Albufeira Tourist Information & Tourists Guide

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Albufeira Tourist Information - Portugal

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The town and municipal area of Albufeira come under the jurisdiction of the district of Faro in the province called the Algarve, on the south coast of Portugal. It covers an area of approximately 140 km² with more than 30.000 resident inhabitants. The borough of Albufeira receives a considerable percentage of the 5 million tourists who visit the Algarve annually. The frenetic summer season now extends into the rest of the year, for visitors of all ages and from all over the world. Its extraordinary climate, with more than 3000 hours of sunshine per year and the friendly charm of its people persuade many foreigners to move residence to the region, either temporarily or permanently. We find more and more people select Albufeira as their favourite destination because of its multiple attractions, i.e. the lively and social nightlife, the beautiful beaches, varied water sports, golf courses, glorious countryside and the local cuisine.

Albufeira is without doubt the Algarve's largest and liveliest resort, packed with bars, restaurants, shops and tourist facilities for all the family. Albufeira (from the Arabic al-buhera meaning "Castle on the Sea" is a fun resort with plentiful nightlife and things to do for children during the day. The beach in town is the Praia do Penico but there are other fine beaches within easy reach: to the east of the town centre is Praia dos Pescadores (Fishermen's Beach) about half a kilometer distant, Praia da Oura about 3km, Praia da Falésia 10km and Balaia and Olhos de Água slightly nearer to town. All of these beaches can be easily reached by local bus. To the west of Albufeira are some beaches located in coves such as the jet-ski and water-skiing center of Praia da Galé. Easily reached by car, there is no direct bus - its a 2km walk from the main road to Portimão. 

Back in Albufeira town the main square is the pretty Largo Engenheiro Duarte Pacheco. Albufeira is all about sand, sea and fun but for sightseeing there's a free Archeological Museum (Museu Arqueológico) in the old town hall, the Ermide de São Sebastião and the Igreja de Santana - two historic chuches set in the old town. Albufeira's main festival is the Festa da Ourada held on August 14 which celebrates the patron saint of fishermen with a procession and giant fireworks display.

Other things to do besides soaking up the sun on the beach include a visit to Zoomarine, 8km northwest in Guia with a host of swimming pools, water slides as well as an aquarium and dolphin shows. Aqualand -The Big One, claims to be Portugal's biggest water-theme park with a variety of huge water slides and pools. Aqualand is 15km from Albufeira in Alcantarilha. There are buses from town. Aqua Show, claims Europe's largest wave pool and also has exotic wildlife, bungee jumping, mini-golf and various water rides. Aqua Show is in Vilamoura, 10km east of Albufeira. There are numerous golf courses in the algarve, riding facilities and tennis courts within easy reach.