5 min read
Why is there a Chapel of Bones in the centre of Faro?
The bones of over a thousand friars, a full cemetery and a lesson about time — five minutes from the door.
Where it is
At the back of Igreja do Carmo, on Largo do Carmo, about five minutes' walk from the house. You go in through the church and out into the yard: the chapel is at the end.
Why it was built
It was raised in the 19th century using bones exhumed from the Carmelite friars' cemetery, which had run out of space. Rather than store them out of sight, they lined the chapel's walls and ceiling with them.
What the inscription says
Above the door there's a warning: stop and consider this place, for this fate is yours too. It isn't macabre for the sake of it — it's memento mori, the Baroque habit of reminding the living that time passes.
How to visit
It's small — five to ten minutes is enough — and there's a token entrance fee paid in the church. Check opening hours on site: it closes at lunchtime, and there's mass on Sunday mornings.
Want this planned around you?
Reception adjusts timings, boats and beaches to your day — just ask when you arrive.
Keep discovering Faro
Ria Formosa boat trips, water activities, local restaurants and ideas to explore at your own pace.
