Top 10 museums in the Algarve
Let’s start with sharing a little secret: visiting a museum in the Algarve is an inexpensive experience with many interesting things to see. Entrance fees are only a couple of euros and sometimes even free. With more than 5000 years of history, the Algarve has many tales to tell, as the country and its rulers changed throughout the centuries. Discover the ancient stories from the Roman empire, the Arabic reign and the Christian kingdom in the Algarve. Marvel at the relics of the Golden Age and learn more about the fishermen trade of the Algarve. These are the 10 most fascinating museums to visit in the Algarve.
Undiscovered destination for history lovers
Many people enjoy visiting museums for leisure. Most people dislike the long cues and high entrance fees of famous museums such as the Louvre in Paris or the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. It is the price you have to pay for visiting the great historical works of art. What most people don’t know is that the Algarve is a great destination for history lovers. There is a lot to discover in the museums of the Algarve. So if you would like to go on a museum trip, book a trip to Faro for a holiday that revolves around history and culture. Plus you can cross out the long cues and high entrance fees this time.
Museu municipal de Faro
The museu municipal de Faro is one of the best museums of the Algarve. This museum exhibits the largest collection of national archeological findings. In a bird’s eye view you can see the history of Portugal from its earliest days in 1200 B.C. until modern history. The highlight of the museum is a large Roman mosaic of Oceanus, the god of the sea. This mosaic dates from the 3rd century and is spread out on the floor.
The collection is not the only reason why this museum is a must visit on your trip. The museum itself is also a historically beautiful buiding. Once a former convent, built in 1518, this former home of Catholic nuns is the second-oldest museum in the Algarve. Inside the convent you also find a wonderful garden at its heart, with a statue of the doctor who invented a cure for syphilis.
Entrance fee is € 2 and is free of charge on Sundays.
Opening hours and address
Tuesday – Friday: 10 AM to 6 PM
Saturday and Sunday: 11:30 AM to 6 PM
Monday: closed
You can find the museum in the old town of Faro in front of the statue of Dom Afonso III, the first king of Portugal. The adress is:
Largo Dom Afonso III 14
8000-167 Faro
Portuguese discoveries wax museum
Travel back in time to the Golden Age, where the Portuguese sailed across the oceans and discovered how grand and rich the world truly is. In this cool museum of wax figures in Lagos, you wonder through the lifechanging events that shaped today’s world and get to meet 22 of Portugal’s most famous historical figures.
When you visit the museum you can take a selfie with:
- Henry the Navigator – the ‘father of the Age of Discoveries’.
- Vasco da Gama – the first European to reach India by sea.
- Ferdinand Magellan – the first European to sail across the Pacific Ocean.
- Bartolomeu Dias – the first European to sail to the most southern point of Africa.
- Luís de Camões – author of the classic book Os Lusíadas.
Entrance fee is € 6 and € 4 for children and seniors.
Opening hours and address
During the week: 10 AM to 6 PM
You can find the museum near the harbour of Lagos. The address is:
Urbanização Marina da Lagos
Edifício Astrolábio Lote 24 Loja 3
8600-315 Lagos
Museu de Portimão
The striking black and white Portimão museum, located in a former sardine canning factory, is an absolute highlight of a holiday in the Algarve. When one must draw a symbol that represents the Algarve, then the sardine is probably one’s first pick. For centuries, life in the Algarve revolved around fishing and Portimão was its beating heart. In this coastal town is where you eat the best fresh grilled sardines in the Algarve. And its clever inhabitants found a way to introduce the delicacy throughout the continent by canning the fish so that they could transport it everywhere.
Expect to see an exhibition of how the fishing industry evolved over 5000 years, watch a fascinating documentary film from 1946, archaeological findings from 1100 B.C. and an exposition about the underwater wildlife.
Entrance fee is € 3 and € 1,50 for children and seniors.
Opening hours and address
Tuesday: 2:30 PM to 6 PM
Wednesday to Sunday: 10 AM to 6 PM
In August there are separate opening hours:
Tuesday: 7:30 PM to 11 PM
Wednesday to Sunday: 3 PM to 11 PM
You can find the museum near the waterfront in Portimão. The address is:
Rua D. Carlos I, Zona Ribeirinha
Portimão, Portugal
Museu regional do Algarve
The Algarve regional museum in Faro exhibits about 1400 unique pieces that portray the past of life in the Algarve. Through these one of a kind relics you gain an understanding of the regions’ economical activities, customs, legends and landscape. A small museum that will interest everybody that has an interest in history, anthropology and sociology.
Opening hours and address
Tuesday to Friday: 10 AM to 6 PM
Saturday: 10 AM to 4:30 PM
You can find the museum at the following address:
Praça da Liberdade 2
Faro, Portugal
+351 289 827 610
Islamic museum
The Arabic Moors reigned over Portugal from 711 till 1250. In the Islamic Museum in Tavira you can learn about what the Algarve looked like during the Arabic reign. Through historical findings from the 11th, 12th and 13th century, you travel back to a very different time. Tabira (Tavira in Arabic) was one of the most important towns in the al-Garb (Algarve in Arabic). The port of Tavira was the closest port to the Moroccan coast and trade between the two countries was daily business. The Islamic Museum is small, but definitely worth a visit. The entrance fee is € 2.
Opening hours and address
Tuesday to Saturday: 9.15 AM to 4.30 PM
Sunday and Monday: closed
You can find the Islamic Museum in the centre of Tavira, at the following address:
Praça da República 5, 8800-349
Tavira, Portugal
Archaeological museum of Silves
The archaeological museum of Silves is an Arabic jewel that exhibits a large collection of archaeological findings. Even though Silves is a small town, this is surely one of the most interesting museums in the Algarve. The most impressive collection is from the medieval times, when the Arabs were the wealthy rulers of the country. The museum integrates the city wall and a proper preserved Arabian well (15 metres deep) with a staircase. In the museum you walk through a chronological historical journey of the following eight different time periods:
- Paleolithic Age
- Neolithic Age
- Chalcolithic Age
- Bronze Age
- Iron Age
- Roman period
- 15th century
- 16th and 17th century
Entrance fee is € 2,10 and € 1,05 for children and seniors. If you combine a ticket to the castle and the museum the costs are € 3,90.
Opening hours and address
Monday to Sunday: 10.00 AM to 18.00 PM
You can find the archaeological museum near the castle in Silves. The address is:
Rua da Porta de Loule 14
8300-139, Silves
Municipal museum of Olhão
The municipal museum of Olhão is built in the Casa do Compromisso Marítimo. This 18th century building was initially meant to help local fishermen. This museum has an exposition of archaeological materials representing the culture of Olhao through a vast range of items, from decorative art to weapons and medicines.
In addition to the temporary exhibitions that the museum hosts, you can see 3 permanent exhibitions. They are:
- Roman heritage. The Roman influence is omnipresent, as they shaped the structure of the region, built roads, bridges and houses. The Romans introduced the production of salt, wine and olive oil. The religion and language were derived from Latin. At the museum you can see a collection of Roman artefacts that were very important for the people of Olhão.
- Salt production. In the region of Olhão, salt was one of the main sources of labour for the people.
- Maritime heritage. Olhão is a coastal town, with a large harbour and many families relied on the income of the men working in the maritime sector.
Entrance to the museum is free.
Opening hours and address
Tuesday to Saturday: 10 AM to 5 PM
Sunday and Monday: closed
You can find the museum in the centre of Olhão, at the following address:
Largo da Restauração
8700-350, Olhão
Castelo de Loulé
This castle of Loulé was built in the 2nd century by the Romans and occupied by the Moors in the 7th Century. In the 13th century, the Christians reconquested the castle and reconstructed it to what we remain to see today with 3 main towers and expended walls. Inside the castle you find a small museum with archeological findings from the Bronze Age and the Roman occupation. Entrance fee is € 1.
Opening hours and address
Tuesday to Friday: 9.30 AM to 5.30 PM
Saturday: 9.30 AM to 4.00 PM
Sunday and Monday: closed
You can find the castle of Loulé and its museum at the following address:
Dom Paio Peres Correia 17
8100-564 Loulé, Portugal
Cerro da Vila
Another fascinating museum to visit are the Roman ruins of a villa near the marina of Vilamoura. This is one of the few museums in the Algarve that is located outside. In Cerro da Vila you can walk through the remains of an ancient Roman villa. In addition, you can learn more about the history at the indoor museum next to it. This is a great landmark to explore and learn about regional history. The entrance fee is € 3.
Opening hours and address
During the week: 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM and 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
You can find the Roman Ruins of Cerro da Vila at the following address:
Avenida Cerro da Vila
Quarteira, Loulé
Museu Marítimo Almirante Ramalho Ortigão
The Maritime Museum in Faro, as the name gives way, is dedicated to the maritime world of the Algarve. The collection consists of unique items that were all found by members of the Portuguese Navy. The small museum has 3 rooms where you can look at all kinds of fishing vessels equipment and tools. The entrance fee is € 1.
Opening hours and address
Monday to Friday: 9 AM to 12:00 PM and 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM
Saturday and Sunday: closed
You can find the museum near the harbour of Faro, right next to the Eva Senses Hotel. The address is:
Rua Comunidade Lusíada
Faro, Portugal