8 things to do in Albufeira on the Algarve Coast

Tips for things to do in Albufeira on the Algarve coast! We are currently travelling in the Algarve with our motorhome and can offer some tips. Albufeira is a nice holiday town with beautiful beaches, a charming marina, a cosy old town centre and lively markets. From here you can also make excursions and visit other cosy towns along the Algarve coast.

Table of contents

Albufeira in Portugal

Albufeira is located on the Algarve coast in southern Portugal, between Faro in the east and Portimao in the west. Many tourists come here, for much of the year, to enjoy the beautiful beaches and climate.

History of Albufeira

At the beginning of the 20th century, this was a fishing village and fishing provided a large part of the population with a livelihood, but over time the catches became smaller and smaller. In the 1960s, tourism began to develop, and today many of the town's 40,000 inhabitants make their living from tourism.

What to do in Albufeira?

What to do in Albufeira? Albufeira is a great holiday town and there is a lot to see and do. We offer our top tips!

1. sunbathing and swimming

Below the old town of Albufeira there is a long fine sandy beach, and the beaches then follow each other in both directions. The Portuguese word for beach is "praia" and beaches that you will find in Albufeira include Praia da Oura, Praia da Oura Leste, Praia de Santa Eulalia, Praia da Balaia and Praia de Albufeira.

The reason why our photos look a bit crowded is because they were taken in January. It may be warm enough to sunbathe for an hour or so in the afternoon if you're lucky, but that time is relatively short. The water temperature is not exactly conducive to swimming at this time of year. At other times of the year, we imagine the beaches here are packed!

2. Visit the beach in Galé

The beach in Galé (Praia da Galé) is located just outside Albufeira and is, in our opinion, the most beautiful beach. In one direction, a long flat sandy beach runs as far as the eye can see, and in the other direction the beach is filled with small coves and rock formations. On the long beach we used to jog along the shore.

On the other part of the beach, at least during the low season, you can find your own bay where you are completely alone. When we have finished jogging, we have brought our packed lunch here, and then sunbathed for a few hours. This is truly a magical place!

Stranden i Galé - Njut av en härlig solsemester i Albufeira! — Galé Beach - Enjoy a great sun holiday in Albufeira!

3. Hanging out in the Old Town

The old town sits on a small hill just off the beach in Albufeira. Here you can wander around the whitewashed houses and cobbled streets and browse the small shops for clothes and jewellery. Or why not sit down at one of the many cosy restaurants? Sitting in the sun with a beer and listening to the meditative sound of the sea is a truly luxurious feeling!

Gamla stan i Albufeira ligger på en liten höjd alldeles intill stranden

4. Visit the harbour

The harbour in Albufeira is really charming with all the small boats moored close together. Most special are the colourful houses that undeniably brighten up the surroundings! The fishermen in town have their own beach, where they pull up their boats early in the morning and clean their nets.

5. Shopping in the Algarve shopping

If you get tired of shopping in the Old Town, you can take a trip to Algarve shopping, a large shopping centre located just outside. It is a large and beautiful complex with many shops. Here you will find mainly the usual big chains, such as HM, Zara and Mango.

6. go to the market

A few times a month there are markets in the city. Here you can find everything from clothes and bags to jewellery and cheap watches. There are also plenty of different delicacies such as cheeses and other products. national law Bacalhauwhich the Portuguese themselves really love.

7 Trying Portuguese food

In addition to the national dish bacalhau, there is a lot of other food and drink to try in Portugal. In a restaurant, you can order a fish stew (caldeirada de peixe or cataplana).

If you are cooking in your own kitchen, you can buy fresh fish, such as dourada (seabreamYou can also try 'vinho verde' (green wine), which is a young, light and almost bubbly wine. Good with light fish and seafood dishes, or just as a sociable wine in the sun.

8. Going on excursions

If you have time, there are several interesting excursions in the area around Albufeira. Here are some tips on places to see and visit.

Tavira

Tavira is a charming town on the eastern part of the Algarve coast. Here you can stroll around beautiful houses, shop in small boutiques or head to Tavira's beaches.

READ MORE: 5 things to see and do in Tavira, Portugal

Lagos

Lagos has a large marina and an old town centre with fine houses, shops and outdoor cafes. Boat trips are also organised here.

READ MORE: 15 things to see and do in Lagos on the Algarve Coast

Cabo de Sao Vicente

In the most south-western corner of Portugal you will find Cabo de Sao Vicente. Here you can admire the view from the dramatic cliffs and be impressed by the very special fishing techniques of the fishermen.

READ MORE: Cabo de Sao Vicente - Europe's most south-western point

Resa i Algarve: Cabo de Sao Vicente — Travelling in the Algarve: Cabo de Sao Vicente

By campervan in Albufeira

If, like us, you are travelling by campervan, there are several campsites and pitches in the area, including Parque de Palmeira, which is a large and affordable site in a good location. There are service buildings with toilets and showers, electricity and WiFi for some of the motorhomes.

Weather in Albufeira

Now in January it is actually warm enough to sunbathe for a few hours in the early afternoon, but the evenings and nights are cooler. The average temperature in the summer months is 24-26 degrees, in autumn 18-24 degrees, in winter 14-15 degrees and in spring 17-20 degrees. The sun often shines, and it often feels much hotter than this!

Facts about Albufeira

What country? Portugal
Language? Portuguese (some speak English)
Residents? 40 800 in Albufeira (2011)
Currency? Euro
Price point? Cheap (cheaper than in Sweden)
Time difference? -1 hour
Emergency number? 112
El? As in Sweden
Religion? Christianity (mostly Catholicism)

Travelling to Albufeira

Flights For example, the journey from Stockholm Arlanda to Faro with SAS takes about 4 hours 30 minutes. The car journey from Faro to Albufeira is 40 minutes. Flights also go to Lisbon, but then it takes 2.5 hours by car to Albufeira.
Bil from Stockholm to Albufeira takes about 37 hours if you count pure driving time. The distance is 377 kilometres. We drove south in Portugal, from Lisbon to Albufeira, which took around three hours.

Accommodation in Albufeira

Hotel: There are plenty of hotels in Albufeira, in different price ranges. For example, check Booking.com or other hotel booking sites.
Apartments: Many people rent out apartments in Albufeira, for example via Airbnb or Hotels.com. Be prepared for prices to rise significantly during high season.
Camping: There is a caravan park in Albufeira called Parque de Palmeira and another car park in Galé.

Helena

04 January 2015 20:19

Portugal

city guide Europe, Motorhome holiday Portugal, nature, shopping, beaches

Helena

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28 Comments

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Åsa says:

Wonderful!

04 January 2015 - 20:21

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Henny says:

Oh how nice, the reward for getting through all the hassle with flying colours (as far as we know).

04 January 2015 - 21:21

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Role o Carina says:

Not difficult to enjoy yourself there in that weather 🙂.

Just enjoy and have a good time.....

04 January 2015 - 21:21

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scottish moments says:

NOT JEALOUS AT ALL.... :((

(sitting wrapped in a blanket in front of the fire, desperately trying to keep warm from the frost and freezing temperatures outside)

hehe

04 January 2015 - 22:26

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Comment by post author

admin says:

Åsa, fantastic! Hope you also have nice and warm!

Henny, yes really nice to come here!

Rolle and Carina, not difficult at all!
😉

Scottish Moments, huh! The houses there are not so warm, are they? Come here and visit us!
🙂

04 January 2015 - 22:30

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Bosse and Gerd says:

Can we recommend a restaurant in Albufeira's old town just above the beach?

It's called "Restaurant A Ruina", and it serves wonderful grilled sole and other good-good-good-good, such as clams in garlic sauce...!
We first visited that restaurant in the late 70s and several times since then!
Bosse and Gerd

04 January 2015 - 22:45

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Ditte says:

That's great! I'm glad the whole thing about a good place to live worked out. Enjoy and relax! You have all the time in the world ...
I really miss the heat.

04 January 2015 - 23:02

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Ulla widing says:

Good that it has been solved both with the gas pipeline and to find a stpl that is good. Here on the east coast it is a bit chilly at night but sunny and warm during the day. 🙂

04 January 2015 - 23:10

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Aila says:

Now it starts to look like something. Sun and a good place to park. Wonderful.
Looks nice there.
Regards Aila

05 January 2015 - 9:31

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Comment by post author

admin says:

Bosse and Gerd, thank you so much for the tips! Sounds good!!! We have a bit of a strict budget when it comes to restaurant visits, but if there is one here in Albufeira, we will keep this in mind!

Ditte, yes, it's nice when things fall into place... very nice heat yesterday!

Ulla, it does get cold at night here too... but it was really warm during the day yesterday!

Aila, the beach in Gale (one end of Albufeira) is super nice!

05 January 2015 - 9:47

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Lennart says:

Welcome to the sun!

We have now had blue skies since last week!

05 January 2015 - 9:48

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Mr Steve says:

Now it's starting to look like holiday leave for you.
It's great that you get tips from previous travellers.

I remember Albufeira as a charming place. Unfortunately, my most lasting memory is the aftermath of an undercooked chicken that robbed me of a few days of holiday.
However, it was not at 'Restaurant A Ruina', which I remember instead as a place where I indulged in the most marvellous fish dishes.

05 January 2015 - 10:06

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Ama de casa says:

Great!

I was actually hoping for rain today, but not... So I had to do the laundry....
😉

05 January 2015 - 10:41

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Comment by post author

admin says:

Lennart, wow! Sounds wonderful!

Steve, oh dear, not fun with the chicken... have heard of others who have suffered similar misery, ugh! And A Ruina seems to be a great place, based on the comments here!
🙂

Ama, we don't feel too sorry for you...
😉

05 January 2015 - 11:13

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Mr Nils-Åke Hansson says:

I have sent you an email.
Goodbye
Nisse

05 January 2015 - 11:49

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Elisabeth says:

So much hassle. You have to change the GPS, addresses are unusual unless it is camping of course.
Sorry we didn't get to meet, but if you were at Galé beach yesterday, we are at the next beach to the west. Now we are free camping in a car park in Armaçâo de Pêra. The solar cells give us the energy we need.
Good local food and great thin pizza can be had at Pingo Doce, at the clock roundabout for €4/person. The venue is boring, but you can perhaps overlook that for a good meal. Love Elisabeth

05 January 2015 - 12:19

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Pia says:

Keep up the good work and how nice it looks! I love Portugal so am really jealous! There are many beautiful places to visit such as Evora, Obidos (perhaps black to drive in with a motorhome). The food is fantastic there, enjoy!!!

05 January 2015 - 12:14

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JoY says:

Lying on the beach looks really nice, even though we have sun right now it is far from swimwear hihiKram Yvonné

05 January 2015 - 14:01

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solveig rhann says:

A little curious as to which car park in Albufeira you mean...and if it has electricity? Is it possibly Falesia?

05 January 2015 - 20:11

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Comment by post author

admin says:

Nils-Åke, thank you very much!
🙂

Pia, glad to hear that you like Portugal! Must check out the place you mention on the map! What do you particularly like about the food?

Elisabeth, our GPS is built into the stereo/car, so it doesn't feel so tempting to change... even if we miss the function with coordinates! In Bordatlas there are always street addresses as well, but not always at Husbilsklubben... We were in Galé today and probably jogged in your direction, but did not really manage to go that far... haha. We can keep an eye on each other, so maybe we'll see you all of a sudden! Thanks for the tip about the restaurant too!

JoY, sun is always nice after all!
🙂

Solveig, we are in the large car park near the centre of Albufeira. Parque de Palmeira, Rua José Carlos Ary dos Santos 29. There is electricity (possibly only 6 amps, not sure). The other site (which we found on the first day and which was full) is in Galé.

05 January 2015 - 21:00

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Matts Torebring says:

How lovely and good it looks.

05 January 2015 - 21:45

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Renate's travels says:

Oooh, how lovely it looks. Now I really want to go to Portugal!

06 January 2015 - 20:08

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solveig rhann says:

Aha, we've been to both....but will check out Falesia. It is said to be on the beach...with very beautiful cliffs we have heard. You managed to find the most expensive shop in the Algarve, congratulations..it is also an art!!!

06 January 2015 - 20:15

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Helena says:

Looks absolutely marvellous there! Understand that you did not want to leave. Nice when you can be spontaneous and do exactly what you feel like 🙂

06 January 2015 - 21:00

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Comment by post author

admin says:

Renares Reiser, so far we have a very positive impression of Portugal!

Ok, sounds a bit interesting with the one in Falesia too! Well, we realised that we scored an extra expensive deal...

Helena, being able to be spontaneous is the best thing about a motorhome!

06 January 2015 - 21:45

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Katarina Wohlfart says:

So bloody nice! But we got snow tonight. Yep 🙂

08 January 2015 - 1:22

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s p i n d e l t j e j e n says:

I'm jealous!!!

14 January 2015 - 23:14

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Kristina says:

Nice pictures and interesting reading 🙂 I live since a few years in the Algarve, a little bit outside of Albufeira. Love Portugal and everything that goes with it, the only thing that is on the minus side is the bureaucracy, but everything that is good in Portugal outweighs by far. Please check out my blog if you are thinking of moving to Portugal, http://www.mittportugal.se a personal blog about my/our experiences of our move. If Admin would like me to do a guest post, get in touch with my email 🙂 Enjoy!

28 June 2020 - 23:31

Reply

8 things to do in Albufeira on the Algarve Coast

Albufeira in Portugal

History of Albufeira

What to do in Albufeira?

1. sunbathing and swimming

2. Visit the beach in Galé

3. Hanging out in the Old Town

4. Visit the harbour

5. Shopping in the Algarve shopping

6. go to the market

7 Trying Portuguese food

8. Going on excursions

Tavira

Lagos

Cabo de Sao Vicente

By campervan in Albufeira

Weather in Albufeira

Facts about Albufeira

Travelling to Albufeira

Accommodation in Albufeira

You might also like:

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28 Comments

Åsa says:

Henny says:

Role o Carina says:

scottish moments says:

admin says:

Bosse and Gerd says:

Ditte says:

Ulla widing says:

Aila says:

admin says:

Lennart says:

Mr Steve says:

Ama de casa says:

admin says:

Mr Nils-Åke Hansson says:

Elisabeth says:

Pia says:

JoY says:

solveig rhann says:

admin says:

Matts Torebring says:

Renate's travels says:

solveig rhann says:

Helena says:

admin says:

Katarina Wohlfart says:

s p i n d e l t j e j e n says:

Kristina says:

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