Local bus and passenger ferry connections at Olhão

The information has been obtained from printed timetables and other local sources (like taking the bus) and is given in good faith.
Information about ferries has been updated as best I can. No official sources.

For train times at Olhão along the coast please see www.algarvebus.info/006.htm - trains are quicker and often cheaper than buses.

Olhão has a small 'bus station'. Map of the town showing railway station and bus station here. See below for details.
NB - long distance buses (coaches) operated by Rede Expressos and Flixbus stop elswehere.

There are also minibus routes around the town and suburbs on weekdays and Saturdays - details

Most Buses Operated by VAMUS

For the timetable of buses along the coast between Faro, Olhão, Tavira and Vila Real de Santo António, please click here

MFO - runs Mondays to Fridays (weekdays) only except holidays
SHX - does not run on Sundays or Holidays

VAMUS Route 101 Olhão <> Quelfes <> Moncarapacho

also Olhão Transportes Urbanos Linha Azul Olhão - Quelfes- times in blue
The Linha Azul takes a much longer route. Tickets are not interchangeable with Route 101

	MFO	SHX	SHX	Daily	SHX	MFO	SHX	Daily	SHX	MFO
Olhão Bus Station	0725	0820	1100	1220	1340	1625	1740	1830	1900	1915
Quelfes	0734	0853	1133	1229	1413	1634	1813	1839	1929	1924
Moncarapacho	0740	---	---	1235	---	1640	---	1845	---	1930
	Daily	MFO	MFO	SHX	SHX	Daily	SHX	MFO	SHX	SHX
Moncarapacho	0655	0730	0810	---	---	1240	---	1810	---	---
Quelfes	0701	0736	0816	0853	1133	1246	1413	1816	1813	1929
Olhão Bus Station	0710	0745	0825	0919	1159	1255	1433	1825	1839	1953

There are also very infrequent buses between Olhão and Moncarapacho via Alfandega (Fuseta X). Click here for times

VAMUS Route 102 Olhão <> Pechão

Journey time is ten minutes.

MFO - runs Mondays to Fridays (weekdays) only except holidays
Route 102 from Olhão Bus Station at 0840 and 1830 on weekdays, also at 1220 and 1330 on Schooldays.
Route 102 from Pechão to Olhão at 0800, 0850 and 1840 on weekdays, also at 1235 and 1345 on schooldays

Also available is Olhão Transportes Urbanos Linha Amarela (Yellow)

Linha Amarela from Olhão Bus Station on weekdays at 0940 and 1500, On Saturdays at 0820 and 1220
From Pechão to Olhão on weekdays at 1007 and 1527, on Saturdays at 0847 and 1247.
Linha Amarela takes a longer route. Tickets are not interchangeable with those for route 102.

There is also a limited bus service on weekdays only between Faro and Pechão; click here for times.

PASSENGER FERRIES BETWEEN OLHÃO AND OUTLYING ISLANDS

	Picture of Armona Ferry left. Culatra ferry right. Click a picture for larger size. SPECIAL NOTE : GETTING ON AND OFF THESE FERRIES MAY INVOLVE SOME STEEP AND NARROW STEPS. DISABLED PEOPLE MAY HAVE DIFFICULTIES.
Timetables on the internet have disappeared from the local council website. I have only found them on an unofficial site here. Inverno - winter times October until end May. Verão - summer times 1st June to end September. DO CHECK LOCALLY in case of short-term changes PASSENGER FERRIES ONLY - there are no motor vehicles or even roads on the islands. Bicycles are not carried. Dogs must be muzzled and on a leash.
These ferries are not just for tourists! Ferries leave from a pier near the old fish docks; obviously on the waterfront and about ten minutes walk from bus and train stations. Map here.
Pay at the ticket office at the pier entrance, cash only! Extra journeys may operate at very busy times. The ticket office opens 30 minutes before the ferry departure.

Olhão <> Ilha Armona

journey about 15 minutes - click here for a picture of Armona

	All ferries run daily - at least that is my reading of the timetables. Please do check locally especially on major public holidays. You don't want to be stranded on the other side.
1st July to 31st August
Olhão to Armona	0730, 0815, 0930 then every hour until 1830 then last run 2000
Armona to Olhão	0715, 0750, 0900 and every hour until 1800, then at 1915 and 2030.
June and September
Olhão to Armona	0730, 0930, 1130, 1230, 1430, 1530, 1730, 1830.
Armona to Olhão	0750, 1000, 1200, 1300, 1500, 1600, 1800, 1915.
1st October to 31st May
Olhão to Armona	0830, 1200, 1500 and 1700 also at 1000 and 1900 in April and May.
Armona to Olhão	0900, 1030 (April and May only), 1230, 1530 and 1730, also at 1930 in April and May.

Olhão <> Culatra <> Farol

Daily - runs daily all year round
AAA Operates Daily from 1st June to 20th September only
BBB these sailings operate Daily in July, August and until 20th September.
CCC These sailings operate Daily from 21st September to 31st May
DDD Operates Daily, from 1st July to 21st September
EEE - Operates Daily, from 21st September until 31st May

	Daily	AAA	BBB	CCC	CCC	DDD	Daily	AAA	EEE	AAA
Olhão	0700	0900	1100	1100	---	1300	1500	1715	1830	1930
Culatra	\|	0930	1130	1130	---	\|	1530	1745	1900	2000
Farol	0730	1000	1200	1145	1245	1330	1600	1815	1915	2020
Culatra	0745	\|	\|	---	1300	1345	\|	\|	\|	\|
Olhão	0800	1030	1230	---	1315	1400	1630	1845	1945	2050
Adult fares (estimated, sorry I forgot to make a note!) : Olhão - Culatra €2,00, Olhão - Farol €2,15 one-way. Children half price. FOOT PASSENGERS ONLY.

Ferries also operate between Faro (Portas do Mar) and Culatra from late June until the end of August and to Ilha Farol until the end of September.
For more information please click here.

Boat tours around the islands

A number of different companies offer two, three and four hour boat trips around the islands. They have kiosks along the waterfront near the Marina Ria Centre and also near the ferries. These include :
https://www.passeios-ria-formosa.com/en/ https://www.suncrew.pt/en https://culatratours.pt/?lang=en

Olhão Water Taxis

Water taxis to and from the islands are also available, from the same pier as the ferries.
There is also a 'water taxi point' at the other end of the waterfront near the Marina Ria Centre, but it was closed off at the time of my most recent visit.
Fares for 1 - 5 people : Armona 30 Euros, Culatra 35 Euros, Farol 40 Euros and Ilha Deserta 50 Euros.

More information here

Olhão Bus Terminal Information

Regional (VAMUS) and local buses start and finish their journeys at a small street terminal in the Rua General Humberto Delgado,
close to the main Avenida da Républica and about 150 metres from the railway station.

There is an enquiry/ticket office there. To get there from the railway station, turn right and cross the road.
Walk about 50 metres and turn left into the Rua Candido O Ventura. Walk the length of the street (about 100 metres) and when at the end, turn right.
You will see the bus stops and buses a few metres ahead of you. All buses call here and make other stops in town according to route.

The ferries to the islands are about a 10 minute walk away. Map here.

LONG DISTANCE BUSES OPERATED BY REDE EXPRESSOS AND FLIXBUS LEAVE FROM DIFFERENT PLACES! CLICK THE MAP TO FIND THEIR LOCATIONS.

Olhão Local Bus Service Information - CUBO bus service

Olhão has four urban minibus bus routes, Linhas Amarela (Yellow), Azul (Blue), Azul A (Blue) and Verde (Green) starting from the bus 'terminal', going out in loops and circles to the suburbs as far as Quelfes and Pechão.
Buses run from around 0700 to 2000 weekdays, from 0700 to 1500 on Saturdays with later service one route only until 2000 on Saturdays.
There is no service on Sundays and holidays. Downloadable timetables are available here.

The fare cash on board is 1 Euro for any journey, a pre paid pass reduces that to 75 cents (five journeys minimum) and there is a monthly pass at €14.55 (€9,55 for seniors)

OTHER REDUCED FARES AROUND OLHÃO

Low price €1 tickets also available on these VAMUS routes around the town

62 Olhão - Moncarapacho (to/ from Fuseta and Poço da Areia)
66 Albufeira – Vila Real de Santo António (A)
67 Faro - Vila Real de Santo António (A)
101 Olhão - Moncarapacho
102 Olhão - Pechão
963 Poço Longo - Olhão (on demand service)

(A) reduced fares on these VAMUS routes for journeys only within the Olhão council area.

Maps of the routes can be found at https://vamusalgarve.pt/#/pt/olhao/routes

For a list of all the timetables on the site, click here
For an alphabetical list of places in the Algarve, click here
For some important general notes about buses in the Algarve, click here
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