Here are a few ideas to help you pass the time, and take your mind off the fact you are probably on your way back to reality, and cooler climes:
- Praia de Faro
With most visitors to the Algarve heading straight to one of the resort towns, Faro’s own beach, Praia de Faro, is relatively undiscovered by tourists and left for the locals to enjoy.
However, it’s literally around the corner from the airport, and accessed via the roundabout at the airport’s entrance. From there it’s just a short drive down a quiet road and over a bridge.
This is a sand spit ilha beach, with the ocean on one side, and warmer inland water on the other. The spectacle of the planes arriving and leaving makes for a rather surreal piece of paradise, and the perfect place to spend a few hours before your own departure.
- Algarve Forum
Algarve Forum shopping centre is a mere five minutes drive from Faro airport, and therefore a very practical place to spend some time before your flight.
So many people do this that they’ve even put departure screens up in the food court area, so you can keep an eye on your flight.
There are multitudes of shops here, including a new Apple reseller and a FNAC entertainment store. There are also plenty of places to eat, and a cinema to keep you entertained on rainy days.
- Frangaria Restaurant
If you want one last taste of Portugal before you leave, the Frangaria restaurant (also the site of a hotel), is on the airport approach road, making it the perfect place for a final stop.
Piri piri chicken is the speciality here, but the monkfish and prawn kebabs, served on huge hanging stands, are also tasty and inexpensive.
If you have the time, stopping off here is a far better option than paying through the nose for overpriced airport food!
