City Guide: Albufeira

     Albufeira will captivate you.

     Sitting in the very center of Algrave, the city evolved into the most popular Portuguese destination from the early 1970s. With time, Albufeira has become more attractive as an amazing tourist playground for its umbrella-peppered coastline and regular doses of sunshine with more than 3,000 hours of sun a year.

    No travel to Albufeira is complete without a comfortable stay in the city. Be it a room in cheap or luxury hotel in Albufeira all are listed with maps, photos and secure forms at Booked.net.

    Albuferia owns the sunniest piece of coast in Portugal and it means that the city is an invitation for a set of aquatic activities like sailing, water skiing, surfing, scuba diving and so on. In addition, the sandy city strip offers weather pleasing for leisure activities from warm summers to hardly any rain and very mild winters.

    Regardless of the weather there is always an opportunity to tour the city year round. Attractions include;ъ

- Castelo de Almoáda, a Moorish castle dating back to the 12^th century

- SantAna Church, a beautiful church dating back to the 18^th century

- Igreja Matriz, a neo-classical parish church built in the 18^th century

- Church of So Sebastio, the 18^th century church situated in Miguel Bombarda square

- Misericordia Chapel served as a mosque, but became a chapel in 1499

    All these places take a back seat to the wonderful beaches. Along the 19-mile coastline expand 23 beaches with seven of them sitting in the very heart of the city. The golden-sanded strip of Albufeira tends to get busy with tourists, especially Fishermans Beach as the most popular recreational area in the city. Even though it is the best place for volleyball and water sports, there are also less crowded beaches in the area. For example, the West Beach sitting on the other end of the city is a fabulous haunt to indulge in relaxed atmosphere.

    On a visit to modern Albufeira you face one of the largest tourist destinations, but the city goes far back to the years of important trading port it was in the 8^th century. Bygone, but not forgotten, these days are still referred to at the panel of the former doorway to the Moorish castle.

    After it was taken by the knights of the Order of Santiago, Albufeira served as the fishing village in the middle of the 13^th century until trouble came. Affected by natural disasters, the city of Albufeira was almost totally destroyed by the 1755 earthquake.

    Moving through a long time of recovery the city reinvented itself towards a tourist center busy with visitors from across the world. The city’s pace of development went up in the 1960s and by the 1970s it had evolved into a bustling city. Explore it with Booked.net.