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Olhão |
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OLHÃO , 8km east of Faro, is the largest fishing port on the Algarve
and an excellent base for visiting the sandbank islands ( ilhas ). Train
and bus stations are near each other off the Avenida da República
northeast of town. The tourist office , just off Rua do Comércio (daily
9.30am-12.30pm & 2-5.30/7pm, winter closed Tues; tel 289 713 936) will
provide a town map and advice on rooms. For accommodation , try the
highly rated Pensão Bela Vista (tel 289 702 538; £10-15/$16-24/¬18-27),
left out of the tourist office then first left; or the Pensão Boémia ,
slightly further out of the centre at Rua da Cerca 20, off Rua 18 de
Junho (tel 289 714 513; £10-15/$16-24/¬18-27). The nearest campsite (tel
289 700 300) is at Marim, 3km east - buses hourly till 7pm from the main
station. There are clusters of restaurants and bars around Rua do
Comércio and along the seafront: Taiti at Rua Vasco da Gama 24 is
reasonably good, as is Santos on Avda. 5 de Outubro 100.
Ferries leave for the Ilhas of Armona and Culatra from the jetty at the
far end of Olhão's municipal gardens, five minutes from the market. The
service to ARMONA (June-Sept 9-14 daily; Oct-May 4 daily; journey time
15min; ¬0.75 each way) drops you off at a long strip of holiday chalets
and huts that stretches right across the island on either side of the
main path. This is the only type of accommodation available here, and
you'll be lucky to get one in summer; phone ahead to book (Orbitur tel
289 714 173). On the ocean side, the beach disappears into the distance
and a short walk will take you to totally deserted stretches of sand and
dune. The beach facing the mainland is smaller and tends to get very
crowded in summer, but the water here is always warm. Boats to the more
distant Ilha of Culatra are less frequent (4-7 daily; 35-45min; ¬1 each
way) and call first at unattractive Culatra town, then at FAROL , an
untidy village of holiday homes edged by beautiful beaches on the ocean
side. Note that ferry services are drastically reduced outside July and
August.
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