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A beautiful coastal community in Portugal, Albufeira has become a tourist hotspot for beach lovers and its central location. It's easy to get from Lisbon or Faro to Albufeira, and once you're there, you'll be introduced to stunning sandy beaches, historic architecture, and great nightlife. It's close to Paderne Castle, and has great access to golf courses, a marina, and coastal walks and sightseeing. The city's interesting history and development means that there is a great range of interesting activities, historical sites, architectural styles, and mix of cultures. Once you arrive from the nearest airport, Faro, to Albufeira, your holiday will include some unforgettable experiences. This article will introduce you to some of the top sites and activities while visiting here. The Historic Architecture of the Old Town The city has always had close ties with Arab traders in North Africa, and its name is derived from the Arabic, Al-Buhera. Many of the inhabitants' early architectural lessons came from traders and travellers from Nothern Africa, and this mix of Arab and European culture has made for some beautiful cityscapes, and has typically come to be indicative of Mediterranean architecture. Be sure to check out the beautiful Tower of Medronheira (Torre da Medronheira), and the lovely seaside Hermitage of Nossa Senhora da Guia on the road that connects Faro to Albufeira. In the centre of the city, on Rua da Igreja Nova, the Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceicao has an unassuming exterior which hides a beautiful and ornately decorated interior. It's an old old parochial church which was destroyed and then massively revamped after the 1755 earthquake. Well worth the visit. The Castle of Paderne To the northeast of the city centre are the remains of the Castle of Paderne (Castelo de Paderne), a 12th century fortification which has a history dating back to Roman settlements and Moorish occupations in the 8th century C.E. The current 13th century structure was built by the North African Berbers and is still largely intact today. It is believed to be one of the first castles featured on the shield of the national flag of Portugal. The Strip Though it is possible make trips back to Faro to Albufeira in order to get a taste for Portuguese nightlife, the smaller city has a very healthy and bustling social life of its own, with a street of bars, nightclubs and restaurants – colloquially named “The Strip”. Here you can find the usual suspects of Irish pubs and Portuguese local cuisine, such as Mickey Boons, Cuica, Cafe Mambo, Savannah Bar, Blue Star Cafe, Patcha, and the local nightclub (popular with both tourists and locals) called Kiss. Lukas Johannes is a driver for Shuttle Direct. If you’re looking for a transfer from Faro to Albufeira, Shuttle Direct provide pre-booked shuttles to major destinations all over Europe. Wherever you travel, Shuttle Direct can make sure that you don’t miss your car on your holiday abroad.
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