3 Best Sights in Faro, The Algarve

This stunning 13th-century cathedral, flanked by cobblestone streets, whitewashed houses, and fragrant orange trees, is one of Faro's most beautiful monuments. Having survived transformations (including a past as a Roman basilica, then a mosque), earthquakes, and fires, the Sé retains a Gothic tower but is mostly of interest for the 17th- and 18th-century azulejos that fill its interior. On one side of the nave is a red chinoiserie organ, dating to 1751. Best of all, however, is the view from the top of the church tower (up some very steep stairs), looking out over Cidade Velha rooftops and across the lagoon.

Just north of the city center, this baroque church looks very out of place amid the modern buildings surrounding it. Inside, a door to the right of the altar leads to the Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of the Bones) set in an outside garden area. The tiny chapel's walls are covered with more than 1,000 skulls and bones dug up from the adjacent monks' cemetery—an eerie sight, to say the least, but a fairly common custom in Portugal.

This 16th-century sanctuary—perhaps the prettiest of Faro's churches—has an unusual altar set to the left of the main altar. It's entirely carved in gilded chestnut wood and a delicate frieze depicts the Last Supper. There's regular singing here, making for a spiritually uplifting break in the day.