Faro - Modern Architecture

Love architecture, design and sunshine? Then this tour is made for you.

Forget everything you think you know about Faro. Behind its medieval streets lies one of Europe's richest collections of Modernist architecture. With around 500 remarkable buildings, Faro is an unexpected paradise for lovers of architecture, design and photography. This self-guided tour reveals the hidden masterpieces that almost every visitor walks past without noticing.

This self-guided walking tour takes you to striking Art Deco buildings, elegant Mid-Century masterpieces and hidden architectural gems scattered through the city's authentic neighbourhoods. Many of these places lie far from the tourist routes, allowing you to experience Faro as locals know it.

Most of Faro's urban development took place between 1920 and 1980, creating an exceptional collection of Modern Architecture. Two distinctive styles define the city: the refined Art Deco buildings mainly found in the southern districts, and the unique South Modern architecture that characterises much of the northeast. The buildings featured in this tour are only a selection—there is much more waiting to be discovered.

Some of these architectural treasures have been beautifully preserved, while others show the marks of time and deserve greater appreciation. Their condition only adds to the story of a city whose extraordinary Modernist heritage is only now beginning to receive the recognition it deserves.

Download the tour, look up, slow down, and discover the hidden Modernist soul of Faro with these 33 projects, starting at the famous Cafe Alianca.