For those of us who live in the Algarve, or those who spend part of the year here, an exciting short break or holiday destination is not something we would usually contemplate without a connecting flight via a major hub – until recently, that is.
The last few years have seen the Algarve’s incoming tourism market expand and diversify, with more direct flights being added every year to Faro from all over Europe and beyond. Whilst the market to fill the seats on these flights is, of course, in the countries from which they are flying, the flip side is that those of us flying from Faro now have close to 100 different destinations to choose from.
Not included in this article are obvious choices such as London, Paris or Dublin, which have been served from Faro for many years, as well as many of the not-so-obvious ones such as Bordeaux or Lyon in France, Reykjavik, Helsinki or Copenhagen in northern climes, Rome and Milan in Italy, and Barcelona or Madrid across the border in Spain, to mention just a few.
For this article, we have chosen five destinations that may not immediately come to mind when we think of direct flights from Faro, and between them, they open up a world of convenient travel opportunities for residents of the Algarve.
New York
The Big Apple is now just over an eight-hour direct flight from Faro with United Airlines. If you have never had a valid excuse to get to know it, now is the time to make it happen. The direct flight starts again in May and runs until late October, with three flights a week. It flies into Newark, which in some ways is even worse than JFK, but forgive the dreaded New York immigration queues and look forward to a few days in what is, without a doubt, one of the world’s greatest cities.
Marrakesh
OK, this means you have to fly Ryanair, sorry. But we can forgive Mr. O’Leary for taking us on a not-so-magic carpet ride from Faro straight to one of the world’s most exotic cities in just one hour and 20 minutes; wonderful Marrakesh. Morocco always amazes first-time visitors by being so close to Europe yet so culturally different that you could be on the opposite side of the globe. Stay in an atmospheric riad inside the souk or soak up the luxury in one of the city’s world-class hotels, such as the historic La Mamounia. Flights operate from May to October.
Vienna
Once again, a Ryanair route, but with great flight times all year round. And to make Ryanair more comfortable for this 3.5-hour flight, you can always book an extra seat; just use “Extra Seat” as the first name and “Comfort Seat” as the second name on any Ryanair flight. What’s not to love about Vienna? Think beautiful architecture and museums, great food and, of course, the Opera. It’s got all it takes for a perfect long-weekend city break, with year-round flights which include a convenient weekend route leaving Faro on Friday and returning on Monday.
Toronto
This flight, around eight hours, is operated by Air Transat and, whilst it used to operate only in the winter months, demand has been such that it now operates two flights per week all year round. Toronto is a beautiful city with a great food scene and, whilst it is a destination in its own right, a great attraction is that Niagara Falls is just 130km away. Our tip is to rent a car and tie in a day trip to the falls with a visit to the nearby wine lands (including the Inniskillin winery for the famous ice wine) and the quaint town of Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Azores
From stunning scenery to whale watching, hiking and so much more, the Azores is an incredibly rewarding destination for those who love nature. Operated by SATA Air Azores, the Faro flight runs three days per week all year round. For a quick visit, concentrate just on the main island of São Miguel, with sites such as the majestic twin crater lakes of Sete Cidades. But with a few days to spare, catch a ferry or local flight to one of the other islands. Back on São Miguel Island, the perfect place to stay is the DoubleTree by Hilton – a five-star property opened in 2024 with indoor and outdoor pools, located just 10 minutes from the island’s capital, Ponta Delgada.
By Bruce Hawker
