Sé de Faro (Faro Cathedral)

Faro’s cathedral stands on the Largo da Sé in the walled old town. One ticket gets you into the church, the museum, a small bone chapel and the bell tower. Sources describe the tower view as reaching over the city and the Ria Formosa. Allow 45–90 minutes, cover shoulders and knees, and remember there are no tourist visits on Sundays.

What we found (research)

• Tickets: €5 adult, €3.50 for over-65s and €3.50 for students aged 15–25. [sedefaro.pt, accessed 4 Oct 2026]
• Local residents on Saturdays, school groups, under-14s and disabled visitors who need a companion can get free entry if they ask the Cabido (cathedral chapter) and it agrees. [sedefaro.pt]
• One ticket covers the cathedral and its annexes, the museum and the bell tower. [sedefaro.pt]
• The official page lists the 1640 main chapel, the 1673 Santíssimo Sacramento chapel, a 1715 organ with chinoiserie decoration, a 17th-century Capela dos Ossos, the cathedral museum (15th–19th-century sacred art), the cloister and 11 baroque chapels. [sedefaro.pt]
• History: Visigothic origins, used as a mosque in the Islamic period, adapted as a church after the reconquest in 1240 and rebuilt after the 1596 fire. [Diocese do Algarve]
• Price conflict: one third-party guide quotes €3.50 as the standard ticket. The official €5 figure is used here. [faroportugaltourism.com vs sedefaro.pt, both accessed 4 Oct 2026]

Good to know / Check before you go

• Hours (official): March–October Mon–Fri 10:00–19:00, Sat 09:30–15:00; November–February Mon–Fri 10:00–18:00, Sat 09:30–15:00. On Sundays the cathedral is open for services only (mass at 12:00). Visits can be suspended during services. [sedefaro.pt]
• Other listings disagree on Saturdays: VisitAlgarve gives 09:30–15:30, or 09:30–19:00 in July and August, and OSM gives 09:30–13:00. Check before you go.
• The tower has many steps and no lift. The tower, cloister and some chapels are not accessible to people with reduced mobility. [sedefaro.pt]
• No flash photography, no food or drink, no pets apart from assistance dogs. [sedefaro.pt]
• There’s no parking at the door. The nearest car park is Parque de São Francisco, about 200 m away. [sedefaro.pt]