A perfect day inâ€¦ Faro

with Paulo Jesus - Skate shop owner

7AM – It’s always good to wake up early in Faro, even on a day off, as the city and its neighbouring towns have much to offer. There’s no better way to begin the day than to sit down and enjoy an espresso at one of Faro’s many cafés. My favourite place is Café do Coreto, for its fantastic view of the docks and Ria Formosa.

9.30AM – After my coffee I go into the centre of Faro to open up the shop I own, Razo Skate Shop. I open daily at 10am. I stick around for a bit, speaking to customers who might be looking for something special and want to ask my advice. People are always on the lookout for the right skateboards, backpacks, streetwear or skatewear. My regular customers can drop by here any time, because the store is right across the street from the main bus station. We’re easy for anyone to spot because of the colourful graffiti art on our outside wall.

1PM – Time flies when we’re having a good time! I’m lucky that I enjoy my work, but I work a half-day today and leave another staff member in charge for the rest of the afternoon. My favourite spot for lunch is actually very near the shop, so that’s where I head. It’s a bar/café called Ministério da Cerveja (yep, the Ministry of Beer), where everyday they serve fresh seafood and home-brewed beer.

3PM – The only way to improve on a great seafood lunch is to follow it with an afternoon stroll. A walk around the cathedral and the surrounding cobbled streets always feels like a trip into Faro’s past. Sometimes I go further afield and take a boat trip to Ilha de Faro, Farol or Deserta, which are some of the best beaches around.

5PM – It’s time to meet up with my wife Cristina and our daughter, Adriana. She’s 14 and such a cool girl: she’s a skater and she likes anything she considers punk or radical. She’s intelligent and a very good student, too. For an appetiser before dinner, I’d suggest we go to one of the many tavernas in the city’s Old Town.

7PM – Getting together with friends is always a treat, so my ideal evening in Faro would be to invite our good friends Maia João and Fernando and their daughters Catarina and Mariana for dinner at a cosy restaurant, like A Républica. This is a restaurant for all tastes; the menu has a wide range but includes the traditional dishes from the Algarve, like Portugese-style steak with ham and potatoes.

9PM – After the children are safely back at home, the rest of us head over to the two most crowded streets of Faro, Rua do Prior and Rua Conselheiro Bìvar. These streets are packed full of lively bars, and maybe we can discover a few new favourites…

Meet Paulo at…
Razo Skate Shop, Faros’ mecca for all things street and skate, which he owns and manages. Alight at the ‘Hotel Eva’ bus stop. Travessa da Madalena 6, Faro, +351 (0)28 980 5312