This article will introduce you to the municipality of Albufeira, which has a foreign population of at least 8,848 inhabitants (according to the most recent data for 2021). Part of the Algarve region, Albufeira is one of the country's famous summer resorts with beautiful beaches, an active nightlife and frequent festivities. If you're thinking of settling here all year round, read on to see Albufeira through the eyes of a resident.
Administrative division of Albufeira
Albufeira is a municipality in the southernmost region of Portugal, the Algarve (Portuguese: município) with a total area of 140.66 square kilometers and 44,164 inhabitants according to the 2021 census. The share of foreign population is about 20%, which is well ahead of the Portuguese average (5%).
Albufeira is bordered on the west by the municipality of Silves, on the north and east by Loulé, and on the south by the Atlantic Ocean. The municipality has 4 districts (freguesias in Portuguese).
The population of the districts of the municipality, according to the 2021 census is distributed as follows:
- Albufeira e Olhos de Água - 28,641 people,
- Ferreiras - 7,267 people,
- Guia - 4,758 people,
- Paderne - 3,498 people.
Immigration assistance
The local migrant assistance center, CLAIM, is located at City Hall, Divisão de Ação Social, at Rua do MFA, nº 82, 8200-157 Albufeira. Tel: 289 599 656, Email: claim@cm-albufeira.pt.
Learning Portuguese
If you are interested in learning Portuguese in order to obtain a certificate that you can use when applying for citizenship, you should look for a program called Português Língua de Acolhimento (PLA). It consists of 2 levels: A1+ A2 and B1+B2. This program used to be called Português para todos. Despite the name change, the curriculum remains the same.
These courses are free of charge. Usually information about open courses can be found in 2 sources: on the website of the Oferta formativa and on the website of the Employment Center, IEFP. At the time of writing this article, the IEFP website has published the enrollment for 4 streams starting in September and 1 in December. To select a course and apply, on the IEFP website you need to enter Português língua in the search box, select Ofertas de formação in the drop-down list in the center, and Albufeira in the drop-down list on the right.
If you are not looking for an official certificate, you can find private schools on the internet that teach Portuguese as a foreign language to adults for a fee. Just google: português língua estrangeira Albufeira.
Employment
The municipality is home to no less than 5 thousand companies, lists of which can be easily found on the internet. Let's take a look at the 5 largest industries in Albufeira according to Info Empresas.jn.pt.
- Hospitality industry - 2,877 companies,
- Construction - 1,803,
- Retail - 1.675,
- Real Estate - 1,213,
- Administrative activities and support services - 806 companies.
Of course, this list can only serve to give an initial idea of which industries are most likely to have jobs in Albufeira. Given the high density of foreign populations, Portuguese may not be very important in some fields, and proficiency in English and other languages may be an advantage that outweighs not knowing Portuguese. Our website has a special section on working in Portugal that covers these and other subtleties.
According to the website of the municipality, the mayor's office helps with employment and somehow monitors the employment status of the elderly. For those outside this age group, no additional assistance is provided. Jobs can be sought through the employment center, IEFP, various outsourcing agencies and specialized websites.
Entrepreneurship
Albufeira has an Entrepreneurship Directorate (AGE), which aims to promote the economic development of the municipality and its business structure through specific actions in favor of competitiveness, entrepreneurship, support for investors.
Business parks
The municipality has 5 business concentration zones with their own territorial administration.
- Guia Commercial, Industrial and Services Zone and an area of potential growth and development for the City;
- Vale de Santa Maria Trade, Industry and Services Zone;
- Vale Paraíso Trade, Industry and Services Zone;
- Ferreiras Trade, Industry and Services Expansion Zone;
- Escarpão mining zone.
For more information on what businesses are located in each of these zones and what plots are available there, visit the Algarve Acolhe website.
Startup Albufeira
Startup Albufeira is a business incubator supported by Albufeira City Hall with two centers: one dedicated to creativity and tourism and the other to local products and gastronomy. The incubator accepts individuals and companies with innovative ideas and growth potential, formally established less than 2 years before the date of application, or in the process of incorporation.
Incubator Services:
- Physical or virtual incubation,
- Mentoring,
- Counseling,
- Networking,
- Training.
The incubator has different types of premises equipped with the necessary furniture and infrastructure: For general use, administrative support services, electricity, sanitary facilities, general maintenance and cleaning, a commercial address, a conference room, and access to the telephone network and internet are provided.
There is a fee for being in the incubator. You can find out more about the conditions and apply on the municipality's website.
Buying or renting a home
Regular readers of the articles on our site could already have some idea of the real estate prices in Albufeira from the quarterly reports on the Algarve. Recall that they show that in this municipality the price per square meter of real estate for sale is 3.362 euros per meter (April 2024), which makes Albufeira is not the most expensive, but also not the cheapest area of the region.
The largest website with real estate listings in Portugal is Idealista.pt. At the moment (end of July 2024) it has 76 rental listings and 2.804 listings for houses and apartments for sale. To give you an example, let's take a look at the cheapest options on offer.
800 euros a month
Studio apartment of 70 square meters. 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom. There is a balcony. Garage is included in the price. Rent with furniture. District Albufeira e Olhos de Água.
900 euros a month
Studio apartment of 60 square meters. 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom. Garage included in the price. District Albufeira e Olhos de Água.
Listings start at 1,500 euros for the TIMESHARE option, i.e. using the apartment for a limited time (in this case, one week). We will not consider such options. The most affordable option to sell for your own permanent residence is 76.700 euros. Studio of 45 square meters on the basement floor of a tourist aparthotel. 1 bathroom. There is central heating. The property has a garden with swimming pool. Albufeira e Olhos de Água district.
There are still a lot of offers from apart-hotels. If you are looking for an apartment in a normal residential area, the cheapest option is 120.000 euros. Studio of 52 square meters in a house built in 1992. 1 bathroom, balcony and terrace. District Albufeira e Olhos de Água.
The real estate market of Albufeira, as well as the entire Algarve region, is notable for the abundance of offers from apart hotels and offers for shared ownership with temporary use. This is due to the fact that the rhythm of life is very different in season and out of season. Many people who buy real estate in the Algarve, come there only for the summer, and the rest of the time they live somewhere else. In order to keep the property from becoming idle, they can rent it out on a daily basis. If you are interested in buying an apartment or house for permanent residence or for temporary use, you can contact a real estate agent in Albufeira through our portal, who will help you with both buying and renting.
Healthcare
In this article, I will only list the public medical facilities and the largest of the private ones.
There is no public hospital in Albufeira. Residents of the municipality are assigned to the hospital in Faro (Unidade Hospitalar de Faro). There is only a private hospital, Hospital Lusíadas.
There are both chain private clinics, like IHC, and a variety of local chains.
The municipality also has 8 public health clinics:
- Unidade de Saúde Familiar Sol Nascente (CS Albufeira),
- Unidade de Cuidados na Comunidade Al-Buhera (CS Albufeira),
- Unidade de Saúde Familiar Albufeira (CS Albufeira),
- Unidade de Cuidados de Saúde Personalizados Albufeira (CS Albufeira): head clinic, and 4 subdivisions: Polo da Guia, Polo de Ferreiras, Polo de Olhos de Água, Polo de Paderne.
Public transportation
City buses
Albufeira has a city bus network called GIRO. It consists of five lines marked with different colors (green, blue, orange, red 1 and red 2) and runs through the city center. Buses leave from the terminal every 30 minutes, except on Saturdays from 14:00 and Sundays, when they depart every hour. All lines except the orange line operate from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. or until 10:00 p.m. from June through September. The Orange Line to the train station runs from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. or until 11:30 p.m. from June through September.
You can view a map of the routes here. The company's website also offers to plan the route of the trip.
Single ride tickets can be purchased from the driver:
- 2 euros for travel in one zone,
- 2.6 euros for travel in all zones.
It is cheaper to buy a multi-trip card at the bus terminal:
- 1.6 euros per trip (you can load a minimum of 5 trips) + 3 euros for the card itself.
There are also tourist passes that can be purchased at the bus terminal and online:
- for 3 days for 20.35 euros or
- for 5 days for 33.55 euros
- 3 euros for the card itself.
For those who use the buses on a regular basis, there are the following monthly fares.
Normal rate (mensal):
- trips in 1 zone 35 euros (or 18 euros at a discounted fare),
- travel in all zones 45.45 euros (or 21.5 euros at a discounted fare).
Tariff for people over 65 years old (Sénior):
- trips in 1 zone 21.3 euros (or 11 euros at a discounted fare),
- travel in all zones 27.7 euros (or 12.5 euros at a discounted fare).
Tariff for schoolchildren and students:
- 15.9 euros (or 8 euros at a discounted rate).
In addition to each fare, a card is payable (€5 on purchase).
In order to benefit from the discounted fares, you must present your ID card and proof of residence or study in the municipality when purchasing the pass.
Some fares can be purchased on the website.
There are also some categories of citizens who can get passes for free.
Suburban trains
You can get from Albufeira to other cities in Portugal by train. For example, there are 15 daily services to Faro, the capital of the Algarve. The duration and cost of the trip depends on the train you choose and the fare available. For example, on the train Alfa Pendular you can reach in 21 minutes, paying about 16 euros. And if you select a cheaper train, you can pay only 3.65 euros, spending 32 minutes. You can view the timetable and book a ticket on the Portuguese Railways website.
Albufeira's train station is 7 kilometers north of the city, so you'll have to take a cab, Uber or take a bus to get to the center.
Intercity buses
Buses can take you to neighboring cities in the Algarve as well as to other cities in Portugal and Spain. You can check the route network and timetables on the websites of Flixbus, Rede Expressos, and VamusAlgarve. Note that these companies do not have a single point of origin and destination in Albufeira, and their final stops may vary.
Air service
The nearest airport to Albufeira is Faro Airport, 46 km away. Getting there from the city center will take between 45 minutes and 2 hours by public transport, or about 40 minutes by car.
Parking lots
Portuguese cities usually have street parking areas where parking is limited in time. This parking is typically paid during working hours on weekdays and free at all other times. However, residents of nearby neighborhoods have the opportunity to obtain a special sticker that allows them to park for free or at a discounted rate on these streets at any time when spaces are available. The mayor's office is responsible for the organization. Unfortunately, no information about parking lots was found on the Albufeira City Hall website, so we will provide data from other sources.
The four-story parking complex in Olhos de Água has 305 spaces. There is no charge, so it is difficult to find a free space during the high season.
Paid parking near the beach and the historic center has 534 spaces available. Prices from 1 euro per hour to 10 euro per day.
Also on this site you can see the location of the different parking lots on a map of Albufeira and read their terms of use.
Gardens and parks
You can always find a green corner in Albufeira. Here are just some of its parks.
Vale Faro Park
It occupies an area of about 3 hectares and is located near the city's wastewater treatment plant. It has a large lake that receives water treated by the treatment plant. There is also a children's playground, picnic area, tennis table and outdoor exercise equipment.
Urban Green Park (Parque Verde Urbano)
Located at the entrance to the city, it has a bike path. There are bike parking lots throughout the park, as well as tables and benches.
Alfarrobeira City Park
The park is known for its play and entertainment infrastructure. The playground occupies about 750 square meters and has equipment for children aged 2 to 14 years. The entire park is crossed by a bicycle path and a network of pedestrian paths.
Montechoro Garden
Large garden with two entrances. There is a lake and a fountain where you can observe exotic fish and turtles.
Game Park (Parque Lúdico)
The park has two playgrounds for children and an adult playground, as well as an amphitheater, a skateboarding area, and many other attractions.
Located in the historic district of Albufeira and allows you to enjoy stunning ocean views.
As the name suggests, the garden is located near the city library. It has many large lawns and has benches in shady areas. The space is ideal for outdoor reading, picnics and walks.
Sports activities
Walking and running enthusiasts will find something to enjoy. The municipality of Albufeira offers a selection of routes to beautiful places.
The Pista das Açoteias open-air training space covers about 40,000 square meters. Individuals and groups are constantly practicing here: walking, running, athletics and cycling. It is also ideal for large competitions.
Also in Albufeira there are: several soccer stadiums, multifunctional sports centers where you can play soccer, futsal, handball, basketball, volleyball, tennis, and badminton. You can find out more about them on this page.
There is also a municipal swimming pool, which unfortunately is currently closed for sanitary reasons.
Educational institutions
Schools and kindergartens
The exact number of kindergartens in the municipality is not known. For example, the Carta Social service shows that there are 13 of them in the city and together they can accommodate 753 children. All contacts can be found on the Carta Social website. But the municipality provides other information, as we can see below.
Public comprehensive schools are organized into 3 groups (agrupamento de escolas in Portuguese).
Agrupamento de Escolas de Albufeira
It includes five schools. Education is provided at all levels, from pre-school to grade 12.
Agrupamento de Escolas Albufeira Poente
This group includes 6 schools and 4 kindergartens. Education is provided at all levels, from pre-school to grade 12.
O Agrupamento de Escolas de Ferreiras
It consists of 9 schools and 5 kindergartens. Education is provided from preschool to 9th grade.
School transportation
The Municipality is obliged to provide transportation to all students who live more than 3 km (for elementary school) and more than 4 km (for secondary school) from their educational institutions. This transportation must also be provided to students who are not served by public transportation and who attend educational institutions outside the municipality due to lack of places there.
The parent or relative responsible for the child's education must make the request online through the https://siga.edubox.pt platform, both for the initial transportation request and annual renewal.
Private schools
You can find private schools in Albufeira by searching on Google: colégio privado Albufeira or escola privada Albufeira. For example, according to this list, there are at least 4 such schools in the city.
Vocational and higher education
Vocational courses for teenagers and adults are offered in several institutions. Secundária de Albufeira Poente (high school) offers courses in computer science, multimedia, sports, spa massage and several other disciplines.
APROMA (Albufeira Municipality Professional Academy) was inaugurated in March 2024 and focuses on courses related to construction: working with sewage, electricity, air conditioning, etc.
Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Albufeira offers vocational training in 17 different areas. For example, the company is certified to provide training in the use of crop protection chemicals.
There are no institutions of higher education in Albufeira. The nearest is the University of the Algarve with campuses in Faro and Portimao.
Entertainment for children
To find any fun and educational activities for kids, it's easiest to start with a Google map. For example, we will search for places using the queries: Ludoteca Albufeira and Centro educativo Albufeira. Ludoteca means a park or other place where there are games and activities.
So, our search yielded several places where kids can organize fun activities:
- https://www.ticas-park.com/
- https://www.facebook.com/costainnfunpark.pt/?locale=pt_BR
- https://www.facebook.com/PlayAlbufeira/.
Also, a couple places to introduce kids to science in a non-boring way.
- https://www.cm-albufeira.pt/espaco-albufeira-em-ciencia
- https://www.cm-albufeira.pt/centro-educativo-do-cerro-douro.
You can find anything by the same method, but it's better to additionally ask around with parents at your school or daycare.
Activities for older people
The concept of active aging is widespread among municipal managers. Albufeira has an Academy for Older People aimed at students from 50 years old. Its motto: "It is never too late to learn, teach or share, to get out of the house, to socialize, to make new friends and, above all, to feel and be happy". It is taught there by volunteers who are accredited and experienced in the field.
The list of disciplines and activities is extensive: several languages, including Portuguese for foreigners, computer science, real estate management, history, science, art, gymnastics, yoga, choir, public speaking club, handicrafts and much more.
There is a fee for training. You can find out the schedule and sign up here.
Other services of the municipality
Other interesting services are available on the Smart City portal. For example, you can send a message about a problem with the cleaning of urban space, some infrastructure object or an aspect of the environment.
You can also see the location of hotspots with free Wi-Fi on this site.
Albufeira for a comfortable life or a pleasant vacation
Whatever your purpose for coming to Albufeira: to settle permanently or to spend the summer, you will know how to start organizing your life in this municipality. If you are interested in buying a property for yourself or as an investment, we suggest you contact a real estate agent in Albufeira to find the option that best suits your needs.
And if you want to learn more about life in Portugal, keep reading our blog, where you can find posts about literally any aspect of Portuguese daily life.
