5 min read
The arch inside Arco da Vila: Faro's hidden Moorish gate
The medieval gate that survived inside the neoclassical arch, a six-minute walk from the house.
What you see from outside
Arco da Vila is the most photographed entrance to the Old Town: white façade, a bell, stork nests on top. It was built in the early 19th century, after the 1755 earthquake left the walls in poor shape, to a design by the Italian architect Francisco Xavier Fabri.
The arch inside the arch
As you walk under it, look up and to the side: set into the passage is a horseshoe-arch gate from the Islamic period, built into the wall long before the neoclassical arch existed. It's the only visible remnant of its kind in Faro — the Moorish town of Santa Maria Ibn Harun is still literally inside the wall.
How not to walk past it
Enter from Jardim Manuel Bivar towards the arch. On the inner side the passage opens onto Rua do Município and the cathedral. Walk straight through without stopping and you'll pass under the Moorish gate without seeing it: almost everyone does.
From the house
Six minutes on foot, flat all the way, through the garden and past the marina. Easy to fit in before dinner and still be back in time to cook.
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.
