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,... 

Beaches

Beaches, Albufeira

 23 Reviews  At the touristy south coast of the Algarve, more or less, between Quinta do Lago and Sagres, the coast has this sandstone cliffs. They have colours ranging from yellow to red, depending on the amount of iron oxide the soil has. The soil in the Algarve tends to be reddish due to natural iron oxide,... 

Waterparks

Waterparks, Albufeira

 6 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... 

Zoo Marine

Zoo Marine, Albufeira

 6 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... 

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. 

Fisherman's Beach

Fisherman's Beach, Albufeira

 4 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... 

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... 

Churches

Churches, Albufeira

 8 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 411 Opinions  I stayed two nights here in December 2004. The pools & garden are very nice. There is a indoor pool,... 

Brisa Sol

 1 Review and 491 Opinions  When we booked the Brisa Sol we were a little unsure what to expect as we had got such a good deal... 

Restaurants  

WOK MANDARIN BUFFET: TERRIBLE

WOK MANDARIN BUFFET: TERRIBLE, Albufeira

 IAIN316 Says:  IT LOOKS VERY NICE FROM THE OUTSIDE BUT ONCE YOU SIT DOWN AND EAT THE FOOD, YOU DISCOVER THE PLATES ARE COLD, THE FOOD IS LUKEWARM AND VERY GREASY. WE COMPLAINED AFTER FIVE MINUTES TO THE WAITRESS, SHE THEN WENT TO GET THE MANAGER. ALL OF A SUDDEN WE WERE SURROUNDED BY ABOUT... 

Amici's: Italian worth seeking out

Amici's: Italian worth seeking out, Albufeira

 Paisleypaul Says:  Amici's is very slightly West past the Old Town, not far from the Dolphin roundabout and very near Hotel Boa Vista and Hotel Gale. Bright and clean, a welcome diversion from some of the rather formulaic eateries nearer the strip. Great local and European wines, recommended... 

Nightlife  

The strip.

The strip., Albufeira

 cachaseiro Says:  The strip is the name of the main party street in Albufeira.It´s a very lively street where you have a plethora of bars, clubs, restaurants, etc and it´s the best place to head if you are looking for a lively night out in Albufeira.If you want to save money then it´s not... 

Transportation  

Motorways

Motorways, Albufeira

 SoulFisher Says:  Unlike Lisbon and Oporto, the public transport in the Algarve is less abundant.Here, hiring a car is a good option.If you want to drive from Albufeira along the Algarve, there a motorway going from the Spanish border all the way to Lagos in the west. Albufeira is in the... 

Parking solution

Parking solution, Albufeira

 solopes Says:  Parking is a nightmare in Albufeira. The best solution is to use a small and dusty area east of the beach, and use the escalators nearby. The problem is that, after the construction of the mechanic escalators, the park seems to be shrinking! 

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 Or Dangers  

General warnings

General warnings, Albufeira

 zerahavenoname Says:  I have been living very close to The Strip for six months now and find it extremely safe. We have heard from separate people that you should not walk further up around the Montechorro Hotel after 2am in the morning or you could be mugged. I think this warning could apply... 

Driving in Portugal

Driving in Portugal, Albufeira

 worldtraveller77 Says:  If your thinking about driving anywhere in Portugal then forget it,they don't seem to have any rules or regulations,the Portuguese people just walk out into the road at any given moment(they simply have no road sense),they are extremely impatient and rude.I went to Portugal... 

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  

Saudade

Saudade, Albufeira

 solopes Says:  To know Portugal you need to understand the meaning of the word "Saudade", which has no exact translation in any language. To help you understand that meaning, I may say that "saudade" is what is felt by all of those that knew Albufeira 30 or 40 years ago, when it was a pure... 

 
Explore Deeper into Albufeira

The Place

Plan a Albufeira vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Albufeira locals

Experience Albufeira
  •   412 Tips and Reviews
  •  658 Photos
  Share your Travels  
Map of Albufeira
 

The People

15 Members Live Here
 
Advice from the Locals
 profile photo

 Albufeira - I have lived in Albufeira for three years. Before that , I was a frequent holiday visitor. I do not drive, so rely on buses and trains (and my bicycle) to get around. I have collected a large amount... 

15 members live in Albufeira

 

Questions and Answers

DougKing profile photo

Q:  First time to Portugal, Arriving May 5 2012 1:40pm Looking to take a train as a option, not sure what is best. There is a train... 

SOLODANCER profile photo

A: don't think booking a seat on the train this early is really necessary do it a day before or simply show up early - at least 1 hour before - at the train terminal and... 

Read 7 Replies

postQuestion_button

Top Albufeira Writers

1

Albufeira

Geoff_Wright profile photo

 Albufeira had been on the top of our travel list for several years, but for one reason after another we never seemed to get there. We finally made it in October 2004, just for a week. It is one of... 

2

Albufeira

Carmela71 profile photo

  Nightlife, Beaches .... Albufeira has them, but also if you move around there are other places to see that would show you the beauty of this country and its history, like visiting Sagres and the cape... 

3

MATIM's new Portugal Page

MATIM profile photo

 Hello, thank you very much for visiting my Albufeira page. Not all the pictures in this page are made in Albufeira. But at places not too fare from the village. We have been in the Algarve in February... 

4

albufeira, algarve

call_me_rhia profile photo

  a pleasant surprise white-washed houses and churches with blue waters in the background . . 

5

Albufeira and surrounding area

bugalugs profile photo

 The Algarve in southern Portugal has been invaded and fought over by the Phoenicians, Romans and Moors. It has approximately 350,000 permanent in habitants but during the summer time when tourists... 

View all rated pages

View newest pages

Build your own Albufeira page