About Albufeira

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Published on Wednesday, 30 November -0001 00:00
Written by Super User
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In history Albufeira was a thriving seaport and had its own castle, that was later destroyed in the earthquake of 1755. Happily, most of the older parts of the town that survived and have been carefully maintained.

As a result of the tide of tourism, this "once upon a time" fishing village has expanded since the 1960s into a major holiday resort and now has over 12,000 permanent residents.

As a holiday destination, ALBUFEIRA, is the sort of place you will like to live or holiday in. An amazing number of people from all age groups like it. Retired couples feel just as at home here as raving teenagers and families with young children.

Albufeira is spread out rather than high-rise. The town itself consists of "old" and "new" sections which merge seamlessly into an extensive holiday-land suburbia, spreading off back east along the coast to Balaia, Olhos d'Agua and Falesia, and west to São Rafael, Galé and the links golf course at Salgados. The whole area, greater Albufeira you could call it, is the most tourist-intensive place in Portugal. It has very little to do with the real Portugal, or with the real planet earth for that matter, but people come here in droves and have the time of their lives.

Albufeira started out at least 2,000 years ago as a small, fortified town which the Romans called Baltrum. Eight centuries later the Moors renamed it Al-Buhera. The Moors turned it into a prosperous port trading with North Africa. The Knights of Santiago led the Christian re-conquest of the town in 1250, but without its trade links Albufeira fell upon hard times and they lasted for hundreds of years.

It suffered a succession of devastating earthquakes - in 1719, 1722 and worst of all in 1755 when the town was not only devastated by a series of earth tremors, but swamped by tidal waves. In 1833 it was first besieged then burnt to the ground during a Portuguese civil war. Prosperity only returned to Albufeira with the tourist boom that started in the late 1970's and gathered momentum in the 1980's. Tourism, pure and simple, is what it's now all about.

Some of the old charm is still there, and it is to be found in the labyrinth of narrow streets, lined with whitewashed houses, apartments, cafes, bars and shops, which lead down the hillside to a central square, Largo Eng. Duarte Pacheco. The square is a good place to sit and watch the world go by. Nearby, next to the tourist information office, a tunnel at the end of a pedestrian-only mall leads on to the town's main beach.

Another section of this long beach is equally easily accessible from the streets leading off the other end of the square. There the beach is known as Fisherman's Beach and it's shared without a shred of self-consciousness by topless sun-bathers and sun-hardened men of the sea far too busy mending their nets to notice the bare boobs bobbing about their boats on the sand.

A fine selection of good beaches extend east and west from the town. Praia de Balaia, Praia de Castelo, Praia de Falésia, Praia de Galé, de Olhos d?Agua, Praia de Maria Luisa, and Praia de São Rafael, being the main ones. There is a small museum of 15th and 17th century Ming ceramics and a Municipal art gallery that holds regular exhibitions during the season. A further addition to the town is a new Virtual Archaeological Museum. A new Marina has been completed on the west side of the town and offers a different and attractive aspect.

Other places of interest near to Albufeira are, Armação de Pera, Boliqueime, Guia and Paderne with its ruined castle perched on an isolated hill some distance from the village. At Ponte Grande there are impressive caverns with large arches and the underwater caverns of Grutas do Xorino.

"New" Albufeira, centred on Areias de São João, is on the east side. Its most famous thoroughfare is affectionately known as The Strip. It stretches from the looming edifice of the Montechoro Hotel, past scores of cafes, shops, restaurants and bars, all the way down to a big busy beach called Praia da Oura. The Strip and nearby streets are a hive of activity from mid-morning, when cheap English breakfasts are served to help with the hangovers caused by imbibing well into the wee hours the night before.

There is an abundance of all sorts of accommodation in Albufeira and the broad area around it, and that includes both good hotels and a good campsite, but without advance booking you may find it difficult to get your head down anywhere in summer. Incidentally, the campsite has a huge open-air restaurant and bar where hundreds of people enjoy live music every night during the summer.

Littleton has an abundance of recreational opportunities. The 625-acre South Platte Park, South Platte River, High Line Canal Trail, Lee Gulch, Arapahoe Greenway and Carson Nature center provide locals and tourists with opportunities to boat, bike, hike swim, skate, golf, ride horses and play baseball, softball and soccer.


Albufeira Events:

Feira do Pau Roxo - 4th February

Feira de Artesanato (Handicraft)- July

Feira de Na. Sra. da Orada - August

Feira de Frango - August

Town Holiday 20th - August

Feira de Nossa Senhora da Guia - September

Festas de São Vicente de Albufeira - September

Flea Market - 20th of every month


Albufeira Telephone Numbers:

289 589 201, Town Hall

289 586 333, Fire Brigade

289 587 809, Police

289 589 363, Transit Police

289 587 550, Emergency Treatment

289 586 333, Ambulance

289 585 279, Tourist Office

112, SOS

800 296 296, Support to Tourists

808 208 208, Railways (CP) - www.cp.pt


Useful Albufeira Facts:

Postal Code: 8200

Inhabitants: 12.000


Albufeira Links:

Albufeira Town map  (Beaches & roads)

Algarve Map  (Cities, towns, beaches & roads)




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