Albufeira in Algarve is the Europe golden coast

Albufeira, Portugal is the most energetic of all cities in the Algarve that line southern Portugal’s beautiful Algarve coastline. In Albufeira, tourists can enjoy stunning beaches, the sun around all year, a vast selection of restaurants and buzzing nightlife. Actually, there is so much to do in Albufeira that is the Algarve’s most popular holiday destination.

Being the largest resort town of the Algarve, Albufeira has an extensive range of hotels, hostels, resorts, restaurants and activities making the town an ideal holiday destination for groups looking to party, couples and also families. Yes, families and stag/hen do’s in the same city is possible in Albufeira. The nearest international airport to Albufeira is Faro Airport, which is located 40km to the east. Faro airport has connections to the whole of Europe and all of the low-cost airlines fly into Faro. You can rent a car or find a transfer service on our page.

Albufeira old town and the strip

In Albufeira, you can find the two extremes of tourists (families and stag/hen do’s) as there are two separate and very different areas of the town: the Old Town and The Strip.

The Old Town, near the well, know Pescadores beach, is a series of traditional Portuguese streets and plazas that are based around the historic centre of Albufeira. The pretty cobbled streets of the Old Town are lined with every possible type of restaurant and bars that are family-focused.

The Strip, 2km east of the Old Town, is designed for all-day drinking, late-night partying and recovering on the beach – this is the area of Albufeira suitable for groups, stag and hen do’s. This separation in two areas allows families and party focused groups to enjoy Albufeira at the same time.

Albufeira restaurants

Albufeira has the largest selection of restaurants, cafes and bars in the Algarve and in the extended town there are over 500 different establishments. These are all designed for tourists and the wide selection covers all styles of cuisine and dining, including Portuguese, English, Indian, Chinese, Italian and Spanish. The evening meal is an important part of the Portuguese day, and meals tend not to be rushed. Expect the evening meal to last for a good couple of hours and there to be a wait for freshly cooked food.

Portugal has the added appeal, that it is a comparatively inexpensive country; with food, accommodation and transport cheaper than many of the other established holiday destinations, especially when compared to Greece, or the Balearic islands. Albufeira is one of the most expensive locations in the Algarve for food but it is significantly cheaper than back at home. Tipping is not compulsory but it is often expected.

Albufeira in summer

Albufeira is one of the Algarve’s busiest holiday destinations with hundreds of hotels in the region crammed with package tourists, especially during the school holidays. If you visit during this period expect beaches to be full, restaurants busy and prices at their most expensive. Certain visitors may find the town too crowded, busy or hectic to fully enjoy while others may enjoy the buzz of the place. On the other hand, although it’s equal in beauty to neighbouring Mediterranean mainstays like Majorca and St.-Tropez, is still enjoying relative calm but with new resorts near the coastline, a handful of Michelin-starred restaurants, and a delicious type of wine that you won’t find anywhere else. If you planning to visit Albufeira during the summer always book flights and accommodation well in advance as the best hotels sell out before Easter and the prices of flights skyrocket.

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Albufeira Map

Popular hotels in Albufeira