It is situated in the heart of the estuarine Ria Formosa Nature Reserve, a landscape of lagoons, canals, salt pans and sand banks that are separated from the Atlantic by a series of barrier islands that stretch from Faro to the village of Cacela Velha, near Tavira. It is a working town and has a mixed architecture ranging from Moorish-style, traditional Portuguese to modern. There are two market b
uildings side by side along the water front, which are a 'must visit' for the huge variety of fresh fish and sea food straight from the port and the vast array of locally grown fresh fruit and vegetables. Olhão is well known for it's fish market. The main market day is Saturday and can be quite busy. The market halls are surrounded by pavement cafes and it's a great place to sit and enjoy the view of the boats moored along the water front in Olhão Marina and the views of Armona and Culatra just a short distance off shore. You can enjoy afternoons in Olhão, walking along the water front and through the gardens or just sat outside a jazz cafe watching the boats, people cycling around and local people going about their day. The old town has a variety of shops, bars and cafes, along its cobbled streets. Olhão itself doesn't have a beach as it is part of the Ria Formosa lagoon system. The beaches are easily accessible, via ferries run from the quayside near the gardens at the eastern end of the market halls. There are regular services throughout the year. Water taxis are also available. Boats from the harbor also cater for both, wildlife watching or fishing. Both Ryan air and easyJet fly daily from Bristol to Faro, with additional flights as the season gets busier from April to September. Flybe also goes to Faro from Exeter during the higher season. A Taxi from faro to Olhão will cost about €25. Or get the Bus (this link has ferry info too)
http://www.algarvebus.info/041.htm
http://eva-bus.com/pdf/63.pdf
http://eva-bus.com/index.php
Or car hire (we use this one but there are plenty of others)
http://www.zitautorentacar.co.uk/
House Location Google Earth : 37 01' 40.41" N 7 50' 37.87"W
