The often sun-drenched Portugal is a wonderful holiday destination. The kilometers of coastline are dotted with pleasant seaside resorts, including the popular Albufeira in the Faro district. The former fishing village of Albufeira is located in the south of Portugal on the Atlantic Ocean. Today it no longer consists of a historic city center where there used to be a lot of trade. Because a lot was built in the twentieth century. Today, most of the income is generated in tourism. The wonderful beaches of Albufeira, the many entertainment options and the beautiful nature of the country ensure many visitors who enjoy a holiday there every year. The attractive marina is a popular place both during the day and in the evening.
Top 10 sights of Albufeira
#1. Beaches
According to ALLCITYCODES.COM, the beaches of and near the Portuguese seaside resort of Albufeira are definitely worth seeing. The kilometers long coast is a succession of beaches. The beach of Albufeira is the centrally located Praia dos Pescadores. This wide beach is filled with beach beds, umbrellas, fun water sports facilities, lifeguards and nice beach bars and other restaurants. Other nice beaches in Albufeira are: Praia do Inatel, Praia da Coelha, Praia da Marinha, Praia do Túnel/Praia do Peneco, Praia da Oura, Praia dos Aveiros and Praia dos Alemães.
#2. Castelo de Albufeira
It is suspected that the castle of Albufeira, built in Gothic style, was already built in the thirteenth century. Before this, however, there have been other defense structures on this site that partly exist as a foundation. The high castle of Albufeira has had to withstand quite a few storms. The coastline has been battered several times by storms, earthquakes and a tsunami.
#3. Museu Municipal de Arquelogia
In the old center of Albufeira on the Praça da República is the archaeological museum of the city. The museum is located in the former town hall of Albufeira. In Museu Municipal de Arquelogia you can learn everything about the history of Albufeira from the seventeenth century. A subdivision is made into prehistory, the Roman period, the Islamic period and the modern period.
#4. Galeria de Arte Pintor Samora Barros
The art museum ‘Galeria de Arte Samora Barros’ is filled with masterful works by the Portuguese artist José Ricardo Júdice Samora Barros. This painter from the Algarve had a clear predilection for landscapes and portraits. In addition, he had a penchant for writing poems and was adept at teaching art.
#5. The Strip
Albufeira’s liveliest street is the popular Areias de São João or ‘The Strip’. The original name of this street is Avenida Sá Carneiro, which is located between Avenida dos Descobrimentos and Avenida Infante Dom Henrique. To the left and right of ‘the Strip’ you will find lively nightlife, nice shops and always lively and filled terraces. From the old center of Albufeira it is about a three kilometer walk to Avenida Sa Carneiro.
#6. Parque Aventura
Young and old can lose their energy in Parque Aventura, which is located on the Estrada de Santa Eulália. The climbing and scrambling forest is part of Luso Aventura. You can zip from treetop to treetop, follow an adventurous climbing path and if you don’t find it too hot, you can even play paintball. There are different levels of difficulty and matching challenges, so that it is great fun for children from four years old as well as adults.
#7. Zoomarine Algarve
Just outside Albufeira, west of the town of Guia, lies the Zoomarine Algarve. This watery theme park is very popular in Portugal. Here you can swim with dolphins, play and splash in the wave pool of Zoomarine Beach, try out one of the many slides, take an exciting ride in the Rapid River, visit the aquarium Oceanus or attend a dolphin show in Sonho E Fantasia. One day is probably too short to experience everything in Albufeira’s Zoomarine.
#8. Paderna
Culture vultures can decide to visit the old village of Paderne. Paderne is located north of Albufeira, just under half an hour’s drive away. As one of the oldest municipalities in the Albufeira district, there are a number of characteristic and valuable historical sites to discover here. For example, here are the ruins of the medieval castle of Paderne from the eleventh or twelfth century. And the bridge ‘Ponte medieval de Paderne’ is also a piece of history. This bridge was built around the second half of the eighteenth century on the banks of Quarteira. At the time, the bridge served as an access road to the Paderne castle. There are also some chapels.
#9. Caves and tunnels
Along the coast of Albufeira there are several “secret” caves and tunnels to discover. For example, the Moors hid here during the Christian reconquest in the eleventh century. Well-known caves and tunnels in Albufeira are: Penedo de Peneco, Cerro Malpique, Lajem van Canon, Ponte Grande and Cova van Xorino. Most visitors choose to admire the caves and tunnels by boat from the waterfront.
#10. Torre da Medronheira
The watchtower ‘Torre da Medronheira’ was already built in the sixteenth century. At the time, it served as a lookout to detect any attacks and unannounced visitors in time. Torre da Medronheira was built under the direction of King João III. Torre da Medronheira is located just a few kilometers east of Albufeira in the village of Olhos de Água. The name of this village actually means eyes of water, because the freshwater springs on the beach at low tide create round pools that look like eyes.
