The Algarve is a popular destination, offering beautiful beaches – some of the best beaches in the world are to be found here, as well as quaint cobbled streets and tiny white-washed houses. With over 3,000 hours of sunshine each year, the Algarve has a certain charm that attracts people year after year. It has a varied nightlife and an excellent range of restaurants, with cuisine combining Spanish and African influences.
It is also one of Europe’s top golfing destinations. The area is a rambler’s paradise, with stunning coastal walks and beautiful inland routes, especially in Spring when the abundance of wild flowers are in bloom. Sun, sand, sea, fantastic sporting facilities, superb eating out and lovely friendly people – what more could one ask! There is something for everyone – families, couples, golfers, walkers, fishermen, or people just wanting to relax and chill.
Albufeira is famed for its beautiful beaches where the sand is fine and the sea is turquoise blue, and for the countless shades and tones of its rocks and cliffs. High sandstone cliffs, providing shade in summer and protection against the wind in winter, surround the small sandy coves that are so characteristic of this area. A section of the town’s long beach, known as ‘Fisherman’s Beach’ (Praia dos Pecadores), can be easily accessed from the streets leading off the main square, and a selection of pretty beaches extend both east and west from the town. Just a few miles inland and the landscape switches to lush green countryside, dotted with almond, fig, orange and pine trees.
The town itself consist of both ‘old’ and ‘new’ sections which merge effortlessly into the surrounding towns and villages, extending to the east along the coast to Balaia, Olhos d’Agua and Falesia, and west to Sao Rafael, Gale and the links golf course at Salgados. Albufeira’s development is spread out rather than high rise, and this allows the town to retain it’s original charm as a sleepy fishing village, while keeping pace with today’s tourism industry.