Albufeira - a great place to holiday!
Albufeira must be one of the most famous places in Portugal, never mind the Algarve... I'd never before stayed there, only visited to recline on a nearby beach, so it was with a hint of trepidation that I approached my most recent Algarve holiday. It turned out, I'm happy to report, to have been unnecessary worry. Albufeira has received more than its fair share of bad press, due mainly to snobbishness about 'tourism' and one tiny part of the town. We just spent two weeks in an Albufeira apartment - and loved it! And I do mean just about all of it... There are 2 Albufeiras really; the old town that served as a fishing port and the new areas that grew up around that original part. Of course, the money that tourism has brought has meant that Albufeira's importance has grown, and it's now the hub of a sizeable administrative area (although part of the greater district of Faro).
Like many places in the Algarve, it's lived through 'interesting times'. Long before the seismic events brought about by football (soccer) hooliganism during the recent Euro 2004 competition, Albufeira was suffering damage from real earthquakes (most recently in 1755, I'm led to believe). But even before and after that, there were sieges and reconquests which left the town in ruins. In fact, I understand that the upsurge of tourism over the last 30-40 years has been responsible for rescuing the place from virtual poverty. And the tourism is the result of its abundance of great beaches, which as you know, tends to endear a place to yours truly. Albufeira is pretty much in the centre of the Algarve coastline, yet the transfer by coach from Faro airport took less than one hour (and that included three previous stops to unload holidaymakers at their hotel or apartments en route to our own holiday apartment near Albufeira's Old Town). Of course, it helped that the weather was fabulous virtually the whole time. (Only 1 rainy morning, which cleared away and dried up in a blink). This is a marathon page, so if you'd rather skip to a subject that appeals, just click any of the links below:
Our Apartment
We'd wondered what a '3-star aparthotel', would be like, but once again, our concern was unfounded. The Cerro Mar complex on Rua António Aleixo is a splendid place to stay, with a choice of studio, 1- and 2-bedroom apartments, with the latter sleeping up to 6 persons. Our (1-bedroom) apartment was well-appointed, spacious and offered tremendous views of the sea and across a 'valley' from some other apartment blocks at Cerro Branco. (Husband Nev had a go at a watercolour of them, but I kept him so busy sightseeing that it remained unfinished). The roomy kitchen even boasted a dishwasher - a definite boon, as I find washing dishes while on holiday a real pain in the b*m! And the weather in Albufeira was so warm that we were certainly glad of the air-conditioning, whenever we returned from our daily activities. We also enjoyed use of an indoor (salt water) pool, steam room, sauna and gym - although I left the latter to Nev, who has more of a conscience than I do about overdoing food and drink while on vacation ... There was maid service 6 days per week and towels and linen were changed twice a week. In addition, we had access to 2 outdoor pools, a bar/restaurant with free live music several times a week, and an onsite mini-market which provided the essentials without the need to venture further afield if you didn't feel like it. The wonderful sea views were afforded by the site's elevated position, on a hill (Cerro de Malpique) above Albufeira's old town. This meant that going to town was pretty easy, but returning last thing at night meant negotiating the picturesque, cobbled steps of the Travessa de Malpique. (For picturesque, read steep!)
With this in mind, the Cerro Mar management kindly provide a 2-hourly minibus service down into the centre of the Old Town. I didn't use it, since the walk wasn't too long, but it was a nice touch that some of the frailer visitors appreciated. Actually, I was a bit limited in my walking abilities during the holiday, since I'd turned my ankle some three weeks before we travelled. (The day after Nev had booked the holiday, in fact). Normally, I love walking and would have covered simply miles, seeing everything I wanted... TransportFortunately, however, Albufeira had just introduced a new Giro (round town) bus service, which was free until the end of August! There were 3 circuits covering the whole of the centre and the outskirts, and plenty of paragems (bus stops). So we just hopped on and off wherever the fancy took us! What a great way to get to know a place! (and we did just that, with a little adventure thrown in for good measure). The three Giro 'lines' are:
Linha Vermilha One day, while availing ourselves of the Linha Azul service to visit The Strip, we had just alighted from the bus and Nev realised he'd left his backpack at the stop where we'd climbed on. We crossed the road and waited (in the shade - it was a boiling day) for some 20 minutes for the Linha Verde service to take us back to where we'd come from. We tried not to panic, since most of our important documents were tucked away in pockets and 'bum-bags'. But we needn't have worried, for there was the offending item, on the bench where he'd left it (almost an hour earlier). So I captured the moment when man and backpack were reunited.
Of course, they know how to treat visitors in Albufeira, unlike in my home town of Bournemouth, on England's south coast, where parking is always expensive and so is local transport. Even after September 1st, when they started charging fares, a 3 Euro ticket (roughly £2 or $3.40) would get you unlimited travel on any of the Giro routes for a whole day. (That's how to get tourist money circulating around an area; take note, Bournemouth Council!)
Some of the roads are a bit bumpy and in poor repair, and the carriage's suspension was probably borrowed from an original design for George Stephenson's 'Rocket'! A scenic but bone-shaking trip, with the Giro service much better value (and more comfortable). So, there's plenty to see and do in Albufeira, as we discovered. In fact, almost a week had gone by before we even thought of a hire car and getting 'out and about'. Read here for more about Albufeira car hire. And now, let's get down to what there is to enjoy in and around Albufeira. There's a great deal to tell, so I'll start with my own specialist field of interest... BeachesI knew there were some nice beaches locally, since I'd visited them before. Of course, it's much better when you're staying near a choice of great beaches, as that means you get to spend more time lazing around on them! Starting from west and going eastward, and all within easy reach, you can choose from Praia de Baleerira (west of the new marina), the old town's two beaches, Praia do Peneco and Praia dos Pescadores (Fishermen's Beach), which I've also heard called Praia dos Barcos. Then there's Praia do Inatel, Praia dos Alamães, Praia das Areias de São João, Praia dos Aveiros and Praia da Oura. That lot span only 5 kilometres (a little over 3 miles)! And there are even more beaches that are easily accessible from Albufeira. A few miles to the west are Praia da Gale and Praia do São Rafael. While a short distance eastward, you can choose from Praia do Olhos de Agua and Praia da Falésia. Some of these beaches are among my current favourites. You can see the up-to-date listing on my Favourite Beaches page.
And then, of course, as with everywhere in Portugal, there are ... ChurchesAlbufeira has a good crop of them, in varying states of use and repair. Whether or not you're religious, they offer an insight into what makes the locals tick, I find. They have certainly poured a lot of time, effort and money into their places of worship over the ages. Igreja (Parish Church)
It contains a painting by local artist Samora Barros, (who was featured at the Municipal gallery during our stay). It forms a background for Albufeira's patron saint, Our Lady of the Conception. That's the Igreja's bell tower behind me (I was sitting facing the Sant'Ana church - they're that close!) Sant’Ana ChurchAnother 18th century church, standing in the Largo Jacinto d’Ayet. Main objects of interest are the altar piece representing Our Lady of Pain and a wooden sculpture of the Crucifixion. The name is sometimes denoted as 'Santana', like that of the rock group. Misericórdia ChapelConverted from the remains of a Moorish mosque as the chapel for Albufeira's Governor, it is found in Rua Henrique Calado. It was partly rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake, using a Gothic style. S. Sebastião ChurchLocated in the Praça Miguel Bombarda, this was also built during the mid-18th century. Bits of it are - allegedly - a mix of Manueline and Baroque styles (which is lost on me, but looks interesting anyway). Inside are various wooden images of saints and a carved stone image allegedly from the former chapel of Nossa Senhora da Piedade. Nossa Senhora da Orada ChapelThe original chapel was 16th century, while this building was latter 18th century. The tombs outside include that of an Albufeira local, Francisco Correia d’Ataide Cabrita, who fought as a commander in the civil war of 1833. Other Points of Interest:Archaeological MuseumThis is in the old town, and displays items salvaged from the ruins of past buildings. We even photographed some, before the desk lady (I don't think she was the curator) asked us to desist.
I don't know why they do that. It's not as though flash photography is going to harm crumbling bits of stonework, surely. (Some of you archaeological experts out there might care to drop me an e-mail if that's incorrect - I'm always happy to learn). The best way to visit it is to walk up the Rua da Bateria from the pedestrianised area, until you reach the corner with Rua Henrique Calado. You'll find the Museum in the small square there. And the bonus is, you'll have great sea views for much of your walk. Sant’Ana DoorwayOne of the three castle doorways, it provided access to the original chapel of Sant’Ana which was destroyed in the 1755 earthquake, to be replaced by the existing chapel. S. Vicente de AlbufeiraThe monument to this local friar stands in the Largo Jacinto d’Ayet. He undertook a mission to convert the Japanese to Christianity, was imprisoned and tortured, but refused to recant his faith and so was burned at the stake in 1632. The Bell TowerConstructed on top of the parish church in 1869, this tower has a 28-metre high stairway leading up to 8 bells (so don't be up there when they ring them!) Former Town HallJust off the main square, Largo Eng. Duarte Pacheco, this was damaged by the 1755 earthquake and a subsequent fire. Over the main doorway is the family coat of arms of a Governor of Albufeira Castle. CastleThere's not much left of it, what with the earthquakes and sieges it's undergone, but you can get an idea of what it must have been like to live in a fortified area under constant threat of attack or invasion. This was the last Moorish stronghold to fall during the reconquest of Portugal, and was only taken when Faro (the other major centre of resistance) fell, and Albufeira's situation became untenable. What's left of the fortifications can be seen at Rua Joaquim Pedro Samora, where this tower guarded the north gateway.  The Clock TowerVisible from just about anywhere that your view isn't blocked by an apartment building, the clock tower is a one-off. In a country where unusual skylines are the norm, this is in a class of its own, easily mistaken for the top of some strange church. I believe that it is regarded as Alufeira's symbol and is illuminated during the town's many festivals. The ArsenalAssumed to be 16th century, this compartment was exposed by cliff erosion. It can be viewed from the wall of the Rua da Bateria. Arch of the Travessa da Igreja VelhaAn impressive bit of Arab architecture with an open drain that runs down the middle of the street. The church for which it's named disappeared during the 1755 earthquake. Art GalleryLocated right next to the Câmara Municipal, the gallery is not large, but holds regular exhibitions. When we visited, there was a display of paintings by local artist Samora Barros and a man with the wonderful surname of Sousa é Motta. Nev was unimpressed with Senhor Barros, but thought that Sousa é Motta's portraits in oils were top-notch. Entertainment
They're big on free live entertainment in Albufeira. During our stay, the Old Town square was host to:
And we'd only just missed a free concert by Cliff Richard in Albufeira. He has a villa in the area, I learned, and loves the place. Whether or not you're a fan, you must admit that was a novel way to 'give something back'. What we did see were sideshows such as the 'statue' artistes who hold poses for long periods, only breaking off to 'give a twirl' to those who put money into their offerings hat. And there was a man who gave a puppet show to music, a South American pipe band, and an amusing mime artist. Plus, there were quite a few portrait artists, most of them pretty talented, who would do group or individual portraits on the spot. They work in difficult conditions, since friends and family of the sitter always get restless and try to disturb proceedings, which doesn't do much for the artist's concentration. One portraitist took 90 minutes to be satisfied with his effort and only charged 30 Euros! (That's about £20 or $36, so I don't think he's ever going to be rich). There were 2 festivals while we were in Albufeira. The first took place in the evening and was the Festa dos Pescadores (Fishermen's Festival) which had lots of tables set out for eating and drinking in the area in front of the stage. All around were covered stalls selling copious amounts of steaming seafood, with wine or beer to wash it down. And a fado concert took place on stage all the while.
The other festival was unmissable, since it started with a firework display from the fishermen's pier at 9 in the morning! This was the Feast of S. Vicente de Albufeira. Among other events during the day was a religious procession through the town at 6.30 pm, and the day closed with a 15-minute flurry of incredibly noisy fireworks at midnight. (Bad news for those who had gone to bed early, but great for those who, like me, are suckers for pyrotechnics!). Other landmarks in AlbufeiraThe StripThis is something we were told we would love or hate. Actually, we did neither.
One thing that puzzled me was the number of 'Irish bars'. Albufeira didn't seem to have that many Irish residents (or Irish tourists, come to that). We only looked into one or two bars (for research purposes, naturally). Apart from the Guinness, Boddingtons and Murphy's beers and the occasional chap singing 'Oirish' laments, it was big-screen TVs showing English Premiership or International football matches - just like any pub back home! If you don't fancy the area around The Strip, just avoid it, there's lots more to see and do in Albufeira.
But even if it's not 'your sort of thing', it's worth a short visit. There's a definite buzz about it, and most of the people you'll see are enjoying themselves well enough. Also, there are many places that hand out free maps of the town, which are extremely handy (and more informative than anything we gleaned at the Old Town's tourist information office). The 4 RoundaboutsThese are all on the Avenida dos Descobrimentos, From west to east, they feature: dolphins, watches (pictured here), worms and a 'globe' fountain. I soon learned that if I got to the dolphins, I was approaching or leaving the Albufeira Marina. When I could see the watches, I wasn't far from the Câmara Municipal (Town Hall). At the worms, I was nearing The Strip, and the globe fountain meant I was near the bullring (perish the thought). All in all, an easy way to remember how to get around, while you're still learning. MarinaEasily distinguished from the hillside approach road by its 'Legoland' aspect, the Albufeira marina is pretty new and desperate to establish itself. I'm not sure if I like the pastel-shades of the apartments, but they're supposed to be selling like the proverbial 'hot cakes'!
We delayed taking a trip in it until our last full day, after we'd handed back our hire car, only to find out it had been discontinued - great planning! But we used the free Giro service when we did visit, earlier in our Albufeira vacation. If you can ignore the multi-coloured apartment blocks (no easy task), the marina is quite handsome. I've always liked boats, even though I'm a rotten sailor and get sick at the hint of a swell. It wasn't busy on the day we visited (even the kids entertainment section was deserted), but we enjoyed our sandwich lunch near the harbour entrance (Porto de Abrigo), where the breezes took the sting out of the midday heat. Then we waited in the shade of a building for our Giro bus back to Albufeira, where we hoped more was happening! Dining OutYou will not be stuck for a choice of restaurants in Albufeira! Whether you're in the old town or elsewhere, the number of places to eat is simply staggering. As usual, we struggled to find places that served good vegetarian meals. (Most places make a token gesture, but chefs whose speciality is a local seafood dish do seem to find veggies difficult to accommodate). This is where Indian cuisine comes to the rescue. Most Indian restaurants have a multitude of choices, whatever your dietary requirements. So, we always try out at least one of them wherever we stay. In Albufeira, we have tried 3 Indian restaurants, all of which came highly recommended. But the clear winner for us was: The Minar Indian Restaurant in Albufeira's Old Town, at Travessa Cais Herculano, just off Fishermen's Beach. It proudly displays a Certificate awarded by the Tandoori Clay Oven Company Limited, of London, England. We had a wonderful meal there, and it was the best value by far of those we tried. Service was prompt and the food delicious. We were seated outside under protective awnings, on a lovely warm evening (so much so that Nev opted for chilled beer rather than wine). Update: We've been back often since, and the Minar always lives up to our expectations. It's under new management, I hear, and I've been promised some photographs to include here. (Still waiting, Siddharth...) (The 2006/2007 municipal works around the Fisherman's Beach area certainly had an adverse effect on some local businesses (like the Minar) that simply stayed closed until things were completed. Unfortunately, that timescale included the fairly busy start of the peak vacation season. Municipal works - doncha just love 'em!) Food ShoppingUnless you book a holiday that provides 'full board', eating out all the time can prove very expensive, so we needed to do some shopping in Albufeira. Our apartments were served by a mini-market shop that was fine for bottled water and some basics. But for greater choice, you can't beat a supermarket (a real one, that is). For some reason, Portugal has small shops that are mini-markets, medium shops that are supermarkets, and supermarkets that are hipermercados (hypermarkets). So long as you appreciate these exaggerations, you'll not go far wrong. AliSuperFor most needs and a reasonable choice, this chain seems to have outlets of various sizes just about everywhere you might visit. A great choice for fresh bread and croissants if you share my taste in holiday breakfasts. ModeloThis 'hypermarket' chain offers the most choice, in my opinion. The store in Albufeira (quite close to the Câmara Municipal) is no exception and stocks good value wines, fresh produce and local breads, plus some recognizable brands of cereals and stuff. Of course, you should be on the lookout for some of the smaller outlets that also give good value. We found one tiny 'supermarket' on the Avenida de Liberdade, not far from our apartments, which was offering a 2-for-1 deal on local wines. (This boosted the place considerably in Nev's estimation). They were also saviours inasmuch as they stocked filter papers for our coffee maker and some patés that contained vegetables instead of some variety of seafood - a welcome rarity in my Algarve experience. Insects
The only time we were bothered was when we spent part of the evening seated (wearing shorts and tee-shirts) on the famous "Albufeira is Cursed by the Almighty God" bench up above Fishermen's Beach. But as we admitted afterward (while we creamed our several bites) we had rather asked for it. Lucky Man?We were told by our tour company's representative about the folk who dispense scratch cards to tourists. She warned that they just promote time-share schemes. But hey, holidays are for taking risks (well, small risks), so we accepted some cards when offered - and guess what happened? Nev won a week's free holiday! Yes indeed; and he had already stored up Lord knows how many Brownie points for booking the wonderful Albufeira holiday at Cerro Mar. His scratch card revealed the 'free holiday' and we were asked to take a mini-bus to the Clube Praia da Oura to claim the prize.
Honestly, it was tempting, since they offer second week top-ups for silly money like £69 per apartment. But it was all too much to think about while on holiday, so we turned them down and just asked for the prize to be validated. We sent off the paperwork when we got home and waited to hear from the company concerned. We had a choice of holiday types, but plumped for the simplest option. This gave us 18 months within which to take a free-flights-and-accommodation 1-week holiday in Portugal, Spain, Greece, Cyprus or the Canary Islands. The only stipulation was that we take a tour of the resort while there. Update: What happens with these deals is that they eventually offer you a last-minute vacation, off-peak, usually nowhere that you'd want to go, and they give you a short time in which to accept. If you don't take it, they keep the £65 per head (might be more now) that they charged for 'processing' (funny word for 'wasting my time'). Moral: It's just another sad rip-off. Don't be tempted by the
scratch cards; don't waste an afternoon (or longer)
traipsing around apartments - unless you're already
interested in timeshare. If they offer you a free
evening meal and show, take it. Small recompense for
subjecting yourself to a few hours of unsubtle sales
pressure! And that's about it... We had 2 great weeks in Albufeira* and we'd happily return there. I'm sure if you try Albufeira yourself, you'll find it equally enjoyable. If you can't afford an Albufeira villa, just make sure your apartment in Albufeira is in (or near) the impressive Old Town.
* If you find this website useful, feel free to recommend it to a friend. *
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It's probably been around since pre-historic times, but the Romans knew it as Baltum, and the Moors renamed it Al Buhera (which apparently means sea-castle).
Like a number of other coastal towns, Albufeira has a tourist road train, known as Turistrem. I'd looked forward to riding on it, but the 50 minute journey was a bit bone-jarring, if I'm honest. The route started at the road behind Fisherman's Beach in the Old Town, with stops at the Câmara Municipal, and 'The Strip'. 
In the Rua da Igreja Nova, this 18th century building replaced the Igreja destroyed during the 1755 earthquake that devastated much of Albufeira.
On the following evening, the stage was the setting for a display of folk dancing.
It is a north-to-south road just up from Praia da Oura, and it is lined with tourist-trap bars and shops. Most have some form of music blaring forth, which makes for a bit of a cacophony. And many of the shops are selling the same sort of things, but I know nothing about commercial practice, so maybe that makes sense.
the main east-west road that bisects greater Albufeira, and each features some-thing large and eye-catching. Some might think they are less than breathtaking in their beauty, but when you're driving around town for the first time, they make it hard to get lost!
For most of our stay, there was a free open-top bus operating that did a circuit around the tourist areas to the marina and back. (That's it just to the left of my cap in this picture).
The Albufeira weather was great during our stay. And the climate seemed less popular with biting insects than many places we've visited.
You can guess the deal; they walk you around the complex, show you the facilities and the high standard of the apartments, then try to get you to sign up for one week a year...