Albufeira


District: Albufeira
Region: Faro, Portugal
Post Code: 8200
Distance from Faro: 39 km
Residents: 16.200

The name of Albufeira goes back to the times of the Moorish occupation Al-Buhera when it became an important trading port in the 8th century.

The former fishing village of Albufeira has expanded since the 1960s into one of the Algarve’s major holiday resorts and now has over 16.000 permanent residents. During the summer the old centre of the town with its plentiful collection of shops, bars, clubs and restaurants is filled-up with tourists from all over the world.

Although the municipality’s tourist facilities and its nightlife are perhaps the most famous in the Algarve, these continue to exist alongside another reality: that of peaceful villages where traditional handicrafts are still practised, such as the manufacture of the hand-painted decorative tiles known as azulejos, copper articles or rugs and mats made from esparto grass, surrounded by dryland orchards with almond trees in blossom and brightly-coloured orange groves.

Albufeira is surrounded by some of the best known beaches from Praia da Falésia in the west to Praia de S. Rafael in the east. There is also a new marina on the west side, with modern ans stylish restaurants and shops.