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Almancil travel guide »
A fifteen minute drive from the main airport in Faro, the small town of Almancil is perfectly pleasant and typical of the Algarve. The neighbouring village of São Lourenço boasts...
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22 Best Things to Do in Almancil
Showing 16 - 22 of 22
16. Palácio Bivar
Palacio Bivar C.M. FaroFaro’s Bivar Palace, close to the marina is a fine example of the Neoclassical style of architecture and is probably the best example on the Algarve. Built in 18th century, with later additions in 19th and 20th centuries, the two storey palace has a symmetry which is very pleasing to the eye. At the front there are bay windows, each topped with a triangular pediment. There are wrought iron balconies and a balcony window with a lookout tower.
Unfortunately, the building is not open to the public. Part of it is still used as a private residence by members the Bivar...
17. Faro Marina
Faro Marina Benoît Prieur | BY-SAIt can be fun to spend some time admiring the flashy yachts on display in the marina, maybe stopping off for refreshments in one of the waterside cafes. Just around the corner is the Porta Nova Pier, from which boats take day trippers out to enjoy the birdlife and beaches of the Ria Formosa Natural Park. On balmy summer nights, it’s a pleasant stroll from the marina, down the waterfront promenade to the Old Town.
Also worth a look is Faro's Maritime Museum...
18. Teatro Lethes
Teatro Lethes Rafaelade AlmeidaThe Lethes theatre building may look a little tired on the outside, but don’t let that put you off. Step inside and you will be transported to the latter half of the 19th century. The décor of plush velvet, painted ceiling and exquisite wooden carvings will make you feel as though you are in a bijoux version of a historic Italian opera house. There are four tiers arranged around the intimate auditorium and if you go to a performance here try to get seats in one of the boxes for that once-in-a-lifetime experience. It won’t cost any more than the ordinary seats. The acoustics here are...
Paço Episcopal - Faro Marc Ryckaert | BY-SAThe whitewashed building of the Bishop’s Palace (Paço Episcopal), with its distinctive red-tiled roof, dominates the tranquil square of Largo da Sé in Faro's Old Town quarter.
The Palace was completed in 1585, but 11 years later was almost destroyed when Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex and a favourite of England’s Queen Elizabeth I, sacked the city of Faro. Before destroying the building the English troops ransacked the palace’s library which included many precious manuscripts, including Portugal’s first ever printed book, a Hebrew Old Testament...
Arco do Repouso and Hermitage Concierge.2C | BY-SAThe Ermida Nossa Senhora do Repouso (Hermitage of Our Lady of Rest) is a small chapel with a Baroque-style façade. The building we see here today was mainly built in 18th century under the sponsorship of the Queen. A notable feature of the church is that it is built into the Arco do Repousa, one of the ancient Arabic arches of the defensive walls of Faro's Old Town.
Legend tells that King Afonso III rested here in 1249 after expelling the Moors from the city and that he experienced a vision of Our Lady. From...
Ermida de Nossa Senhora do Pé da Cruz Nol Aders | BY-SAThe Ermida de Nossa Senhora do Pé da Cruz (hermitage of Our Lady at the Foot of the Cross) is Largo do Pé da Cruz (formerly Largo do Poço dos Cântaros), a little way away from Faro's other sights.
The original chapel was built here around 1644 but was almost completely destroyed by the Great Earthquake of 1755. The understated, whitewashed Baroque style building we see here today was built in 1861.
The Roman Catholic church contains a single altar, dedicated to Our Lady. There are some very nice gilded wood...
Ermida de Santo António do Alto Paulo MoreiraA steep climb up to the highest point in Faro will bring the visitor to the Hermitage of Santo Antonio do Alte, a small church dedicated to St Anthony. The saint most usually referred to as St Anthony of Padua was actually born in Lisbon and for this reason he has a special place in Portuguese religious sentiment. In Portugal he is considered to be the patron saint of lost things, of unmarried men and women looking for a spouse and of the newly married.
The church building is believed to have been built in the 15th or 16th century, with significant alterations made in...
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