Auto Europe
Car hire in Albufeira - Gateway to the Algarve
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Famed for its idyllic beaches, the charming seaside resort of Albufeira is one of Europe’s most popular holiday hotspots. A perennial favourite with sun-seekers from all over Europe and the rest of the world, the town has managed to retain much of the quaint fishing village atmosphere it had before the dawn of mass tourism. And with over 20 miles of coastline to offer, it offers an abundance of opportunities for enthusiasts of water sports, hiking, cycling and bird-watching, among many other outdoor pursuits.
The Albufeira area is no stranger to visitors; the Romans built an impressive castle there over two thousand years ago and under the Arabs the town benefited greatly from strong trade links with North Africa across the water. With its diverse mix of full-scale family attractions, pulsating night-life and jaw-dropping natural beauty, Albufeira is without doubt the perfect place for a relaxing holiday all year round, or as a convenient hub for people planning a leisurely road-trip along the glorious Algarve.
Albufeira boasts more than twenty beaches in all, the majority of them flying the coveted Blue Flag, an internationally-recognised seal of quality and cleanliness. Stretching for miles in front of the Old Town, the beaches of Pescadores, Túnel and Inatel are among the most popular with a wide range of water sports available such as para-sailing, jet-skiing and kayaking. Go further and you’ll come across a series of smaller beaches featuring unusual rock formations backed by glowing sandstone cliffs which have been regularly appearing in holiday brochures for the past forty years.
There are so many things to do in Albufeira, and the fact that it was the first major resort to be developed to the west of Faro and its international airport means that it’s one of the most established holiday hotspots in the whole of the Algarve. In summer, be aware that the beaches can get quite busy and occasionally the thermometer can reach 40 degrees centigrade. July and August are peak season so prices for meals and accommodation are higher than in the low and shoulder seasons. For this reason, late spring/early summer and late summer/early autumn are less busy and offer better value for money, while the winter months of December, January and February can still be sunny with far fewer people around.
Much fuss was made about Albufeira Marina when it first opened a few years but today it’s a very pleasant extension to the town centre and an excellent place for a relaxing evening stroll before enjoying a cool drink or a leisurely meal beside the water. It’s also a good place to charter a yacht or embark on some of Albufeira's popular water-based activities and excursions, including dolphin safaris, sailing and deep-sea fishing trips, etc. The Old Town is only a 20-30-minute walk from the marina, so it’s quickly and easily accessible for people staying in downtown Albufeira.
Albufeira’s surroundings comprise a magnificent natural heritage that has been impressively preserved and maintained in recent years. The area is rich in almond, fig, orange and pine trees and a short drive in any direction from the town centre carries you into some lovely landscapes with ocean vistas as far as the eye can see. And heading east beyond the upmarket tourist resort of Vilamoura brings you to Ria Formosa, a nature reserve of international renown. Stretching for 60 km between Ancão and Manta Rota, this very important wetland is home to many rare and endangered species of bird. Have a read of our car hire reviews in Albufeira to see what past clients have thought of our service.
How's the traffic in Albufeira?
Despite being a relaxed holiday resort, the streets in and around Albufeira’s town centre can get quite busy, particularly in the rush-hour and especially during the main holiday months of July and August. Some of the roads are quite narrow, so if you are driving a larger vehicle such as an SUV then it might be best to avoid going into the centre in high season. Nevertheless, Albufeira has a well-planned traffic system with a series of well-signposted orbital roundabouts and excellent road links to the busy EN125 and trans-Algarvian motorway (A22).
Where can I park my car hire in Albufeira?
Albufeira is a small town with a charming town centre in which a good number of strategically-placed municipal car parks exist. The multi-storey car park on Rua 25 de Abril is conveniently close to the beach but be sure to get there early in summer, especially at weekends when the locals descend upon the coast in great numbers. The car park on Avenida dos Descobrimentos is good for visitors planning to explore the town on foot, plus there are plenty of Pay & Display street parking spaces available throughout the town centre, but be aware that there’s a limit to the amount of time you can park there. The wardens will be quick to fine you if you overstay your time allowance, so make sure you display your ticket and return before the expiry period.
Albufeira Airport
The nearest airport to Albufeira is at Faro, which also serves the rest of the Algarve. Capable of handling around six million passengers a year, it has 22 stands, 60 check-in desks and 36 boarding gates. Passenger facilities at Faro Airport include six baby-changing facilities (free of charge), a choice of banks, bureaux de change, free Wi-fi and an excellent first aid centre. Besides a large Duty Free shop, dining and shopping services include Burger King, Costa Coffee, Subway, Mulligan's Irish Pub, Swarovski, Victoria's Secret, Sunglass Hut, Parfois and Ale-Hop, among many others. Faro Airport has plenty of parking possibilities, from low-cost priced around 5 euros a day to premium services both indoors and outdoors and always in close proximity to the terminal building. Several bus routes operate every day between Faro Airport and the city centre, plus there are several regional and national coach connections to Albufeira, Lisbon and all other key destinations in Portugal. The airport taxi rank is very close to the Arrivals Hall and they circulate day and night with seating for up to four passengers in most cases. Although Faro Airport has no railway station, taxis and buses can quickly take you to the main train station in the city centre from where you have connections to destinations in the Algarve, including Albufeira, and many other towns and cities up and down the country.
Faro Airport (FAO)
Telephone: +351 289 800 800
Address: Aeroporto de Faro, 8006-901 Faro, Algarve, Portugal
Website: www.aeroportofaro.pt
What to do in Albufeira
Beyond Albufeira's golden sandy beaches and bobbing fishing boats, there’s a world of history and culture to explore in and around the town’s historic centre. Spend some time visiting its churches and museums before heading off for a spin in the local countryside.
- Clock Tower: One of the town’s most striking landmarks, Albufeira Clock Tower is located in Rua Bernardino Sousa (close to Peneco Beach) and is very popular with tourists because of its magnificent views from the top. It was originally one of the towers of the town's old medieval castle and in the 19th century an original iron crown was added to the part where the bells are now located. The tower is illuminated by night which makes it one of the most photographed buildings in the centre of Albufeira.
- Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição: The town's parish church in Rua da Igreja Nova was built in the 18th century to replace the previous one that stood on the site of an old Arab mosque destroyed during the great earthquake of 1755. Designed in the neoclassical style, the church’s single nave has four side chapels, a baptismal chapel, choir, two pulpits and two side chambers. The high altar has a beautiful altar-piece by local painter Samora Barros and above the arch of the main door there’s the cross of Aviz representing the religious and military order to which Albufeira once belonged. The bell-tower built in 1869 features a 28-metre staircase and a lovely 8-bell carillon.
- Archaeological Museum: One of the top tourist attractions in the local area, the Archaeological Museum housed in Albufeira’s former town hall building features a fascinating collection of rare exhibits encompassing prehistory, the Roman, Islamic and Visigoth periods right up to the modern age. Covering two floors, the most interesting artefacts include Stone Age flint tools, fragments of mosaics excavated from a nearby Roman villa and a collection of 16th-century keystones, with the main highlight being an impressive 10th-century Islamic silo.
- Paderne: Set in splendid isolation on a hilltop in the lovely Algarve countryside just outside Albufeira, the atmospheric ruins of Paderne Castle were built by the Moors in the 12th century on the site of an earlier Roman fortification. Overlooking the River Quarteira, the castle’s impressive outer walls are still intact, along with some parts of the original tower gate. Within the ramparts lies the ruined chapel of Nossa Senhora do Assunção, which was constructed after Christian forces overran the Moors in 1248. Located about 10 minutes by car north-east of Albufeira on the N395, the village of Paderne itself is very picturesque and well worth extending your castle visit.
- Zoomarine: Just 4 miles north-west of Albufeira lies Zoomarine, one of the Algarve's great family entertainment centres. Home to one of southern Europe’s most impressive dolphin and sea lion shows, amongst many other daily performances, the 10-hectare park opened in 1991 and today features a large aquarium section with sharks and habitats for various other marine creatures. Don’t miss the 4D cinema and all the fun of the fair, including the amazing Jurassic River ride, along with various swimming pools for both kids and adults and a gigantic water slide. Zoomarine’s highlight though is the chance to interact with the beautiful bottle-nose dolphins in a supervised pool area where visitors can swim with these magnificent creatures.
Best day trips with my car rental in Albufeira
Renowned for its golden beaches and picturesque scenery, the Algarve is a must-visit destination at any time of the year. Visitors who rent a car in Albufeira will soon discover that this lovely town located midway along the shoreline is the perfect base from which to explore the region's 150-mile stretch of sandy coastline, which is bordered on two sides by the Atlantic Ocean.
Ria Formosa Natural Park
Established in 1987, the Ria Formosa Natural Park ranks as one of Europe’s most important wetlands. Covering over 18,000 hectares between Ancão and Manta Rota in the eastern Algarve, the park is a regular wintering ground for birds from northern and central Europe, as well as a convenient stopover for migrant birds flying between northern Europe and Africa. It is also a place of refuge for rare Portuguese birds and a nesting site for many endangered species, as well as being a natural habitat for the Mediterranean chameleon which thrives in the pine groves and coastal areas of the eastern Algarve.
Rosa dos Ventos, Sagres
Take a drive to the Ponta de Sagres promontory 60 miles west of Albufeira for a true sense of the Algarve’s seafaring history. Discovered in 1928, the vast mariner’s wind-compass known as the Rosa dos Ventos is a lasting relic of Prince Henry the Navigator's famous school of navigation located in the extreme south-western corner of both the country and continental Europe. From here, Portugal’s navigators mapped their sea routes down the west coast of Africa and beyond. The picturesque town of Sagres nearby is also worth seeing for its lovely 15th-century churches and one of the largest lighthouses in Europe.
Monchique
High up in the Algarve hills, the lovely little spa town of Monchique produces some of the richest mineral waters in the whole of Europe. Full of sodium and flouride, and known to aid respiratory problems, the waters were popular in Roman times due to their healing qualities, with subsequent takers including Portugal’s King João II and Queen Amélia. Located about 20 minutes inland from the port city of Portimão situated west of Albufeira, the town’s fresh mountain air offers plenty of relief from the intense midsummer heat along the coast. Monchique is also well-known for its handicrafts, most notably the folding wooden stools originally derived from a Roman design.
Lagos
The charming seaside town of Lagos in the western Algarve is well worth a road trip with your car hire in Albufeira. The Moors, Romans and Phoenicians all played their part in creating this magnificent place and besides large parts of its original wall, tourists have much to explore inside the town centre, including the Church of St Anthony with its exquisite 18th-century rococo art. The museum next door has displays of archaeology, crafts and ethnography with several African sculptures caricaturing Portuguese colonial officials.
Faro
The Algarve’s provincial capital, Faro, is a bustling city huddled around one of the best-preserved old quarters in southern Portugal. Standing on a fertile plain rich with orange and olive trees, the city has many interesting museums and other major tourist attractions, such as the imposing 13th-century cathedral and the 17th-century chapel of Pé da Cruz with its interesting oil panels illustrating the stories of Genesis. A short drive north of Faro brings you to the village of Estoi, famous for its beautiful pink-coloured Rococo palace, as well as a Roman complex dating from the 1st century.
Geographic Information & History
Albuefira boasts a temperate climate with short winters of average temperatures varying between 10C and 18C and long, hot summers with average temperatures between 18C and 30C. A region of cliffs and beaches, the town is renowned for its crystalline south-facing waters with average sea temperatures well above 20C. The Albufeira coastline is also notable for its picturesque limestone caves and grottoes, many of which are accessible by boat.
In Roman times, Albufeira was called Baltum and fine examples of Roman bridges can be seen in Paderne and Guia. The Moors, who occupied the town in the 8th century, renamed it Al-Buhera, which means 'The Castle on the Sea', which is how the town derived its name. During five centuries of Arabian rule, Al-Buhera built up a busy trade with nearby North Africa, and together with Faro it was one of the last Moorish strongholds to be conquered by the Portuguese in 1250. The Christian conquest of the region began at the end of the 12th century and when King Afonso III of Portugal took the throne, most of the Algarve had already fallen into the hands of the Christians. Albufeira was one of the towns of the Algarve most affected by natural calamities, in particular the 1755 Lisbon earthquake which caused the worse damage. In 1833, during the Liberal Wars between absolutist and liberal forces, Albufeira was encircled and attacked and profoundly damaged. After the 19th century, the community grew through the expansion of the local fishing industry, which is why the locals continue to celebrate the annual Festival de Peixes (Fish Festival).
How to get around Albufeira
Despite the railway station being a few miles out of town, Albufeira's public transport system works quite efficiently, even during the busy summer period. Local buses are cheap and regular and taxis (subject to a modest pick-up fee) can often be seen driving in and around the often busy town centre.
Bus
Several buses run back and forth along the region’s main road, the N125, passing Albufeira en route. All services operate to a set timetable and keep good time throughout the year. It’s always best to arrive a few minutes early with a ticket if possible, although it’s often possible to purchase one from the driver.
Train
Albufeira railway station is located at Ferreiras about 4 miles north of the town centre. A regular bus connects the station with downtown Albufeira, plus taxis are also available outside the station, particularly when trains arrive, but be sure to grab one quickly as it may be a while before another one turns up, especially in the low season. Although no Wi-fi is offered at the station itself, a small café nearby offers free Wi-fi to its customers. Trains to Lagos and Faro take about an hour, while the train from Albufeira to the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, can take anything up to 4 hours, although a high-speed (and more expensive) Alfa service cuts the journey time by about 90 minutes.
Taxi
Operating with pride and professionalism, Albufeira's taxi companies have been collectively serving tourists and the local community for many years in order to help promote the region and improve the status of the Algarve as an international destination. There are several taxi ranks in Albufeira, the main ones located in Avenida da Liberdade, Rua 25 de Abril, Areias de SãoJoão, Rua do Município, Rua 1 de Decembro, Terminal Rodoviário (Bus and Coach Station), Avenida Infante D. Henrique, Rua José Fontana and Marina de Albufeira. Bear in mind that the tariff is higher from 9pm until 6am.
Bicycle
The Algarve is prime cycling terrain so why not park up your car rental in Albufeira for a couple of days and explore the area by bike? Due to its central position along Portugal's southernmost coastline, Albufeira is the perfect base from which to explore the area on two wheels. The popular Via Algarviana runs through Albufeira and is easily navigable in both directions - east towards Vilamoura, Faro and the Spanish border and west towards Portimão and Sagres in the south-western corner of the country. Bikes are a regular sight both in the centre of Albufeira and along the town's long promenade, with many bike hire outlets operating in and around town throughout the year.
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