Albufeira guide
Albufeira is situated in the southern part of Portugal, in the most important tourist area - Algarve. Its population is about 40 thousand inhabitants. It is well known for its stunning beaches with fine sand, cliffs and typically white little houses that spread throughout the city.
Accommodation in Albufeira
Accommodation in Albufeira offers an incredible number of options - from hostels, apartments, hotels, to villas, guest houses, resorts and holiday homes. The most popular accommodation is located near the Praia dos Pescadores beach or Praia do Túnel beach or provides direct access to one of the other Albufeira beaches. The cheapest accommodation can be found in hostels. The price of accommodation in three-star hotels or apartments starts at EUR 33 per room/per night. Pretty much every building that offers accommodation has also its own outdoor pool, often offer rooms with balconies and wi-fi access. The most luxurious hotel in Albufeira is probably Pine Cliffs Residence, that has its own golf course. One of the most popular hotels in Albufeira is Grande Real Santa Eulalia Resort & Hotel Spa.
Weather in Albufeira
Albufeira has a pleasant weather conditions throughout the year - summers are hot and perfect for lounging on the beach and all sorts of summer activities, winters are nice, there is practically no rain. The main tourist season for beach holidays is from April to October - during these months the main beaches are guarded by lifeguards and beach restaurants, bars and other shops on the beach are opened.
History of Albufeira
The area was inhabited as early as in Roman times. Albufeira acquired its name thanks to Arabs, who occupied the city at the beginning of the 8th century - they called it "Al-Buhayra" (= “Lagoon” in English). Moorish domination lasted for another 500 years. In the 13th century, the city was conquered by Christians and became a part of Portugal. Originally it was a typical fishing village, since 1960 it became also a very popular holiday destination. Algarve region visits annually about 5 million tourists.
How to get to Albufeira
The nearest airport is in Faro, about 30 km from Albufeira. From Faro, it is possible to get to Albufeira by taxi, bus or rent a car. Another option how to get to Albufeira is to travel by plane / train to Lisbon and from here 3 hrs by Intercity train. Another option is to travel by high-speed (Alfa Pendular) train, the journey from Lisbon to Albufeira takes 2.5 hours. The train station in Albufeira is about 6 kilometers from the city center, from the train station you can catch a taxi and in 10 minutes you are in town.
Beaches in Albufeira
Most tourists are visiting two areas - Areias de São João, known as The Strip and the Old Town. Strip is very popular amongst nightlife lovers, there are many bars, clubs and restaurants in the area. In the Old Town, you can find two main city beaches - Praia dos Pescadores (Fisherman's beach) and Praia do Tunel. Since the coast of Albufeira consists of cliffs, there were built lifts and escalators to the beaches to reach it as much as comfortable as possible. If you walk along the sea to the left from the city beaches, you can find more and more beaches to be explored. While wandering, you can stumble upon warning signs indicating the falling stones - you really need to take those seriously and avoid the areas. In addition to a possible injury you may be fined for visiting these areas. Besides this, the beaches of Albufeira are some of the safest in the world, some of them has even awarded the Blue Flag. On the right, from the city beaches, you can find a port - from here are leaving boats that offer sea trips.
Activities in Albufeira
Whether you prefer relaxing holidays or you like more action, you shall enjoy your time in Albufeira! There are many activities in the town, for example you can go horse riding or hire ATV. You can also find here a rope park or Zoomarine (marine theme park). You can visit the caves, play golf or go fishing. You can also relax during a massage or you can go singing to one of the karaoke bars.