Albufeira Mini Guide
Albufeira gets a huge amount of visitors during the hot Portuguese summer months and it has the facilities to cater to them including hotels and apartment blocks, restaurants and bars, a marina, and golf courses.
To arrive at Albufeira your best bet is to fly into the nearby Faro airport where you can rent a car and take the 40 minute drive into this city which has many tourist resorts.
But the older parts of the city have also been well maintained and are worth taking a stroll around to see. If you want to learn more about Albufeira’s history set some time aside to visit the small museum of 15th and 17th century Ming ceramics and a Municipal art gallery which holds regular exhibitions during the season. The new Virtual Archaeological Museum is a further addition to the town which is of interest.
Beaches are your best bet for rest and relaxation in Albufeira and there are plenty of them to keep you entertained such as the Fisherman’s beach, Praia de Castelo, Praia de Gale, the beach of Bryn and Praia de Ora.
Albufeira is an old fishing village and its coastline provides many great opportunities for gastronomes who are into their seafood. Try Cataplana, which is steamed shellfish, Caldeirada – a fish stew, or the simpler traditional dish of grilled sardines. These are excellent when they have come straight off the small fishing boats as the catch of the day.
Albufeira is well known for its buzzing late night life. Head to the area called the ‘Strip’ which can be found near the Montechoro section of Albufeira.
This spot is well visited by young holiday makers in the summer and popular bars include Erin's Isle, Matt's Bar, Linekers, Cafe Del Mar, Mustang, BJ's, Garage, Reno's, La Bamba, and Wild & Co. The Kiss night club is one of the most popular, as is Kadoc, about 10 kilometres drive away between Albufeira and Vilamoura near the town of Boliqueime.
Should you wish to go golfing in Albufeira there are three main courses. They are Balaia, a well maintained nine hole course to the east of the city, another nine hole course - Pine Cliffs which is managed by the Sheraton hotel as well as the Salgados links course.
Albufeira makes an excellent base from which to drive around and explore the rest of the region and so is a perfect summer holiday option.