Steve's World Blog Information and articles on cities, towns and villages around the world.

Around 35 kilometres west of Faro on the Algarve, Portugal, the town of Albufeira used to be a traditional fishing village, typical of the area. In recent years it has grown into one of Portugal’s main tourist destinations, resulting in much development and growth in the town. You can still find much of the original fishing village, with narrow winding streets and alleys, lined with whitewashed houses and cottages. Many visiting today would think it a modern resort, but Albufeira can trace its origins back to Roman times and beyond when Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians stopped off here on their travels around the coast. The Romans called the town Baltum and there are still some remains of aqueducts and walls, built by the Romans over 2,000 years ago. The Moors developed the area for agriculture and also a significant fishing industry flourished over the ensueing centuries. 1755 was a bad year for Portugal and for Albufeira in particular, as a huge earthquake rocked the region and virtually destroyed the town. The main attraction these days are the fine sandy beaches and luxury hotels, where visitors can relax and enjoy the wonderful Albufeira weather in preparation for a night out along the famous “Strip”, located in the Montechoro district of the town. Albufeira boasts over 170 hotels of all standards many are aparthotels such as the Ondamar Aparthotel Albufeira which offers a good standard of accommodation in relaxed surroundings, and would be an ideal choice for your Albufeira holidays. If beaches are your thing, then you will not be disappointed by Albufeira, as there are at least 20 wonderful beaches within easy reach of the resort, two of the best being Praia de Oura and Praia de Gale, others include Praia do Castelo, Praia dos Pescadores and Praia do Evaristo. Albufeira can be easily reached from Faro airport which is about 40 minutes drive away. Albufeira Map.