But apparently our memories aren't very good!
We stopped at a big Jumbo supermarket and stocked up. We find that grocery prices overall are maybe slightly more expensive than what we found in Spain. But, the Algarve is a tourist area and perhaps things would have been cheaper in the northern part of the country.
We won't ever be back to the Algarve region. Although we enjoyed Salema Eco Camp and the wander around we had that area, the rest of it doesn't have much to offer for us, and there are far too many RV's for our liking. If and when we return to Portugal, it will be for Lisbon and north of that.
Anyhow, we made it to Albufeira and needed to look for somewhere for Helen and Tony to stay for a night. Lots of options if you want to pay the big bucks, but not so much cheap accommodation because many of them are closed up for the season.
We checked out a few different places, and ended up closer to the coast where there was more available, but it's a bit of a run down town. Not impressed at all with Albufeira.
Found them a nice enough room above a bar for €25 ($35.75 CAD, $27 USD) for the night. Not bad, except that it's located above a bar...and it was a Friday night! And, it was Karaoke night! But, we were all tired of looking, so they took it.
Then, we found a spot on a nearby side street for Louis...and went for a walk to see if we could find the cliffs we had remembered from years ago. But it turned out we were entirely in the wrong area and we should have been east of the town. Oh well.
View from near where Louis was parked.
Albufeira does have a nice beach, and of course that's the attraction.
But it's a tourist town with not much else to offer.
Warmest day yet...sunny and about 20C (68F)!
Ruth and Helen.
The plaza.
Restaurants and British tourists, and everything in English.
"Huh? What are you lookin' at?"
Ruth made the four of us a delicious Thai stir fry in the motorhome, and then we went our separate ways for the evening. Turns out that Helen and Tony didn't have a bad sleep, but not great either with a bit of a thump thump music till the wee hours of the morning. Ruth and I slept fine parked on the side street.
Today, we head to the border of Portugal and Spain where we have already pre booked a room for Helen and Tony.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fantastic deal of the day on the number one selling coolmist humidifier...
And in Canada...
At least you did find a pot for them for the night.
ReplyDeleteYes, we did find a spot and we knew that we would because it isn't high season so there are lots of empty places.
DeleteThe view from the top looking down on the plaza is great. I love...I think it is tile...floor.
ReplyDeleteEverything in English...excellent.
The plaza was pretty and so was a very small part of the old town but we just didn't find it an attractive town in many ways, plus everything is in English, it just isn't a town for us. It's not an authentic kind of Portugal town like we found found in the mountains a week ago.
DeleteI don't think you like everything in English!
ReplyDeleteNo, we don't. It's fine in an English speaking country...
DeleteGlad you found Helen and Tony a place to sleep. When your really tired anything will do! Enjoy your travels today!
ReplyDeleteYes, we found them a place but not a great one with it being over a bar on a Friday night!
DeleteMy favorite part of Portugal was Lisbon and the interior although we did stay at Estoril as well. There are so many neat towns and castles on the interior within a couple of hours of Lisbon.
ReplyDeleteI am sure that we would totally agree with you, that definitely sounds more like the type of places we are looking for rather than down here on the touristy Algarve coast. Having toured all along the coast 10 years ago we have seen pretty much all that we need to see here. Next visit here will be in the northern part of the country!
DeleteNever been there, but looks like a nice place to visit:)
ReplyDeletePortugal is a nice place to visit even in the Algarve if you haven't been here before and some of the seaside towns are really nice. Albufeira, isn't one of them in our mind though, it would be best to stay somewhere else on the coast and maybe just come and visit Albufeira for a day rather than stay there, this is just our opinion however.
DeleteDespite the touristy overtones it's still a pretty town. Nice to see warmer temps.
ReplyDeleteWe honestly didn't find Albufeira a pretty town. There was a very small part of the town the had a little charm to it but other than that we found it very rundown, with graffiti everywhere and dirty. We can guarantee you that this is one town that we won't be back too!
DeleteWe enjoy checking out resort towns. This one looks like a winner! We are used to seeing ours on the East Coast built on flat land. Love how neat this one looks built from the beach up to the hilltop! Cute dog, too!!
ReplyDeleteWell unfortunately this is one resort town that we will not be back too. Other than a very tiny bit of the town we just found it very rundown, dirty with graffiti everywhere. When there are a lot of other really pretty towns that are much nicer along the coast this one is only worth a very quick day visit and I would suggest people go more to the east so that they can see the cliffs and rocks which is much nicer. Mind you, this is just our opinion, obviously there are a lot of people that like this town and the bar scene that goes with it.
Delete