Things To Do in Albufeira

With steep streets and villas staggered up and down the hillside, Albufeira resembles a North African seaside community. The big, bustling resort town rises above a sickle-shape beach that shines in the bright sunlight. A rocky, grottoed bluff separates the strip used by sunbathers from the working beach, where brightly painted fishing boats are drawn up on the sand. Access to the beach is through a tunneled rock passageway.

After walking Albufeira's often hot but intriguing streets, you can escape and cool off at Zoomarine, N125, Guia (tel. 28/956-03-00; www.zoomarine.pt), 6.5km (4 miles) northwest. It's a popular water park, with rides, swimming pools, gardens, and even sea lion and dolphin shows. It's open Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 6pm. Admission is 24€ for adults and 15€ for children 10 and under.

One of the busiest resorts along the Algarve, Albufeira maintains an almost alarming roster of seafront kiosks, many selling fun-in-the-sun products of dubious (or, at best, transient) value. The main shopping areas are along Rua do 5 de Outubro and Praça Duarte de Pacheco. An even denser collection of merchandise is on display in the town's largest shopping plaza, Modelo Shopping Center, Rua do Município, about .5km (1/3 mile) north of the town center. Most of the independently operated shops inside are open daily from 10am to 10pm. Although Albufeira produces limited amounts of ceramics, you'll find a wide selection of pottery and glazed terra cotta from throughout Portugal at the Infante Dom Henrique House, Rua Cândido do Reis 30 (tel. 28/951-32-67). Also look for woven baskets and woodcarvings.

You can have a lot of fun in this hard-drinking, fun-in-the-sun town, discovering your own favorite tucked-away bar. To get rolling, you might begin at the Falan Bar, Rua São Gonçalo de Lagos (no phone), or the nearby Fastnet Bar, Rua Cândido dos Reis 10 (tel. 28/958-91-16), where no one will object if you jump to your feet and begin to dance. A few storefronts away is the Classic Bar, Rua Cândido dos Reis 8 (tel. 28/951-20-75), a folksy, comfortably battered place that's almost completely devoid of pretension. The bars are usually open until 3 or 4am, depending on business.