Albufeira sits on one of the Algarve's most dramatic coastlines, where ochre and amber limestone has been carved by Atlantic swells into sea caves, arches and hidden coves accessible only by boat. The old town retains its whitewashed Moorish character on the clifftop above the tourist strip, and the freshest grilled fish arrives daily at the harbour restaurants. Day trips to the dramatic Ponta da Piedade rock formations near Lagos, the stacks of Praia da Marinha, and Sagres at Portugal's southwestern extreme — where Henry the Navigator plotted the Age of Exploration — reward the curious visitor. The Algarve's interior offers wine quintas, cork oak forests and hilltop villages entirely untouched by coastal tourism.
- Suggested duration: 3–5 days
- Best time to visit: May to June and September to October for warm seas without peak-season crowds; the Algarve enjoys 300 days of sunshine annually.