Albufeira – Europe’s New Hot Spot

This summer Albufeira has become the new hot spot for young adults, school leavers and families. It’s the place that has it all! The vibrant town on the south coast of the sunny Algarve in Portugal has become the must-visit location of the summer. It feels like everyone and their nans there!!! Have you been seeing a lot of people that you know go on holiday to Albufeira? And are you wondering whether it is worth it to book those flights? – Take it from someone who’s been two years in a row, it is a need!!

40 minutes from Faro Airport, Albufeira is an excellent holiday destination. With the perfect mix of relaxation and party, who wouldn’t want to go? The east side of Albufeira is the party side where the strip is located, along with lots of hotels full of young people sipping cocktails, having the best holiday of their lives! The west side of Albufeira is full of cul de sacs with traditional Portuguese villas and romantic hotels making it the perfect location for families and newlyweds!! Lots of these hotels and villas overlook the stunning marina. The modern architecture was built with bright colours making the marina a unique, Instagramable location. The marina also causes Albufeira to be a windier location – perfect for British tourists who aren’t used to the heat. Even though Albufeira can be windy, temperatures average around 25 degrees daily over the summer so there is still a need for suncream! Central Albufiera is where you can find the old town and the beach. It is full of historic buildings, lovely shops, excellent restaurants with beach views, and great pubs! Another unique aspect of Albufeira is how you access the beach. Yes, you can access the beach by stairs, but you can also access it by escalator at the east side, or lift at the west! This makes the beach very accessible for wheelchairs, strollers, pregnant women, and even people who are just tired!

My Albufeira Recommendations

As someone who has been to Albufeira two years in a row, believe me, it is the must-visit holiday destination of the summer! I have experienced both, the family holiday full of relaxation, and the girls holiday full of clubbing and cocktails! Both were excellent. During my holidays to Albufeira I went to multiple restaurants and did multiple activities, but two really stuck out to me in particular:

Castello di Norcia, Italian translating to Castle of Norcia, is an Italian restaurant located on the west side of Albufeira, overlooking the Marina. Me and my family discovered this restaurant on one of the last days of our holiday. The food was delicious and the views – amazing! We fell in love with the restaurant, so we booked to come back for dinner there on our last night to end the holiday with a lovely evening. I would 100% recommend booking a table, specifically outside, if you time it right you get a gorgeous view of the sunset over the marina. The plates are small, but delicious nonetheless. Castello di Norcia is a must visit if you are in Albufeira!

Quinta do Canhoto Adega is a gorgeous winery only 2 and a half miles north of Albufeira town. I would 100% recommend visiting this winery. I especially recommend booking the Safari-like tour that can take you there. The safari-like tour consists of a jeep taking you through multiple picturesque, mountainous villages into Portuguese farmland, stopping at multiple locations allowing you to try local produce from small businesses on your way to the winery. The Jeep picks you up from your hotel/villa and takes you to the winery and back. Along with the jeep tour you get to try multiple wines which were some of the tastiest I have ever tried, so I had to buy a couple to take home!

© Femmine / Charlotte Waugh