Albufeira Travel Guide

 
by Josie1610
 
  •   Albufeira
    by Josie1610
  • Inatel Beach
      Inatel Beach
    by J_Antunes
  • After Sunset
      After Sunset
    by alexniko13
  • The main Square
      The main Square
    by Propermark
  •   Nightlife
    by mcb
 

Pro

Paisleypaul profile photo

 Glorious beaches, Moorish culture in cliff top old town, cataplana cuisine 


Con

ChrisnJan profile photo

 Too many timeshare touts 


In a nutshell

call_me_rhia profile photo

 heaven during the off-season, hell in the high-season 

 

Explore Albufeira

Things to Do  

Old Town

Old Town, Albufeira

 12 Reviews  The crazy construction that disfigured Algarve, has (thanks God!) spared the central area of old Albufeira. Now, cleaned and organized for touristy exhibition, the central Albufeira looks good, and, for some minutes, allows us to forget the insanity of exploitation seeking for euros (or dollars,... 

Beach

Beach, Albufeira

 15 Reviews  There are some rough paths along the coast between Albufeira old-town and Villamoura connecting the many small bays, beaches and resort areas. When the tide is out, much of the distance can be done along the beach or the water's edge but several stretches must be done by climbing the steps or rocks... 

Marina

Marina, Albufeira

 6 Reviews  Albufeira has a fairly new marina located a little away from the center of town to the west. It´s still in the build up fase, but i think it´s a pleasant part of town to hang out with some nice cafes and restaurants there among the boats and the travel agents. It´s not a huge marine like in... 

Fisherman's Beach

Fisherman's Beach, Albufeira

 2 Reviews  Right in the centre of the city, this is THE beach of Albufeira. Construction in the area took people form this beach spreading them along the coast, but it didn't loose its sortilege. Now it misses the fisherman's boats that once provided a shade, and acts more as a decoration of restaurants and... 

Slide and Splash

Slide and Splash, Albufeira

 3 Reviews  This water shute I found frightening. It looks so simple. I watched for a while before I was tempted/persuaded to have a go. When you get to the top and its your turn to sit down with your legs hanging over the side you realise the drop is high and almost vertical!!!! The man blows a whistle and... 

Oura Beach

Oura Beach, Albufeira

 3 Reviews  This is a very glamourous beach. There is golden sand, young people, beach bars and restaurants, and plenty of other services. Oura Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Albufeira, and is surrounded by bars, restaurants, and beach bars. 

Zoo Marine

Zoo Marine, Albufeira

 5 Reviews  Zoo Marine is a kind of seaworld/zoo on the Algarve coast,the main attraction being the Dolphin show which is shown several times a day everyday of the week,other attractions include a sea-lion show,Birds of prey show and tropical Bird show.There are other animals such as crocadiles and gaint... 

Bell Tower

Bell Tower, Albufeira

 3 Reviews   This tower is part of the parish church and I am not sure if you can go to the top (even if there are lots of stairs that allow you lol), but we did not had much time to go around, so we only walked around.  

Hotels  

Sheraton Algarve Hotel at Pine Cliffs Resort Albufeira

 1 Review and 468 Opinions  I stayed two nights here in December 2004. The pools & garden are very nice. There is a indoor pool,... 

Brisa Sol

 2 Reviews and 716 Opinions  I stayed here when i was 7 and it was a great hotel the bar was great even though as in recent... 

Restaurants  

Fernando: OK for fish

Fernando: OK for fish, Albufeira

 solopes Says:  All esplanades in Albufeira are full, except Fernando's. Why? Because it's more expensive than its neighbors. It tries to justify the difference with a better menu and service, and honestly, it is somewhat different. Better? Well... it depends.I was tired of eating fish, and... 

La Bodega Restaurante: Traditional Portugese steak house

La Bodega Restaurante: Traditional Portugese steak house, Albufeira

 tango_jd Says:  The restaurant is in a tourist area with plenty of competition and often employs people to invite you in off the street as do many others. Don't be put-of - the food here is exceptionally good.We chose a fried prawns in garlic starter which was piping hot and delicious.Our... 

Nightlife  

Wild&Co: Loved the bar tending show!

Wild&Co: Loved the bar tending show!, Albufeira

 AmyJRob Says:  Would like to leave my recommendation on Wild&co bar! The atmosphere was awesome! We watched a bar tending show and everybody was just electric. I had a really good time, next summer I'll be there for sure! Casual 

Matts bar: LOVE THE STRIP, LOVE MATT'S BAR

Matts bar: LOVE THE STRIP, LOVE MATT'S BAR, Albufeira

 sarakel Says:  matt's bar - THE BEST PLACE ON THE STRIP.djs in matts bar also played on the sunset boat party on the saturday, was highlight of our holiday, everyone up for a good time. the best!!!!! deffo do the matts bar boat party. cant wait for next year, already booked!!!! casual 

Transportation  

Local buses

Local buses, Albufeira

 solopes Says:  The fast growth of Albufeira justified the creation of a local bus network, called Giro. It covers all the city now, with four different routes, identified by diffferent colours.If you decide to go a little further there are regional buses, being EVA the main company in... 

Shopping  

Dreams: Ice shops in te Middle of the old town

Dreams: Ice shops in te Middle of the old town, Albufeira

 bharathi_raj Says:  Be careful here - we got ripped off for four cones - 13 euro's they were extortionate - the price charged was random - avoid at all cost please.There are plenty of little shops who offer a good service just adjacent - but this was a total rip off! 

Local Customs  

Lota

Lota, Albufeira

 solopes Says:  The fish comes from the boats and goes straight to the counters. The lady picks a couple of soles and puts them in the scale. One of the soles jumps from the scale and falls in the floor, she picks it again and weighs the lot. The costumer pays the demanded amount, about one... 

Warnings and Dangers  

There are snakes!

There are snakes!, Albufeira

 tango_jd Says:  We encountered a snake one evening when walking from the Strip area towards Albufeira old town. This was on the hill leading down to the large old building currently being refurbished. There was a wall between the path and what appeared to be a deep drop onto rough... 

Tourist Traps  

Fortune Tellers

Fortune Tellers, Albufeira

 solopes Says:  If you have any doubt about how much the world needs to learn and to progress, just think how many thousand people still do live in it from some odd professions.Do you want to know your future? Don't worry, come to me, show me your hand (or foot, or elbow, or credit card),... 

Off The Beaten Path  

"Reveillon"

"Reveillon", Albufeira

 solopes Says:  Most people gather in Albufeira for New Year's eve. Some of them prefer to stay in the hotels. That´s what we did, in Hotel Paraíso de Albufeira. Several options, several levels of price, but no one stays at home in that night. 

Favorites  

Hotel check-in / check-out times

Hotel check-in / check-out times, Albufeira

 tango_jd Says:  In our case, and an several others we spoke-to, we discovered that the hotels and apartments often had late check-out and check-in times.We thought our early morning flight would enable us to get settled-in and enjoy a fairly full first day but were told upon arrival that... 

watch out for the toll ,after 48 hours not before

watch out for the toll ,after 48 hours not before, Albufeira

 sunbabemel Says:  hi. i just got back today, the weather was lovely, bikini weather all day, our pool was heated so could swim in it, easy to walk into. I was talking to some people last night who were stay at the Eden, they said the room were realy very plush, best they had ever stayed in... 

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