Things to do in Faro, Portugal – Catedral de Faro
Located in the old town of Faro, Faro Cathedral – Igreja de Santa Maria or Se de Faro – is an amazing display of craftsmanship. We found Faro’s bone chapel – Capelo dos Ossos – to be delightfully creepy, as we always do when we find one, and the overall experience at the cathedral to be enjoyable.
The cathedral includes multiple chapels and altars; both the architecture of the building and the detail work in statuary and carvings is impressive. The columns and arches date to the reconstruction after a fire in 1596
There are 2 organs, the larger dates to 1701
The Chapel of Lord Jesus of the Poor is a post-earthquake chapel sculpted with renaissance marble. Jesus is depicted in the on the cross surrounded by cherubs
The Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary includes dates to 1690 but includes 18th century tile panels depicting biblical scenes. There are also statues of African boys, recalling the slave trade and early black servants of Portugal
Gothic Cathedral I – The Chapel of our Lady of Conception preserves the original gothic cathedral from the 13th/14th century but is updated with 17th century tiles
The Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament is a very intricate group of works dating to 1673 with later restorations. Statues of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John adorn the chapel along with 17th century paintings
Gothic Cathedral II – another bit 13th/14th century architecture – includes the 15th century tomb of a nobleman as well as tile work from the 17th century. This cathedral is dedicated to St Dominic
In addition to the chapels we’ve shown above and in our video, the sacristy with its 17th century triptych of the life and Passion of Christ is beautiful as are the several chapels we didn’t include here. The Chapel of our Lady of Joy, the Chapel of St Blaise and the Chapel of St Michael, adjacent to the bone chapel, each have their own unique beauty. The Chapel of St Francis of Paola is particularly interesting with its inclusion of many religious relics.
It’s easy to get drawn in to the intricate sculptures and carvings, one could spend the better part of day here just marveling at the details
Exhibit rooms in the Faro Cathedral include artwork, relics and vestments in several rooms.
The climb to the bell tower at the Faro Cathedral is not too bad but it is not for the mobility-challenged. The first set of stairs is somewhat uneven and a bit steep.
There is a small landing with a restricted view out over the square.
The second set of stairs is almost a spiral staircase. There is a 90 degree turn every half dozen or so steps and they are slightly narrower than the first set
The climb is worth the view, though. You can see out over the city or look west out over Rio Formosa to the Atlantic ocean
You might even get lucky like we did and be up here when the bells toll
Check out our highlights video here
When is the Cathedral open to visitors
Se de Faro is an active Catholic church. Public admission is typically from 10am to 7pm on weekdays, 9:30 to 4 on Saturdays. April to November the weekday hours extend to 7:30pm
How much does it cost to tour the cathedral
Admission is €5 and includes the entire grounds – from the bone chapel to the bell tower.
How to get to the cathedral
The cathedral is at Largo da Sé 11 in Faro; a fairly short trek from the center of the old town up through Arco de Vila. If you’re fairly mobile, it’s an easy walk but the cathedral is accessible by car if you want to drive or use a rideshare service. There is a ‘tourist train’ that advertises as a hop-on/hop-off tour but that isn’t how it worked when we rode it.
