Albufeira
The Algarve's largest and busiest resort town, built around a whitewashed old quarter perched on cliffs above a fishermen's beach.
Albufeira is the Algarve's busiest resort town and the municipality with the highest concentration of tourist accommodation in the region. Its permanent population of around 42,000 swells dramatically during the summer months. The name derives from the Arabic Al-Buhera, meaning lagoon or castle above the sea, a reminder that this was a Moorish settlement for over five centuries before its conquest by the Knights of Santiago in 1249, one of the last towns in the Algarve to fall during the Christian reconquest of Portugal.
The old town, built on and around a cliff above the main beach, retains some character despite the extensive development that has transformed the surrounding area since the 1960s. Narrow, steep lanes wind down to Praia dos Pescadores, the fishermen's beach, where colourful boats are still hauled up on the sand alongside the sunbathers. The Rua 5 de Outubro, the old town's main street, is lined with restaurants and shops. At the eastern end, a tunnel cut through the rock provides access to the beach below. The Igreja Matriz, the parish church, dates from the 18th century and was rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake that destroyed the earlier medieval structure.
Albufeira's coastline extends for over 30 kilometres across the municipality, encompassing around 25 distinct beaches. To the west, Praia da Gale and Praia de Sao Rafael are backed by eroded sandstone cliffs with natural rock pools exposed at low tide. To the east, Praia da Falesia stretches for six kilometres beneath rust-red and white striped cliffs, regularly cited as one of the finest beaches in Europe by travel publications. Praia da Oura, closer to the town centre, sits below the Strip, the main nightlife district with its concentration of bars and clubs that draws a predominantly young British and Irish clientele.
Beyond the beach, Albufeira's marina opened in 2003 and provides berths for over 400 vessels. Dolphin-watching trips, fishing excursions and coastline cruises depart from here daily during the warmer months. The Zoomarine theme park, on the EN125 road to the north, combines marine animal shows with water rides and an aquarium. The Paderne Castle, a ruined Almohad-era fortification about 10 kilometres inland, offers a quieter historical excursion with a marked walking trail from the village of Paderne along the river valley.
For all its reputation as a package holiday destination, Albufeira functions as a working town outside the tourist core. The municipal market, open daily, sells fresh fish, fruit and vegetables to a largely local clientele. Transport links are reasonable: the railway station is six kilometres north of the town centre, connected by a regular bus service, and the A22 motorway provides fast road access to Faro Airport, roughly 35 minutes to the east. The town divides opinion sharply, but its beaches, particularly Falesia and the cliff-backed coves to the west, are genuinely outstanding regardless of the development that surrounds them.
Highlights
- Praia da Falesia, six kilometres of beach beneath striped red and white cliffs
- Whitewashed old town with tunnel access to Praia dos Pescadores
- Marina with dolphin-watching trips and coastline cruises