- Algarve
- Beachs of the Algarve
- Golf Courses of the Algarve
- Gastronomy and Handicraft
- History of the Algarve
- Geography of the Algarve
- Albufeira
- Alcoutim
- Alentejo
- Aljezur
- Castro Marim
- Coimbra
- Faro
- Ferreira do Zezere
- Lagoa
- Lagos
- Leiria
- Loulé
- Monchique
- Olhão
- Ourique
- Portimão
- São Brás de Alportel
- Silves
- Tavira
- Vila do Bispo
- Vila Real de Santo António
Albufeira
Located in the center of the Algarve, twenty minutes away from Faro Airport, the municipality of Albufeira have the best known tourist resorts of the Algarve and the most popular along the European markets.
According to several archaeologists and historians, the origin of Albufeira was a trading post of the Phoenicians, founded around 970 B.C. Eight centuries later, at the beginning of the II century BC, the Romans established themselves in that area, giving it the name of Baltum. The Romans brought great innovations to the life of the natives. They built aqueducts, roads and bridges, of which there are some remains. With the fall of the Roman Empire, the Visigoths assumed the control of a great number of areas of the Iberian Peninsula, until the arrival of the Arabic power. Baltum was conquered at the beginning of the 8th century AD, with the name of Al-Buhera. The domain of the Arabs brought prosperity and military importance to it (they built the castles of Paderne and of Albufeira). In 1249 King D. Afonso III conquered Al-Buhera for the Kingdom of Portugal and of the Algarve.
The castle of Paderne, of Arabic construction, is one of the seven castles represented in the coat of arms of the Portuguese national flag, being an important historic testimony of the Arabic domain in the Algarve.
The earthquake of 1755 and the big seaquake which followed it, destroyed the village provoking hundreds of deaths and the destruction of almost all of the buildings, inc1uding the castle and the mother church. A significant part of the architectonic, religious and civil patrimony were rebuilt thanks to the impulse of the Bishop D. Francisco Gomes de Avelar. Examples of these latter buildings are the mother churches of Albufeira and Pademe.
The development of Albufeira happened around the fishing activity from the middle of the 19th century. From 1930 until 1960 Albufeira lived times of decadence. The fishing tackles went bankrupt, the fishing factories closed, the vessels disappeared and many houses were abandoned. The population was reduced to half and fishing became an activity of subsistence.
At the beginning of the 1960s, the tourist phenomenon was born. Albufeira was visited by national's and foreign tourists from all over the world, but the British were the ones who most influenced the touristic development of this Municipality and who made it more famous.
Albufeira offers the most diversified tourist real estate in the Algarve, both in terms of residences and hotels. It is enriched by an excellent scenery frame and an extended network of complementary services of hotels and restaurants, modern shoppings, a marina, golf courses, sportive diving, environmental education and more than 20 spectacular beaches along a coast of 30 km of upstream.
Albufeira has transformed itself into one of the municipalities of the Algarve where both national and international investors look for property. The quality and quantity of tourist infra-structures of the municipality (hotels, high level tourist villages, luxurious resorts, shopping areas, the manna, golf courses, excellent beaches, transportation systems) and a very varied offer of all kinds of services constitute additional guarantees of valuing the touristic and housing investment in this municipality.
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