Learn Portuguese in Faro and enjoy a fully immersive language course in a beautiful historic port town.
Our school in Faro
Although it is the capital city of the Algarve, Portugal’s most prominent tourist area, Faro has escaped the changes that are usually made to attract international visitors. This is a typically Portuguese city, with local shops, unspoilt historic streets and landmarks, and inexpensive restaurants selling delicious seafood. That being said, the picturesque and famous beaches of the Algarve are only ever a short journey by car or public transport away!
The old town is just a short stroll from the language school. Enter through one of the historic arches and enjoy exploring the pretty cobbled streets. If you exit via Arco da Vila, you’ll find yourself right next to the marina - the perfect place for some yacht-watching and a refreshing drink!
Our Portuguese language school in Faro is located next-door to the Mercado Municipal de Faro, a large, indoor food and flower market. This is the ideal place to practise your newly-improved Portuguese language skills, and pick up some tasty local produce.
Our school has six classrooms, all with air-conditioning to help keep you cool and comfortable during the sun-drenched days in the height of summer. There is also a garden area and student kitchen with microwave, enabling you to heat up your own meals and snacks on days you don’t want to make use of the local eateries. Free Wi-Fi throughout the building will help you to research and plan your outings (the school staff will also be on hand to provide advice on the local area).
Photos
Faro
Faro is a historic city - there is evidence of settlements dating back to the fourth century BC - and the architecture features many reminders of the area’s Roman and Moorish pasts. These ancient sites contrast sharply with the city’s mid-century buildings, and Faro is fast becoming a popular destination for admirers of modernist design. Once you’ve explored the cobbled alleys of the old town, and taken in the geometric-patterns and sharp angles of the South Modern residential area, escape to the tranquillity of the Ria Formosa Natural Park, one of the seven natural wonders of Portugal. This lagoon area of marshes and wetland stretches nearly 60km along the Algarvan coastline and is home to many species of birds and wildlife. It is possible to take a boat trip into the lagoon directly from the marina in central Faro - connecting with nature has never been so easy! If you fancy seeing the area while taking some exercise, it is also possible to book a kayak tour of the park.
When you’re ready to return to the hustle and bustle of the city, no visit to Faro would be complete without a trip to the Igreja do Carmo, Faro’s prettiest church, parts of which date back to 1713. The magnificent gilded interior would be reason enough to visit, but it’s the Capela dos Ossos, located behind the church, that really draws the visitors. The Capela dos Ossos, or ‘Chapel of Bones’, is decorated with the bones and skulls of an estimated 1300 Carmelite monks, whose remains were exhumed from a nearby, overfull cemetery in the early 1800s. This somewhat eerie attraction is open to visitors for a small fee a selected times during the week, and some Saturday mornings. The inscription above the door to the chapel reads ‘Stop here and consider, that you will reach this state too’ (‘Pára aqui a considerarque a este estado hás-de chegar’)
After contemplating your own mortality you might be ready for a cool glass of wine and a bite to eat! Faro has no shortage of restaurants, and as a main meal costs, on average, around €12, it offers great value for money as well. Seafood lovers will be well and truly spoilt in Faro, with most restaurants serving an excellent selection of the day’s catch. Be sure to try the cataplana, a traditional seafood stew served in a copper bowl of two halves that it’s cooked in.
Courses in Faro
Available courses
A total immersion Portuguese course at our Faro school will ensure you achieve a well-rounded knowledge of the language. Before starting the course you will take an assessment test to make sure you are placed in a group with students of the same level.
The Intensive course of 20 lessons per week is usually scheduled 09:00-12:40 Monday to Friday (including a 30-minute break) and incorporates all aspects of language learning, including speaking, listening, reading, writing and grammar. Your native Portuguese speaking teacher will make sure you get the most from your lessons and make as much progress as possible in the time available to you.
This course is also available at Christmas time, making Faro the ideal location for a winter getaway.
If you fancy studying in the afternoon as well, opt for the Super Intensive course of 25 lessons per week. In addition to the morning lessons, you will attend one themed workshop, with focus topics including conversation, vocabulary exercises, linguistic presentations, and role play activities. These sessions are held 13:00-14:40 Monday to Friday.
The maximum class size at our Faro school is just 8 students per class (except at Easter and in August), providing lots of personal attention to each and every student.
Private lessons (5 or 10 lessons per week) can be arranged in addition to group classes, allowing students to delve deeper into areas that they don’t feel confident in, or cover specific vocabulary. For maximum progress consider booking a full course of private lessons. You will then be able to design the programme to suit your own requirements exactly, and as you can join the school’s free-time activities you will still have the opportunity to mix and socialise with other students.
Special courses in Faro
Accommodation
Available accommodation
Stay with a Portuguese host family to really immerse yourself in the language and culture! Our Faro school can arrange accommodation with a carefully selected local host or host family for you. This type of accommodation is offered on a bed and breakfast basis, leaving you free to sample the local tabernas for lunch and dinner.
We also offer self-catering accommodation in Faro in the form of shared student apartments. This fully-equipped accommodation option offers single and shared bedrooms (shared rooms available for two students travelling together) and access to a shared bathroom, kitchen and living room. The apartments are located within walking distance of the school and have cable television and Wi-Fi.
Activities
Make the most of your time in Faro by participating in the school’s optional activity programme. Our school regularly offers visits to museums, monuments and other local places of interest, all included in the cost of your course! The school will also arrange dinners at local Portuguese restaurants, in which case you just pay for your own meal and drinks. You will be encouraged to practise your Portuguese at all times, so that you continue to increase your confidence in using the language in everyday situations!
Sample activity programmeHow to get there
Faro has its own airport, located very close to the city centre. Most flights that arrive here are from other European countries so if you are travelling long-haul you should consider flying to Lisbon and then travelling to Faro on an internal flight, or by train or coach.
On arrival at Faro Airport there are lots of taxis available, or use the airport bus. If you would prefer to be met on arrival we can arrange an airport transfer for you at extra cost.
Location of our school in Faro
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Student reviews & feedback
Intensive 20 with Host family
The classes in Faro were well organized. My host was excellent. The schools and accommodation were both excellent and I would return to both in the future.
- D. Rice
Semi-intensive
I felt like I had learnt a lot! I really enjoyed my time there I was satisfied with the progress I had made. There were enjoyable cultural activities twice a week and the support from the language school was great.
I would really recommend Faro, it's calm with beautiful beaches and lovely places to explore along the Algarve. 4 weeks is a perfect amount of time to immerse yourself in the culture and practice speaking newly learnt skills!
- G. Barreto
Super Intensive 25
Very professional. Excellent course, with placement test, course book, only two students in the group. I learned such a lot in two weeks.
- C. Edgington
Super Intensive 25
I already knew a bit of Portuguese but with two weeks of the super intensive course all the pieces of knowledge combined.
The teachers are really really nice and open. I enjoyed going there.
- J. Steffens
Semi Intensive with Host Family
Consequent and patient teacher with good declaration Intodrucing not only the language but the Country and People too Very friendly and helpful , creating a pleasant atmoshere Extremely nice guide in the afternoon programs. I would be happy to come again.
Very friendly and Open-mind hosts without being intrusive. The best I could Hope for: excellent conditions in aspect to room and bathroom - best Hygiene.
- A. Göttsche
The teachers were very friendly! The acomodation in itself was good (clean, spacious, well equipied) but it was far from the school (20 minutes walking), from the town center.
- R. Touitou
Good teacher and I learnt alot during the month.
- F. Somerville
Super Intensive 25 with Host Family
The best course I have ever had. Great teachers in terms skill and humor, and lovely office lady. Very good homestay. Close to school, hospitable host and good accommodation. Faro might be a very good place for study. Small town but still lots to enjoy so I didnt get bored.Convinient transport to all coast cities and Seville. Very nice local people who always smile and respond in portugues if you want to practise your portuguese with them.
- X. Yue
Teacher was excellent. After 2 weeks learning Portuguese, we're able to write Portuguese and to speak. That's great !
- B. Françoise
The location of the class was excellent in an old style building which added to the character of the course. The teaching and admin staff could not have been more helpful or interested and really strived to make the week as productive as possible. The course moved along at a good pace of learning and there were contiunal checks to see that learning had taken place. The short morning break was welcome and allowed further informal chat with the tutor (in Portuguese) and with the other students. The morning lessons seemed to fly by which is an indication of how interesting they were. I also had a one to one lesson afterwards and this allowed me to cover topics that I wanted to and it was during this time that the language began to drop into place and I would certainly recommend this to anyone as an additional option to extend the learning.
- L. Ball
The teachers were above my expectations and I developed a great foundation to learn Portuguese. It's an excellent program. The accommodation was basic but good, we came and went as we pleased and the hostesses were very kind.
- J. Amaral
The teacher did a great job and made the course interesting and very useful. My accommodation was good, very clean, the staff were great and very discreet.
- C. Maud
The course was excellent. It was geared well to the needs of students as, after an initial assesment, we were grouped according to our past experiencs and knowledge of the language. In my group there were three students and it worked well. The group tutor was excellent. We had an opportunity, one afternoon, to go with a guide to a local museum which was a very interesting trip. The guide useed Portuguese throughout (albeit speaking slower than she would obviously normally speak - for our benefit, it was much apreciated!)
- R. Gupta
Despite needing to accommodate a range of abilities, even within a group 'moderated' by the initial test, the teachers provided a thoroughly professional course. The group-work was always interesting; whilst the 'one-to-one' work was highly stimulating and enjoyable. The diversity of our group(s) during the two weeks ensured a wide range of social experiences to be shared - and enjoyed - between the participants.
- P. Stow
The teachers were extremely friendly and helpful, which created a very positive working atmosphere. The standard of teaching was very high and they were happy to spend time explaining in depth some of the more difficult aspects of the language, in order that we might understand clearly. I stayed in a private home whilst completing the course. My host was very welcoming and friendly, and she helped with practising spoken Portuguese. I was really pleased with my accomodation.
- S. Miller
The course was well designed to meet my specific need to improve my speaking skills. The mixture of formal study using the book and one to one discussions on a variety of subjects was very helpful.The style was more informal than a previous course I had been on, and I especially liked the way we joined the staff and other students at a local cafe at mid morning break.
- J. Payne
School statistics
Nationality (%)
France (8)
Germany (26)
Holland (3)
Italy (9)
Norway (3)
Other (27)
Spain (5)
Switzerland (6)
Uk (5)
Usa & canada (8)
Average Student Numbers
Student stories on our blog
See the two faces of Faro, Portugal
When I think about Faro, I think about the sun, beaches, parties and relaxation!
The great thing about Faro is that it has two faces. In winter, it is a calm place, although it always has good nightlife because of the number of students from Algarve University present in the city. In summer there are lots of things to do because is filled with thousand and thousand of travellers that give life to the city.
If you are a beach lover and a sun lover I definitely recommend that you learn Portuguese in Faro. I go there every year at Easter because at that time of the year in Portugal, and especially in the Algarve, the weather starts to get warm. It's just perfect - warm but not too warm, and at that time of year there aren't many tourists so you can get to know the friendly locals well.
Read more...Prices for Faro
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Company Number: 08311373