Guzzle and Nuzzle in Albufeira, Portugal

 We read that Albufeira, once a small fishing village, is the most-visited town in Portugal's South Atlantic-facing Algarve region because of its beauty, beaches, and amenities, and we thought we'd give it a try since it was also pretty cheap. Turns out it's the Algarve capital of British and German "guzzle and nuzzle" tourists, those looking to drink alot and hang with their loves in bars all day long.

We really lucked out when our hotel turned out to be on the (much) quieter side of town and quite a bit up the hill, away from the downtown bars, t-shirt shops, and hucksters, plus we had a lovely view from our room.

Afternoon, sunrise, cloudy day, full moon...

Yup, our hotel's up there. Yay!

Escalators, elevators, and steps all are available for getting down to the beach.

There's still a working marina in Albufeira, but it's actually on the next beach over.

Our lively little hotel

My Finnish cousin, Olli, recommended a dinner place for us 9 km away, the Vila Joya. I made a reservation, and received a reply informing me dinner was 185 Euros per person before wine. Even at $1.20/Euro, that was too steep for us, so instead we found a great place at the end of the road beyond Vila Joya, good food, service, and a lovely beach. We liked so well we returned our second night.

My first prawns of this trip...enormous!!

Glorious sunset

Stopped at a beach recommended for a look-see our second night, Sao Raphael, so glad we did!

Last note - Portuguese post offices sell books and CDs, a very good idea, I thought! I browsed while I waited my turn to buy stamps (you have to take a number and wait your turn).

Liked these icons.