Find out all you need to know to get the best from Albufeira Holidays

Albufeira holidays are incredibly popular. Being the Algarve’s tourist Mecca, it attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year. During the summer months it can be horrendously busy, but out of season, it changes into a quiet and restful place. Like many tourist resorts along the Algarve coast, Albufeira grew up from a small fishing village into the sprawling holiday resort it is today.

Read on for more on Albufiera holidays or click on one of the links if you want to find villas, apartments or Hotels in Albufeira.

Albufeira is a lively and vibrant resort with plenty of nightlife. There are two main areas that people consider when they think of Albufeira. These are the Old Town and the Strip, each offering completely different experiences to holidaymakers. The old town is more charming with its cobbled streets and whitewashed fishermen’s houses and the Strip is more akin to the Spanish Costas attracting a young lively crowd ready to party.

As Albufeira has grown, many more areas have developed to provide accommodation to holidaymakers. Some of these areas are a way out from the old town and Strip areas, so it pays to be aware of location of the areas and their style before you book your Albufeira holiday.

Albufeira Holidays - The Old Town

Albufeira has not lost all its charm and this can be seen in the Old Town. Unlike the strip, it attracts a slightly older and more cosmopolitan crowd, and is a popular destination with Portuguese families.

The main attraction of the old town is the main square, which is where you will find many of the bars and restaurants. There are some good restaurants in the old town, the focus tending towards more traditional her Portuguese seafood and fare. In the summer, the square comes alive in the evenings, with live entertainment, music and partygoers.

Away from the main square are winding, narrow cobbled streets, awash with cafes, restaurants and market stalls and little shops selling local crafts and gifts. Many of these streets are pedestrianised and where not, can be quite narrow and unsuitable for cars.

If you want a bit of culture and history, there are some churches to explore and also a museum.

Just off the main square, near the Albufeira Tourist Office, is a tunnel carved through the rock. Walking through this and down the steps leads you to the town's main beach, Praia dos Pescadores or Fisherman’s beach.

Albufeira Holidays - The Strip

The area itself is based around a single street, which runs down from the Montechoro area, at the northern end, down to the golden beach of Oura at the bottom of the hill at its southern end. It has spread out now on either side of the road with more of the same and plenty of holiday accommodation provided by apartments, villas and hotels.

If you are staying at the northern end, it is probably a 30-minute walk down to the Praia da Oura beach (and bear in mind it’s uphill on the way back). A taxi will cost about € 3 each way. For residents of the Hotel Montechoro, there is a courtesy bus, ideal for those with young families in tow.

Nightlife is very lively here, with bars staying open late into the night, pounding out music as if it was a competition. If you want to continue partying until dawn, then just off the Strip in the Areias de São João, there are a couple of nightclubs, Kiss and Libertos. Down at the Praia da Oura is CapituloV.

Albufeira Marina

Faro airport to Albufeira

If you’ve not hired a car at the airport you could always take the bus. You’ll have to take a 15-minute bus journey from outside the airport terminal into Faro, where you can get your ticket for Albufeira.

There are regular buses from Faro to Albufeira which only cost a few Euros. The fast Transrapido bus takes 45 minutes (and runs less regularly at weekends), but drops you off at the bus station a mile outside the old town, requiring a taxi or a local bus to your destination. The local buses from Faro take twice as long, but at least pass through some of the main tourist areas.

Taxis can be caught from outside the terminal building; typical fares to Albufeira are €35-45, or perhaps a private transfer may suit, depending on the size of your group.

Once you're here, you can hire a car locally for aslong as you want. Check out our Car Hire Portugal Albufeira for detils of car hire companies in Albufeira.

Getting around Albufeira

Travelling around the area in a taxi is cheap, but you’ll have to pick them up at the ranks, and agree your fare in advance, as they are not metered. Bear in mind that because a lot of accommodation is spread out in satellite villages, at peak times, when people want to get back at the end of the evening for example, there can be large queues. I read somewhere that the whole resort only has 80 taxis, which isn’t many to service all those holidaymakers at peak times.

An alternative is to use the blue Albufeira road train, which runs every 20 minutes during the day, and every 40 minutes in the evening, up until around midnight (timetables are displayed at the stops). It runs in one direction between the Areias São João just off the Strip, the Old Town then to a stop is outside the Brisa Sol Hotel (close to the Modelo shopping centre) and then back to São João. The round trip takes about three quarters of an hour and an all-day ticket costs about €3.

Albufeira Holidays - Beaches

Albufeira Holidays - Golf Courses

Albufeira - Things to do in Albufeira

Just up from the Fishaerman’s beach is the Church of São Sebastião, a beautiful 16th Century church. Then there’s the clock tower, Torre do Relógio, a symbol of Albufeira and illuminated during local festivals. The other tower of note is the imposing bell tower above the Igreja da Matriz.

There was once a castle in Albufeira, whose ramparts surrounded the city. Nowadays there is not much left of it (the earthquake of 1755 being mainly responsible). What does remain can be seen at Rua Joaquim Pedro Samora.

Albufeira Holidays - Nearby attractions

There are a number of cafes and restaurants to suit all tastes, and upstairs, a sun-terrace. There is also a multiplex cinema and a bowling alley. Underground parking is provided, so you’ll come back to a cool car. Click here to view their website.

Zoomarine theme park in Guia is a great day out for the whole family.You can spend the day watching dolphins, seals and sharks, turtles, exotic birds, sea birds, crocodiles and tropical fish. The park also has restaurants, shops, amusements and swimming pools. It is open daily, apart from Mondays, and is the only theme park open all year round.

Not much further away in Algoz is Krazy World, a kids' theme park, with mini-golf courses and is also home to the reptile park known as the Algarve Zoo. It is closed Mondays and Tuesdays, except in the height of the season when it is open every day. It is closed during November and December.

Albufeira Holidays - Accommodation

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