Since the 1970s, the picturesque fishing town of Albufeira has become the tourist capital of the Algarve.  The golden beaches and pulsating night-life attract holidaymakers from all over Europe.  Albufeira and the surrounding area are steeped in history with vestiges of human settlements that can be traced back to Neolithic and Bronze ages.

Albufeira was originally given the name Baltum by the Romans. The Moors went on to occupy the area from 8th century, renaming the town Al-Buhera - Castle of the Sea. After five centuries of Arabian rule, Al-Buhera was one of the last Moorish strongholds to be conquered by the Portuguese Christians in 1250.

Albufeira suffered a succession of devastating earthquakes in the 18th century and in 1833, the town was first besieged then burnt to the ground during a Portuguese civil war.

The fishing industry did much to revive the economy of Albufeira but prosperity only really returned with the tourist boom that started in the late 1970's and gathered momentum in the 1980's. Tourism, pure and simple, is what it's now all about.

Much of Albufeira’s old charm is still there and is to be found in the labyrinth of narrow streets, lined with whitewashed houses, apartments, cafes, bars and shops, which lead down the hillside to a central square, Largo Engenheiro Duarte Pacheco. The square is a excellent place to sit and watch the world go by.