Farres is situated in the centre of Achaea, on the upper courses of the rivers Peiros and Parapeiros.

The Greek National Road 33 (Patras - Tripoli) runs through western Farres.

The municipal unit Farres is subdivided into the following communities (constituent villages in brackets): Near Chalandritsa, a Mycenaean settlement was excavated in 1985.

Ottoman rule lasted until the Greek War of Independence, in which the area was liberated in 1821–1822.

Two earthquakes, measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale, struck the municipality on February 5, 2008, causing little damage.