You might think that if you’ve seen one marina, you’ve seen them all. Being upfront, the Albufeira Marina isn’t a lot different from any salt-water marina, and may fresh water marinas, you may have visited, except for the extras found here. This page is about tidbits about Albufeira – 3 – the Marina.
If you’ve just landed on this page it is just one of an extensive blog about a Canadian couple’s first trip to Portugal. If you’d like to start reading and seeing the photos from the beginning, click here.
Where is the Albufeira Marina?
For those new to Albufeira, wending one’s way to the marina might prove difficult the first time. An easy way to get there is to take a taxi or ride-share service, of which there are many in Albufeira or, with your bus pass firmly in hand, take a Giro from where you are to the Rodoviario Terminal in Albufeira, look at the map there, and take the appropriate line to the marina. I believe the lines are 3, 7 and 8.
Finding the Giro (pronounced shjerooo by some locals) bus line – Albufeira’s city bus service – to be a relatively easy way to get around it’s now always our first choice. We have a monthly pass for senior that provides unlimited bus travel on Giro for 12.5 Euro a month.
We took the Giro bus from where we rent (the #6 bus) to the Albufeira in town bus terminal (where, I think, every line of the eleven there are ends up eventually) and from there jumped on the #3 bus, travelled through northwest Albufeira, and eventually dropped us near the marina.
You can’t actually see the Marina when you get off the bus. Walk downhill from the bus stop. As you approach the Albufeira equivalent of St. John’s jellybean houses (see picture below) a set of stairs to the right allows access to the Marina level, and if you walk along the street between these colourful apartments, another set of stairs mid-way along leads down to the Albufeira Marina.
The apartments you see in the photo above run along both sides of the street that parallels the marina. Access to the marina is via the stairs referred to earlier. For folks with mobility issues there is an elevator at street level to take people to the marina level. It’s at the bus stop end of the street. We did not access that elevator so can’t comment further on it.
Marina row.
Looking at the boats is good. Gazing into the green water at the end of the marina to see the schools of fish that have been there every time we’ve been there is also good. But for folks not into either, what else does the Albufeira marina offer?
The photo shown above was taken fairly early in the morning, and many of the establishments hadn’t opened yet. The opening of many of the establishments doesn’t take place until the first of March too. Regardless, there were plenty of the places open to satisfy pretty much anyone’s need for trinkets and sustenance.
These are outdoor seating areas for many of the restaurants perched right on the edge of the water over the marina.
Come for the scenery!
I recommend you take the time to walk counter clockwise around the marina. This will bring you to the outlet, and the far breakwater and marina ocean access.
As you walk along the street on the far side of the marina towards the ocean you will reach a roadblock which controls access to some of the commercial boat-related shops nearest the outlet.
At the barrier we asked permission to continue on to the breakwater. No problem. I noted that most others did not ask and the barrier guard didn’t even notice. I suspect the control point is there to ensure that folks that want to use the boat launch, located a little further along, get to pay for the privilege of doing so. We were walking. No charge!
The road to the breakwater is to the right of the rocks in the photo above. The outer harbour is more clearly seen as we walked past these rocks in the photo below.
Careful when walking to the breakwater at the Albufeira Marina.
There’s a bit of challenge in walking out. At one point one has to step along some rocks to access the firmer, flatter footing on the breakwater itself. You can do it and it’s worth it!
This tour boat is heading out of the inner harbour, the marina, into the outer harbour and then out into the ocean. Tickets for the water tours can be acquired at various vendors throughout Albufeira, and also in many kiosks at the Albufeira Marina.
Out on the Albufeira breakwater.
Don’t bus or Uber back to Old Town!
If you are able to, consider taking the ocean route back to Old Town. From the strip in the marina, walk towards where one can see the road rise up on the left of the outlet.
Move up the road from the Albufeira Marina and the vista gets even better. The next photo is looking down to where some of the fishermen dock their boats in the outer harbour between being fishing. During the day activity on the port that can be seen from the heights.
More to come… heading out for some more Albufeira right now!
Follow the others to Old Town!
During the day there are lots of folks walking from Old Town to the Albufeira Marina and back. Whichever direction you walk, see where the other folks go, and traipse along. You’ll get there.
You are walking through what was once Al-Buhera!
This part of Portugal was once Moorish. Centuries ago. The existing name AL-bufeira reflects on it’s history. As one strolls along the path from the Marina to Old Town, the Moorish past is reflected along the way.
More to come, please check back. Cheers.