The
progress has turned Albufeira into a city
with tourism and leisure as its vocation.
The streets in the old Cerro da Vila (mediaeval
area) still preserve the picturesque appeal
of whitewashed houses and steeply narrow
streets. In Travessa da Igreja Velha, an
old moorish arch indicates the place where once
stood a primitive mosque, later transformed
in the town´s first church.On the
beach, the bright colours of the fishing
boats contrast with the blue of the sea.
Indifferent to the tourists sunbathing
nearby, the fishermen carry on the task
of mending and preparing the nets, as they
have done for hundreds of years .A walk
by the sea will offer you a magnificent
view over the city, the beaches and the
cliffs which are part of the charm of Albufeira.
The sidewalk leads to the pretty cave at
Xorino, where according to the local tradition
the Moors took refuge when the town was
re conquered by the Christians in the 13th
century.
How to get to Albufeira
After landing in Faro Airport, you can get to Albufeira by car (taxi, transfer bus or rent-a-car), driving West by the EN 125 main road or the A22 freeway ("via do Infante") for about 35 Km, the road is well sign-posted making it quite easy to get there.
If travelling by car from another country, coming down to the Algarve, by motorway (A2), main road (IO1) or train, you will enter straight into Albufeira, as it is the main access to the region.
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