The year-round warm weather and fantastic natural landscape ensures that numerous children’s and outdoor activities available to enjoy in Albufeira. The family will love the leisure and entertainment parks such as Bella Vista Leisure Centre, which has a plethora of rides and games to play. There are also some great water activities including the Molhado Water Sports on Oura Beach and also Indigo Divers, which offers breathtaking diving adventures.

Aquashow Family Park
One of the most exciting and fun places to visit is the Aquashow Family Park, which is home to an array of water slides, pools and water activities. There is an impressive exotic bird display with hundreds of different species. The park boasts Europe’s biggest ‘watercoaster’ towering at 23.5 metres. Open from 10.00 every day, the park is a favourite with kids. 
Phone: +351 289 389 396; www.aquashowpark.com

Bella Vista Leisure Park
The Bella Vista Leisure Park is a family entertainment centre filled with a wide range of fun activities to enjoy. There is a miniature golf course, quad bike rides and a Fun Factory with a host of activities for toddlers with bouncy castles, ball pools and slides. The park is open every day from 9.00 until 18.00. 
Phone: +351 926 791 185, 289 514 758

Crazy Paintball Adventure
This well established Paintball Park is one of the country’s best, with huge grounds and fantastic natural surrounds to hide in. Private group days are available or you can join with other players on the day. You can be assured to have an exciting fun-filled day. 
Phone: +351 966 467 064; www.crazypaintball.albufeira.com

Indigo Divers
Indigo Divers is a well-established PADI dive centre located in downtown Albufeira. They have several fully equipped boats for sea excursions through the marine filled waters of the Algarve. Courses range from beginners to advanced and special day trips can be arranged. Some amazing sea creatures can be seen in the local waters that will impress even the most seasoned divers. 
Phone: +351 289 587 013; http://www.indigo-divers.pt/

Ski Molhado Water Sports
Located on the sunny beach of Oura, Ski Molhado is one of the most well-known and best water activity companies in Albufeira. They offer an array of activities including speedboat rides, parasailing, waterskiing, wakeboarding and banana tows. Hire of jet skis, pedal boats, kayaks and canoes are also available. 
Phone: +351 917 294 497; www.skimolhado.com

The ancient area in and around Albufeira is teeming with culture and history from past societies and civilisations. Numerous churches, parishes and chapels are available to view, some of which date to the 10th century. The Museum of Archaeology is particularly interesting, with an array of artefacts and history of the early inhabitants of the Algarve.

Igreja Matriz
Igreja Matriz is a neo-classical 18th-century church that was rebuilt after an earthquake in 1755. The church boasts a dramatic bell tower and a statue of the famous ‘Our Lady of Conception’ behind the high altar. There are also some 15th-century statues and paintings from the original church that survived the earthquake.

Misericordia Chapel
Located in the city’s small cobblestone streets, the Misericordia Chapel has a rich and colourful history. The building was originally a mosque but changed to a chapel in 1499. The chapel has an interesting interior with beautiful wooden carvings and a grand altarpiece.

Museum of Archaeology
The fantastic Museum of Archaeology in Albufeira is filled with educational displays and artefacts from the interesting Algarve history. Prehistoric cavemen, who lived in the region thousands of years before, as well as the Roman, Muslim and medieval societies are shown and explained in the museum. 
Phone: +351 282 440 480.

Paderne
Situated a few kilometres from the centre of Albufeira in rough and rocky terrain is the Paderne parish, which dates to the 10th century. Christians occupied the building before the Moors conquered in around 1200 and the in 1248 the Christians reclaimed the parish. The Paderne offers beautiful views of the surrounding areas and has a wealth of interesting history.

Porta De Santana
Also known as St Ann’s Door, Porta De Santana is one of the original doors leading to Albufeira Castle. The door was partially destroyed in an earthquake in 1755 but still displays the coat of arms from the Azevedo Family, who were the Lord Mayors.

Downtown Albufeira has an abundance of great alfresco cafés, fine dining restaurants and local eateries serving fresh and tasty food. The choice of cuisine ranges from Italian, Indian, French, Chinese, Vietnamese, British and of course Portuguese. Along the beach strip you will find some fantastic street stalls with local specialities such as peri peri chicken and caldeirada, which is a delicious fish stew served in a clay pot.

Portugal is famous around the world for its chicken cooked over charcoal with flavoursome herbs and spices. Albufeira has several specialised restaurants and numerous take away eateries to try. Being located in the warm waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, fresh seafood is in abundance and arrives daily to the port of Albufeira. Some fantastic seafood restaurants are positioned along the beach as well as on the dramatic coast, offering not only great food but also breathtaking views.

In the Algarve region, Albufeira is one of the best cities for shopping, with an abundance of boutiques, beachside markets and large department stores. You will find the best areas are Praca Duarte de Pacheco, which has numerous brand names and small boutiques on Ra do 5 de Outubro, where some of the larger malls can be found.

The region is well known for its ceramics with beautiful terracotta pottery and other finely detailed hand painted pieces available. One of the best places to buy Algarve ceramics is at the ‘gypsy markets’, which are held twice a month in Albufeira. There is also a multitude of other local handicrafts and jewellery available.