Atelier de Peinture d’Azulejos Portugais avec Carla à Faro, Algarve, Portugal

We booked a tile painting class for our family of four (children ages 6 and 11) to have an authentic Portuguese experience during our visit to the area. It did not disappoint! Carla is an amazing teacher! She has a wonderful process that is engaging and easy to follow for everyone, and she was so patient with all of us - especially our children. She gave us a little education about the history of Portuguese tile painting and had pastel de nata for us to try. Carla even delivered our tiles to us at our hotel. Now we have an amazing memory to take home with us that we’ll cherish forever and a little lesson in “wabi sabi” that we’ll never forget. Highly recommend this experience for everyone!

This workshop was the highlight of our entire trip to Portugal.

We deliberately saved it for the end of our journey and I’m so grateful we did. After spending time learning about the history and significance of azulejos throughout Portugal, creating our own tiles felt incredibly meaningful.

Where do I even begin with Carla? She welcomed us with such warmth and generosity that 900ºatelier immediately felt less like a studio and more like a home. We arrived as students and left feeling like friends. She shared her story, encouraged us to experiment, celebrated our creativity, and even surprised us with pastéis de nata from a local bakery.

What I will remember most is the atmosphere she created. At one point, beautiful Portuguese music was playing, each of us was quietly immersed in our own artwork, and time seemed to disappear. There was no pressure to perform or even converse—just three people happily creating alongside one another. It was one of the most peaceful and memorable moments of our trip.

Carla’s passion for azulejos, creativity, and Portuguese culture shines through in everything she does. Whether you’re a visitor or a local, this experience is a gift.

We left with beautiful tiles, but also with a reminder that some of the most meaningful travel experiences aren’t places at all—they’re people. What we’ll cherish most is the feeling of having briefly belonged to something special.

This was the absolute highlight of our time in Faro. Well worth the money and Carla is fantastic even for the uncreative (like moi)

It was a great afternoon with Carla!
She was very friendly and patient to explain everything to us.
It was a really fine creative experience ! Thanks!

We had a brilliant time at this workshop. Carla was incredibly accommodating, both in organizing a suitable time and ensuring the tiles were ready for us to pick up just a few days after firing, before we had to leave.

There were so many beautiful design options, and we were absolutely delighted with how our tiles turned out. Our two sons also really enjoyed the workshop—they were able to create tiles using templates as well as freehand, which made the experience even more special for them.

We loved speaking to Carla and learning about the tile painting process. It was a truly unique experience that will stay with us for a long time.

We would definitely recommend this workshop to anyone visiting Faro—an absolute must!

We had a fantastic time at the tile painting workshop. Carla is a wonderful host and explained everything so well and was very patient with us, helping us to get creative with our own designs, once we learnt the basics.
We were a group of three friends and there was plenty of time and space for us.
And we enjoyed some absolutely delicious cake, baked by Carla’s mother!

We love our tiles! What fun we had. Thank you Carla for your kind and patient approach to tile painting.
We will display them with pride 😊

A great workshop, Carla was wonderful teaching us about the tile painting and helping out where we needed. The highlight of our trip, I would recommend to anybody!

Really good fun. I learned new techniques for painting tiles in the Portuguese fashion. I brought my own sketches so that the tiles were more pertinent to me. Carla was very interesting and explained her love of ceramics and showed me around the workshop. I will definitely recommend to others.

Carla is wonderful, with such kindness and an incredible magnetism. The experience was truly special, and the result exceeded our expectations. The tiles turned out beautifully. What a magnificent gift to bring to our grandchildren. With heartfelt thanks,
Laurie & Philip

We had a briliant time at this workshop.
Carla was so accomodating with organising the time for the workshop and returning them a few days later after they had been fired before we had to leave. There were heaps of cool options for tile designs and we were super happy with how they came out. We had a great time talking to Carla and learning about the tile painting process.
Would definitely recommend this workshop for anyone visiting Faro.

Carla is warm, welcoming, and a fantastic teacher. We loved learning about the history of Portuguese tiles and creating our own pieces to take home. The cosy studio, delicious homemade cake, and relaxed atmosphere made it even more special. Highly recommend to anyone visiting Faro!

Carla was incredibly kind and friendly we had so much fun painting. She also offered us cake, drinks and even gave us recommendations for our stay in the Algarve. The workshop was a very interesting experience, it felt very cozy in her beautiful Atelier. I would definitely recommend and come back again !