Fuseta
“So, what’s so special about Fuseta?” my mate asked me the other day.
I thought about it.
“Why’s Fuseta special? Mmmm…I think it’s special because it’s real…”
And that’s about the highest praise I can give any place.
Fuseta is a real town with everything you’d expect in a real town: it’s filled with real locals who have real jobs, and real businesses that stay open all year round – not just during the high season. It serves food that the locals eat, drinks that the locals drink – at local prices. There’s a market that is filled every day with fresh fish, fresh meat, fresh fruit and veg. My local supermarket bakes bread daily – not just once in the morning, but throughout the day as well. The fishing boats chug out to sea from the quayside, and back again with fresh hauls of fish for the market and for the local restaurants. It’s a real working town.
But there’s more to it than that.
It’s a small town, based in the Ria Formosa Natural Park, set alongside a quay: with its own gorgeous beach as well access to the Ilha da Fuseta (via a 5 minute ferry ride), which offers 6 kilometres of empty, soft, shell-speckled sand that will lead you all the way to the Ilha de Armona whilst hardly seeing a soul, even in high season – this is the Algarve we’re talking about!
All day long, you can watch boats leaving the quay: fishing boats, pleasure boats, private boats, ferries, kayaks, SUPs.
You can watch fishermen cleaning and mending their crab baskets.
You can watch the locals having a chat, shouting at each other across the street, leaning out of their car windows to chat – not caring if cars behind have to wait.
And if the mood takes you, you can simply sit in the restaurants and bars, enjoying the general hubbub.
You can enjoy the many events that the local Freguesia puts on.
You can walk, you can cycle. You can swim, you can play golf, you can go horse-riding.
…or you can just do nothing.
For me it’s perfect.
Don’t expect rowdy nightclubs – there are only bars and restaurants, and on the whole, they shut at midnight if not before.
Don’t expect hoards of tourists, at least not foreign tourists. They’re growing in number, but you’ll find that the Portuguese live here, and the Portuguese come here, either for a holiday or a day trip.
Don’t expect hotels, don’t expect cocktail bars.
Just expect somewhere that you can relax, enjoy your food, have a drink, and feel like part of the furniture.
I love it.
Fuseta or Fuzeta?
Now, much as I love this place, I have one major problem: I have no idea how to spell its name.
If I drive along the EN125 (the main ‘A’ road along the Eastern Algarve) from either direction, I see a signpost: Fuseta.
It’s also the way it’s spelt on the deeds to my house, and the way it’s spelt by the local parish: ‘Moncarapacho e Fuseta’.
It’s how it’s spelt by the ‘Comboios de Portugal’, the railway company.
So it must be Fuseta, right?
Well, you’d think so, but then you start walking around the town.
Some boats have Fuzeta written on them, and their local (what I presume to be) ID numbers all have FZ in them – for Fuzeta I should think.
Then there’s the ‘Clube Naval da Fuzeta’ and the bar, ‘Sport Lisboa e Fuzeta’.
The Bakery across the road from the main square is the ‘Padaria da Vila da Fuzeta’.
I’ve never been anywhere before where there is no agreement as to how to spell the name of a place.
And that sums Fuseta up nicely.
No one seems to know quite what this town is: is it a fishing village? A tourist destination? A dying town? Is it up and coming?
Whatever it is, I like it – and it seems that a lot of other people do too.
However, I’ve decided that because my house deeds say Fuseta, then personally, I’m going to stick with that.
But whether that’s right or wrong?
Who knows…
If you know, then please tell me.
Map of Fuseta
The 8 Best Things to Do in Fuseta
Fuseta, Fuseta, Fuseta… So underrated as far as I’m concerned!
For such a small place, there is so much to DO!
The beach and the sea provide the perfect setting for swimming, boat trips, kayaking…
The surrounding area provides ample opportunities for walking, cycling, bird-watching, etc…
And the town itself provides an untold number of restaurants and bars for you to enjoy!
It’s perfect!
The 8 Best Things to See in Fuseta
For such a small place, there is so much to SEE in Fuseta.
it’s a small Portuguese fishing village on the Ria Formosa, a busy fishing village with many things for visitors to do, but also many things to see.
There are the beaches, the quayside, fishermen going about their business.
There are the cubist houses typical of the area, with tiled facades, roof terraces and latticed chimneys.
There’s the market, the Main Square, the Igreja (church) and the cemetery…
Just take a wander around the back streets.
Look at the architecture, look at the old doors on the houses, tall wooden doors full of character, some with doorknockers shaped like hands.
Ignore the monstrous apartment blocks on the front (I’m not sure how they passed planning!), but enjoy the old town, the quayside, the beach, the island.
Enjoy just wandering around a village that, despite welcoming tourism, has retained its charm and honesty.
So what do I like to see?
My 5 Favourite Places to Eat in Fuseta
Fuseta is full of restaurants, full of places to eat.
From the odd fast food place (to be honest, the food is never that fast and all the better for it!), to some of the best seafood restaurants you can find (thanks to the local fishermen) with not a lot in between.
In summer, it gets quite busy, especially around the square, but I’ve never struggled to find a table.
What a lot of people struggle with is perhaps the lack of variety.
There are many restaurants here, but most of them seem to offer much the same fare: Dourada (Sea Bream), Robala (Sea Bass), Salmao (Salmon), Espadarte (swordfish), Bachalau (Cod), Sardinhas (Sardines), Porco e Ameijoas (pork and clams), Porco Preto (black pork) and so on.
But despite this lack of variety I still think the food is excellent, often cooked on the coals a few yards from where you’re eating – something which certainly makes my mouth water!
My 6 Favourite Places to Drink in Fuseta
Finding somewhere to drink in Fuseta is easy, but it’s very different to many of the towns on the Western Algarve.
Fuseta is laid back.
Its bars accommodate local people as well as tourists. If you want a drink, you either have it with a meal or in one of the local bars.
A wine bar? You’ll be lucky.
A Cocktail bar? You will find a cocktail somewhere (A Concha, Borda d’Agua), but there are no cocktail bars as such.
An Irish bar? No chance.
A Microbrewery offering craft beer? Well actually, yes!
Travelling to and from Faro Airport
So, how to get to Fuseta?
Well, that’s another reason that I like the place: it’s quick and easy!
Click here for more information.
Local Facilities
Fuseta Beach
The first thing that attracts most people to Fuseta are its beaches.
As a rule, towns on the Ria Formosa don’t have a beach on the mainland. The only way to get to the beach is to take a ferry to one of the barrier islands.
But Fuseta has the best of both worlds: a beach on the mainland, just a few minutes walk from the main square, and a beach on the Ilha da Fuseta.
The beach on the mainland is perfect for families: it’s protected from the ocean by the Ilha da Fuseta, so it’s calm and fairly shallow, especially at low tide.
It’s dominated by an abandoned lifeboat station sitting at its western end. At the opposite end sits the ‘Borda d’Agua’ café, offering food and drink, and toilet and shower facilities. However, it’s a little more expensive than the bars and restaurants in the town, which are only three or four minutes away.
In summer, the beach is awash with colour, due to the number of umbrellas (parasols) planted in the sand, protecting beachgoers from the sun.
During the high season, there are also lifeguards on the beach (although I’ve never seen them called into action), and SUPs (Stand Up Paddleboards) and Kayaks for hire.
The beach on the Ilha da Fuseta offers the same facilities – a couple of bars for food and drink, equipment for hire, lifeguards, etc – but the beach is much, much bigger.
You will need to catch the ferry or take a water taxi to reach it (unless you have access to your own boat), and once there, you will find a pristine beach that stretches for miles. Walk a few hundred yards and you’ll hardly see a soul.
This beach is on the Atlantic. Every time I’ve been there, the sea’s been fairly calm, with only small waves for children to play in. However, a couple of years ago, the whole beach was washed away (it’s since been replaced!), so it can obviously get quite rough during the winter.
This could be why the ferry service only runs during the summer months (April-September), so outside of this period, you’ll have to take a water taxi or make do with the local beach – which is really not a problem!
We swam there in February this year. I think that the locals thought we were mad. They were all togged up in big coats and jeans, and we were happily diving into the water watching the fish swim by!
It was brilliant!
Trains
Unusually for such a small place, Fuseta has two train stations: ‘Fuseta-A’ and ‘Fuseta and Moncarapacho’.
The latter is on the north-eastern side of Fuseta and the walk down to Fuseta is along a narrow road without pavements for part of it, so I tend to avoid using this station.
Fuseta-A is more central, and only a couple of minutes walk to the main square, and then four or five more to the beach.
The train line itself runs all the way along the Algarve, but if we stick to the Eastern Algarve, it runs from Faro in the west to Vila Real de Santo Antonio in the east.
A timetable and the cost of catching the train to each station in the Eastern Algarve can be found here.
Tickets are cheap anyway, but children (4-12) are half price, as are adults over 65 (ID required).
You can purchase your tickets at the kiosk on the platform – which is rarely manned – or on the train. The guard will come round to collect your money. As previously mentioned, it’s cash only and it’s good to have the right money – certainly no big notes.
Ferries and Water Taxis
There is a ferry service available across to the Ilha da Fuseta. Unfortunately, it doesn’t run all year round, but you can take a water taxi over as an alternative.
The ferries to the island are run by Harmonia:
Phone: +351 289 794210
Email: barcosharmonia@gmail.com
Opening hours: Mon-Sun 10:00-19:00
The ticket office can be found just across the road from the quayside near where the ferries dock – a large brown shed-like building, with a sign saying ‘Bilheteira’.
Follow the road from the Mercado Municipal (the fresh food market on the quayside) towards the beach, and you can’t miss it.
Ferry times and prices can be found here.
The kiosk for the water taxis is next to the area where passengers board the ferry.
Water taxis can be taken to Ilha da Fuseta, and other remote beaches. If wanting to return by water taxi too, you simply agree a time beforehand and you will be picked up.
Water Taxi destinations and prices can be found here.
Parking
There is ample parking in Fuseta.
With a large car park near the beach, there is also parking on the streets of Fuseta. An unused football pitch on the Avenue Marginal is commandeered for cars in the summer – half of it offers free parking, and half of it costs €2 per day. I’ve never understood why.
But even so, in August it can still be hard to find a parking space, so get there early.
And don’t park illegally. In past years, I have seen the police clamping and fining drivers for parking on pavements etc.
This year has been different. I haven’t seen any police at all, and the rumour is that they were ordered to go to the Praia da Faro to control the parking there for this season. True or not? Who knows, but it has meant that Fuseta has turned into a bit of a free for all over the last couple of months.
Accommodation
In the high season, accommodation is at a premium.
There are no hotels as such, but if you search on booking.com, or airbnb.com etc you will find plenty of properties available. However, these are all usually snapped up around Christmas/Springtime, so book early.
One that I particularly like is Casa Dionysus, having stayed there a couple of times. Have a look and see what you think!
Of course, the off-season is not such a problem.
I’ve also seen a number of signs on houses around the town suggesting rooms to rent. How many of these are free in the summer, and what the quality of them is, I’m afraid I can’t answer.
You can rely on them at your own risk!
Campsite
Between the beach and the town there is a campsite: the Parque de Campismo da Fuzeta.
Contact details are as follows:
Avenida 25 de Abril, 8700-908 Fuseta, Faro, Portugal – +351 289 793 459
The price list for services offered can be found here.
Fresh Food Market (Mercado Municipal)
On the quayside between Largo 1st de Maio and Rua Dr Virgilio Inglis lies the Mercado Municipal, Fuseta’s fresh food market.
It’s open each morning between 7am and 2pm (except Sunday), selling fresh fish, fresh meat, and fresh fruit and veg.
It’s where locals go to buy their food. Well worth a visit!
Street Markets
Fuseta has two street markets each month.
There is a Flea Market on the 2nd Sunday of each month, situated on the roads and car park surrounding the campsite
On the 1st Thursday of the month (except August) there is a market, again situated on the roads and car park surrounding the campsite.
Supermarkets
Fuseta has a surprising number of Supermarkets, big and small.
Some are open all day every day, some close for lunch. Some have everything you could ask for (and then some) and some have a limited range.
Each of them has their regular customers and each of them always seems to be busy.
The main Supermarket is Algartalhos, which can be found on the N125-5 – the main road into Fuseta from Alfandanga (the road that comes in on the eastern side of Fuseta). It’s open from 8am-9pm 7 days a week.
Fuseta Supermercado is good too – just off the main square on Rua Dr Virgilio Ingles. Don’t be put off by how cramped it looks.
Having said that, I was once trapped between two old ladies who spent 5 minutes feeling their way through the fruit stand, not worrying that no one could go past. One was in front of me and one was behind. I couldn’t move. As always in Portugal, patience was required!
Apart from that, Fuseta Supermercado is great, especially the bread. They seem to bake throughout the day, so you’ll often find hot rolls there!
Lovely!
Shops
There are a surprising number of shops in Fuseta, many of which you won’t even notice: food shops, clothes shops, gift shops, barbers (at least three that I know of!), hairdressers, beauty salons, a paint shop, an ABC, a Chinese shop – the list goes on.
The ABC and the Chinese shop can be found on Avenue 25 de Abril, near to the campsite.
You find shops like these all over the Algarve. They sell virtually anything you need for the house. Do they offer the best quality? Probably not, but when you’re desperate for something, whether it’s a lighter for the gas, a toilet brush, a doormat, a phone case, etc (almost anything!) they’re a Godsend. Well worth a wander around!
This summer Sue forgot to bring her bathing costume over. We went to a clothes shop – nothing would fit or was suitable – so we went to the Chinese shop… bingo! And a third of the price!
Bargain!
Police
To gain an understanding of the various police forces in Portugal, click here.
In Fuseta, you won’t see many of them!
There is no police station as such, with the nearest being in Moncarapacho:
GNR – Posto Territorial de Olhão, R. Gabriel Mendonça 5, 8700-082 Moncarapacho, Portugal
It’s open 24 hours a day.
But the Maritime Authority does have a presence. Officially they are part of the Portuguese navy, but provide policing and Coast guard duties on the coast.
They can be found on Rua Coronel Brandeiro.
For emergencies, call 112.
Hospital
There is no hospital as such in Fuseta.
The nearest Centro de Saude can be found in Olhao:
Olhão Health Center (Centro de Saúde Olhão)
Address: R. de Antero Nobre, 8700-240 Olhão, Portugal, +351 289 700 260
Open Monday to Friday: 08:30 – 20:00
However, there is supposedly a small medical facility in Fuseta:
Olhão Health Center – Fuzeta Extension, R. da Ponte Pequena, 8700-021, FUSETA, Olhão +351 289790290
Having said that, I’ve looked for it and never found it, so I can’t guarantee its existence.
For emergencies, call 112.
Dentist
You can find a dentist in Rua Tenente Barroso. I haven’t had to use the dentist, so I can’t tell you much about it.
Dra. Sonia Magnabosco
Phone: +351 289793066
Pharmacy
The Pharmacy in Fuseta (Farmácia Mendes Segundo) can be found just off the main square near to the Fuseta Supermercado.
It’s open from 9am-7pm each Monday to Friday (closed for lunch from 1-3pm) and from 9am-1pm on a Saturday. It’s closed on Sunday.
Phone: +351 289 793 101
Bank
The bank in Fuseta is a branch of Credito Agricola.
It can be found on Avenue 25 de Abril, and is open from 8:30am-3:30pm Mon-Fri.
ATMs
There are a number of ATMs in Fuseta.
| At the bank |
| On the side of the Mercado Municipal |
| Across the road from the square on the Rua Dr Virgilio Ingles |
| Next to the Pharmacy |
| Next to the entrance to the campsite |
Post Office
The Post Office (CTT) can be found just along the road from the bank, on the Avenue 25 de Abril.
Phone: 289798341
Opening hours: 9am-6pm (12:30pm-2:30pm closed for lunch) Mon-Fri.
Launderette
Lavisek, the launderette, can be found near to the supermarket, Algartolhos, on the N125-5 – the main road into Fuseta from Alfandanga (the road that comes in on the eastern side of Fuseta).
A small wash costs €4.50 and a large wash costs €8. Both cycles run for about an hour, and no detergent is required. The drier runs for about 15 minutes and costs €1.50.
The launderette is open from 9am to 10pm every day
Public toilets
There are a number of toilet options in Fuseta.
| In the Mercado Municipal |
| Across the road from Casa Corvo restaurant on Largo 1st de Maio |
| Near to the bandstand – across the road from the entrance to the campsite, but these are often locked |
| All bars and restaurants have toilets, but please only use these if you are patronising the premises (ie buy something, be it a meal, a drink or whatever). Bar and restaurant owners are trying to make a living. |
Exercise Area
There is a very basic exercise area, situated on the way from the campsite entrance to the beach. If nothing else, it offers a really nice view of the abandoned lifeboat station!
Playgrounds
There is a small children’s play area back towards the town from the Exercise area (near to the bandstand).
There is a larger play area close to the ferry ticket office on the quayside.
With a bar on each side of this play area, it’s a nice place for the children to have fun, whilst allowing you to keep an eye on them and enjoy a coffee (or maybe a beer or a ‘vinho verde’!) at the same time.
Be aware though – it gets busy in the high season, and well into the evening too!