Erasmus Experience in Faro (Portugal) 2009-2010

Why did you choose to go to Faro, Portugal?

I chose to do my Erasmus in Faro mainly because a friend from university done their Erasmus there and recommended it to me.

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How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

The scholarship lasted 9 months and they gave me a total of 4800 euro. I know that they don't give the same in all autonomous communities. They gave other friends up to 6, 500 euro.

What is the student lifestyle like in Faro?

The atmosphere there is great in every aspect. There is a good feeling in the university, between friends and teachers. Then at night, you very calmly go out, they organise a lot of Erasmus party's and everyone is invited.

Would you recommend the city and the University of Faro to other students?

Of course I recommend Faro as an Erasmus destination.

What is the food like there?

The food is excellent, also I have to say that I am a good chef; -) but I think that all of my friends liked it. Above all the cod dishes and the "pasteis de nata" (custard tarts).

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How was it finding accommodation?

I found accommodation thanks to the Office of International Relation in Algarve, which was with really nice people and I was with boys of different nationalities in a shared flat. It was so nice.

What are the accommodation prices like? And the prices in general?

The price of accommodation is reasonable. I paid 200 euros (including some bills) for a spacious room in a shared flat with a well equipped kitchen and two bathrooms. The bad thing about the apartment is that it didn't have a common area (living or dining room) because it had been made into a bedroom, but we used the kitchen where we had a TV.

Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the university?

I like Portuguese a lot and it is not difficult to understand. I took a few courses in the University of Algarve, from which you could get free credits and even though I passed the course, I didn't get the free credits because I already had them all. My only interest in the course was to learn.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Faro from your city?

The most economic way to get to Faro from my city (Tarragona) is to take a low cost flight from Reus (Tarragona) and a bus from Seville to Faro.

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Faro?

The party scene in Faro is limited and it is very concentrated but it is great, so is easy to get to know. The best pub is called "Cidade da Musica" and around that place, there are a lot of nice pubs where you can go for the first drink and end the night.

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Is it good to eat out in Faro? What are some of your favourite places to go?

There are so many nice places to eat out in Faro! But to start, I will tell you a few. There is a restaurant called MacTostas and it is very popular in Faro. They serve delicious, enormous and very cheap roasts and it is always full of young people, the atmosphere is really nice. I loved the Italian toast!

Then in la Baixa (a port area) there are a lot of restaurants where you can eat typical seafood dishes and fresh fish at a very acceptable price, but I reccommend "Centenario", where they have Fados, once a week.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

I travelled around the whole city, that is what I reccommend. Porto, Coimbraand above all Lisboa are very recommended, they are amazing!

Is there any other advice that you could give to future students who are going to Faro?

My advice to future students of Faro is to enjoy it a lot, submerge yourself in the city and its fabulous people, eat all of the typical dishes that you can, they are delicious, try to learn the language and you will never forget the experience.

In my case, I have made close friends, finalised my degree, in a country that I love and I plan to return whenever I can. It was the best year of my life.