This guide is for you if you are staying in the Algarve and want its quieter, eastern side: Faro's old town, the Ria Formosa lagoon, Tavira and the village of Cacela Velha. The decisions are small but they shape the day: whether to add a boat to the islands, how to fit the opening hours in Faro, and when the tide is low at Cacela.
What the Ria Formosa is
The Ria Formosa is a lagoon behind a line of barrier islands, with channels, salt pans, marshes, dunes, seagrass meadows and mudflats. It was first protected as a nature reserve in 1978 and became a natural park in 1987. Its waters are a breeding and nursery ground for many fish, crustaceans and molluscs.
You see it on this day from the shore, and from a boat if you add one. Boats out to the islands leave from Faro and Olhão. They are not included, but we can drop you at the jetty and collect you when you are back. Tell us when you book and we plan the rest of the day around your boat.
Faro in the morning: what is open when
You reach Faro at 08:00, which is early. The old town is quiet at that hour, and you walk in through the Arco da Vila, a nineteenth-century arch in the Italianate style, to the cathedral square.
The catch is the interiors. Guidebook listings give the cathedral's hours as 10:00 to 17:30, and the Chapel of Bones at the Carmo church as 10:00 to 14:00, then 15:00 to 17:30. The cathedral was built in Gothic and Renaissance styles on the site of a former mosque. The chapel is lined with human skulls and bones, an estimated 1,245 skulls in all. Neither entrance is included.
If you want to go inside, tell your driver in the morning. Because the day is private, the order can change: the lagoon first and Faro later, for example. Hours change, so check them before you go.
Cacela Velha and the tide
Cacela Velha is a small village on a cliff above the lagoon. Its fort was built between 1770 and 1795 and is still used by the GNR, Portugal's national guard, so you cannot go in. The parish church dates back to the sixteenth century and was rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake.
The tide decides what you can do. At low tide it is a short walk across the sand to the barrier island and the Atlantic. At high tide the water is too deep to wade, and local fishermen run small boats across. In summer at high tide you can also take a boat to Praia da Fábrica. The beach has no facilities and no lifeguards.
You reach Cacela at around 13:45. Tide times change from day to day, so check a tide table for your date. If low tide falls earlier or later, ask your driver to move Cacela in the day. In high season, the village restaurants get busy, so book ahead if you want to eat there.
How the day fits together
You are collected at 07:00 from your hotel anywhere in the Algarve. The times on the tour page are from Vilamoura. Faro comes at 08:00, the Ria Formosa at 09:45, Tavira and lunch at 12:00, and Cacela Velha at 13:45. You are back at your hotel at around 15:00.
There is less driving along the coast than on our western day, and more time in towns and by the water. In Tavira you have the houses on both sides of the Gilão, the old bridge between them and the castle garden above, with lunch by the river. Lunch is not included.
The Spanish border is half an hour beyond Tavira. Seville is possible as a separate, longer day; message us if you want it.
On your own, or with a driver
Faro and Tavira can both be visited on your own. The harder parts are the ones in between: getting to the jetty in time for a boat, reaching Cacela Velha at low tide, and fitting all four places into one day without a car.
A private day gives you all of that with a driver who can change the order on the day, and pick-up anywhere in the Algarve. Fuel, tolls and parking are included. The price depends on the size of your group; see it on the tour page.
If you want the cliffs and the sea caves instead, see our Benagil, Lagos and Sagres tour, and our guide to Algarve private tours compares the east and the west.
What to book or bring
- Your boat booking, if you want to go out to the islands, and its time.
- A tide table for Cacela Velha.
- Shoes you can get wet, if you plan to cross the sand to the island at low tide.
- Sun protection and water. The beach at Cacela has no facilities.
- Money or a card for the chapel, the boat and lunch.
Who it suits, and who should think twice
It suits anyone who has seen the western cliffs, families who want a gentler day, and people who like towns and water more than viewpoints.
- Limited mobility. The east is flatter than the west, but the path down to the water at Cacela is steep. Tell us when you book.
- Arriving at Faro airport. The tour starts from your hotel, so book an airport transfer for the arrival and take the tour on another day.
- Swimmers. Cacela's beach has no lifeguards. Keep an eye on children.
Questions people ask
Can we add a boat trip to the islands?
Yes. We drop you at the jetty in Olhão or Faro and collect you when you are back.
Can we go inside the fort at Cacela?
No. The fort is still used by the GNR and is not open to visitors. The views from outside it are the reason to go.
Can we cancel?
Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up and you are refunded in full. See our cancellation page.
Booking the day
Check the tide for Cacela, decide on a boat, and tell us if the Faro interiors matter to you. The stops and what is included are on the eastern Algarve private tour page, where you choose the size of your group and book.
