We have visited Churches and cathedrals all over the world. You might think that it gets “same same” but it doesn’t. Each place has its own special architecture and most of them have a “wow- factor”. Faro Cathedral is not an exception! Here you can see the cathedral inside but from above – a unique view. 

Faro Catedral in Portugal

It doesn’t look that big from the outside but this place is quite big. And it is not just a cathedral but also a museum. We were accompanied by the voices of a male choir through the loudspeakers and this just made it even more special! The church itself is big but the different vaults make it give an impression that it is several rooms in one room.

There are several things that make this cathedral different from others. One thing is that there is a lot of artwork made out of tiles here. Yes, it is a Portuguese thing to have tiles everywhere. And like all cathedrals, this also has very detailed arts everywhere. But at the same time, all the details are within the walls of the church. The ceiling is really simple compared to other churches.

Seeing the Faro cathedral inside from above

My absolute favorite part is the place where you can see the grand cathedral from above. Inside there are stairs that take you to the second floor. There you can see the whole cathedral from a different angle. And this is a powerful site! The museum shows several figures that have been in churches. There are also clothes and other memorabilia connected to the church.

But the cathedral itself is the thing that you really want to see. However, you do get some other things included on your entrance ticket (yes you have to pay an entrance fee). You also get to see a small bone chapel and the city of Faro from above.

A small bone chapel

Yes, there is a bone chapel at the Faro Cathedral. And yes this is made out of real human bones. It is morbid but also fascinating. It is on the outside and it does not look like someone is looking after it. The bone chapel looks quite neglected and that’s a shame. In one human skull, it even looks like a bird had built a nest.

It is a shame because there are not to many bone chapels out in the world and it would be a great loss if this would disappear. But at the same time, there is another bone chapel in Faro that is way better and that you need to visit while in Algarve, Portugal.

See Faro from Above

You are also allowed to take the steps up to the top of the chapel. Here you can see Faro from above. Be aware that the stairs are very narrow and uneven so it is an adventure to get up there. On the bright side, it is not that far up so you will make it :).
The view up here is nice and you can get some great pictures here. We saw a storks nest on the top of the tower. However, the stork was not home during our visit.

And a tip from us: Make sure to not be at the top of the tower when the bells are about to ring (every half hour). The sound is really loud and you are right by the bells so that cannot be good for your ears. We timed our visit so that we escaped before the bells started to inform the city of the time!

Information about the Faro Cathedral

Address:Largo da Sé 11, 8000-138 Faro, Portugal
Opening hours: Monday – Friday: 10.00 – 18.30 (last admission 18.00). Saturday: 09.30 – 13.00 (last admission 12.30). Closed on Sundays.
Entrance fee: 3,50:- euro per adult.
Webpage: https://www.facebook.com/catedral.de.faro