The number of travelers choosing to fly private to Faro is growing exponentially each year since it is a very important hub for reaching the most important locations in the Portuguese region in which it is located, the Algarve.
Characterized by natural sandy beaches and fairly rugged rocky coastlines, tourists who choose to fly by private jet to Faro thus have the opportunity to explore one of Portugal's wildest and most breathtaking scenic areas, all thanks to an international airport that connects the Portuguese town to major European cities.
Worth mentioning is the beach of Praia da Rocha, with its characteristic ochre color that is constantly subjected to the erosive action of the sea that has been able to carve into the rock for centuries: the location is only an hour's drive from Faro, so travelers on private flights can reach it without too much trouble.
Faro's beautiful historic center is an absolute must-see, just like the Cathedral of Nossa Senhora de Assunçao, a religious building that also houses an archaeological museum.
VIP tourists also have the opportunity to visit the several top-class golf resorts dotted around Faro, as well as the Rio Formosa nature reserve that can be explored via a coastal yacht trip.
But let's analyze many other attractions and the most useful information about chartering a private jet to reach Faro on this page that will provide a clear and comprehensive overview on the subject!
Historical and geographical background on Faro
As also mentioned earlier, Faro is a pretty town in southern Portugal, capital of the Algarve region, a particular area of the nation characterized by the presence of wild and unspoiled nature. The urban center of Faro lies on the Ria Formosa, a nature reserve habitat for a large portion of European wildlife given the large number of lagoons, channels and islands. The earliest traces of Faro date back to Phoenician times, a population that was responsible for founding its original settlement in order to use it as a trading hub; later, it was the Romans who conquered the town due to its harbor and proximity to rich fishing grounds. Under the control of the Roman Empire, Faro soon became an important center for the trade of valuable goods such as wine, oil, and cured fish. In the following centuries, Faro was the first city on the Iberian Peninsula to host the first books printed in Portugal while also becoming the nation's bishopric. In the late 18th century, earthquakes that struck the region caused serious damage to the city, an event that forced the Portuguese government to move its headquarters to nearby Lagos. Since the twentieth century, Faro has seen a great development of the tourism sector, and because of this, its economy has been able to grow by establishing itself as one of the most prosperous in all of Portugal.
What to do and see in Faro
Cathedral of Faro
Faro's main house of worship is undoubtedly its Cathedral, located in the beating heart of its historic center. It is a church dating back to 1200 built on what were the remains of an ancient Roman temple. The building's distinctive architectural style cleverly mixes Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque, which makes it quite iconic from the outside; inside, however, you can see the azulejos, ceramic tiles hand-painted by Portuguese artisans that entirely cover the interior spaces. Once the visit to the Cathedral is over, VIP tourists can attend events such as Faro's annual motorcycle rally, an exclusive event featuring a parade of vintage motorcycles, as well as the Algarve International Film Festival, an occasion that attracts a parterre of movie stars who have come to Faro to judge the new efforts of up-and-coming filmmakers.
The Old Town
The historic center of Faro, or Old Town, is definitely the soul of the Portuguese town since it represents the oldest area. Even today, it is bordered by the very ancient city wall built by the Arabs, a perfectly preserved structure that can still be visited today. Mention should be made of the Arco de Vila, a historic access point to the Old Town for those arriving from the sea. Another activity to do near Faro's Old Town is a horseback riding tour of its waterfront and the wilder locations surrounding the urban center, an ideal activity for VIP travelers and perfect to be paired with breaks that can be taken at the exclusive clubs in the city, such as 360 Degrees, a venue that serves its cocktails in a chic and private setting.
Ria Formosa Nature Park
One cannot visit Faro without going to the adjacent Ria Formosa nature reserve, one of the only places in the world where sea and nature create a perfect union. The area of the natural park is huge and stretches for about 60 km along the Algarve coast, including small lakes, waterfalls, sandy tongues, streams and small islands to visit. The reserve's near-paradise terrain allows wealthy tourists to enjoy birdwatching, private boat excursions with the option of sipping cocktails on board, snorkeling, water sports, and the exclusive dolphin and whale watching tour, an activity that attracts several VIPs looking for new experiences every year.
The top hotels in Faro
Since Faro is one of the most historic cities in Portugal, the accommodation options are quite varied. Tourists renting a private jet can choose the Alameda Exclusive House, a 5-star hotel that offers modern suites and a range of dedicated amenities, as well as a terrace on which to cheer up with drinks while admiring the view below over the entire city. Also worth mentioning is the AP Eva Senses, a huge luxury hotel that has many rooms with all amenities and spacious balconies from which to enjoy beautiful views of the harbor and the old town.
Climate and best time to visit Faro
Faro is characterized by a Mediterranean-type climate with hot summers and rather mild winters. Rainfall still remains low but increases its frequency during the autumn months; however, it should be specified that Faro is quite a windy city due to its proximity to the Ocean. In the spring, the weather is marked by sunny days with pleasant temperatures averaging around 25°C, while in the summer the heat takes over, with days where the temperature exceeds 30°C making the seawater increasingly hot. The first few weeks of the fall season often remain quite warm before the temperature suddenly drops due to the wind starting to blow in from the Atlantic; precipitation increases in winter, days are often cloudy, and the wind becomes even stronger. The best time to visit Faro is undoubtedly late spring or early summer, which are favorable times both because of the climate and because of the reduced tourist influx into the city.
How and why to fly a private jet to Faro
The number of tourists chartering a private jet to Faro is growing every year; however, the airport serving the Portuguese town (ICAO code LPFR) is an important airport hub that handles a large number of private flights. Opened in the late 1960s, the air terminal has seen the implementation of major expansion and infrastructure improvements, work that has increased the number of passengers passing through it annually from 6 to 8 million. Undoubtedly, choosing to fly by private jet saves the VIP tourist time and effort, without being bound to any flight schedule and having the time to plan their itinerary in total autonomy and freedom. Not only that, passengers on charter flights can enjoy a range of exclusive and personalized services such as Fast Track Service, which is the ability to speed up time at security and check-in checkpoints. In addition, the terminal dedicated to general aviation also features various shopping outlets of various kinds, tobacco shops and even jewelry stores, as well as a conference room equipped with the most advanced telecommunication systems and a Lounge where VIP tourists can relax. However, it should be specified that the latter area of the terminal is closed during night hours; in any case, it also consists of workstations in which to use the available PCs while enjoying a free WiFi connection. Faro Airport is separated from the city center by about 7 km, a distance that can be covered by various car rental services with or without a driver, cabs, and NCC transfers that can take VIP tourists to any location in the city in the shortest possible time.
How much does it cost to fly on a private jet to Faro
One of the most important routes connected to Faro is the one that links it with Barcelona: the Spanish city is about a 2-hour flight from the pearl of the Algarve. Hiring a Light Jet to cover that distance involves an expense of about 10,000€; the price rises to about 18,000€ if you opt for a Medium Jet and about 26,000€ if you employ a Large Jet. It is also possible to reach Faro from the island of Ibiza, a destination just 1 hour and 45 minutes away from the Portuguese city: the trip can be made via a Light Jet at a cost of about €9,000 or, alternatively, with a Medium Jet priced at about €16,000 or with a Large Jet spending about €24,000. Routinely operated routes include the connection between Faro and Olbia: the Sardinian city is separated by about 2 hours and 50 minutes of flight time given the distance of more than 1,500 km between the two locations. Given the small size of the runway at Olbia Airport, it is possible to rent only a Light Jet or a Medium Jet at respective costs of about 15,000€ and about 27,000€.
The best jet for flying to Faro
One of the light jets that stands out for the performance and comfort it gives its passengers is the Hawker 400XP, an ideal aircraft for fairly short trips. Among the aircraft's strengths is the spaciousness of its cabin, which is also distinguished by attention to detail in terms of design: it has a distinctive oval shape that maximizes the amount of usable space for each tourist, managing to accommodate as many as 7 seats comfortably. Finally, the cruise speed of more than 400 kts (about 750 km/h) enables the jet to cover medium-haul routes in rather short times. The Embraer Legacy 450, on the other hand, is one of the best performing Medium Jets both in terms of maximum attainable speed, which breaks through the 800 km/h wall, and cabin spaciousness, which allows 8 passengers to enjoy its comfort. After all, this is an ideal aircraft for very long distances given the range of more than 4500 km it can cover on a single full tank of fuel. Attention to detail can be seen in the structure and design of the Bombardier Global 5000, a Large Jet designed to give its 13 transportable passengers the most comfortable flying experience possible. Its cabin consists of an out-of-the-ordinary width and height, parameters that make it a space to enjoy great comfort thanks to the higher backrests and armrests of each seat. Passengers can also connect to the Internet during the flight thanks to the presence of an in-flight WiFi network that allows them to enjoy streaming content or even just play online games. The jet's top speed is around 510 kts (about 850 km/h), which makes it capable of traveling great distances in incredibly short times.
The most frequent flights to and from Faro
Below of the most frequent links to Faro:
