sandbars.

Post Code: 8000
Website: www.portugalinsite.pt

Airport : Faro
Airport Code: FAO
Flight time from ther U.K.: 2 hrs. 45 mins