There is a huge amount to do on the Marina and in the nearby vicinity. The Marina itself has a large selection of bars and restaurants, most of which have decks on which you can while away the hours, watching the boats coming and going. There are also a few shops, a beauty parlour, hairdresser, bowling alley, small bumper cars and a kid’s arcade. Within the underground car park there is also a go karting track! Across the road there is an electric bike rental shop, where you can hire bikes to explore the local area.
If you feel like going further afield then there are 3 Water Parks: Slide & Splash near Lagoa, Aqualand near Alcantarilha and Aquashow near Quarteira other attractions, such as Jeep Safaris, Zoo Marine and plenty of other sights and activities.
There are a huge number of beautiful beaches all along the coast, within easy driving distance (if you do not have a car, Uber is excellent and normal taxis and Tuk tuks are always around). There are also plenty of beaches nearby, within walking distance. They are stunning, sandy beaches often with incredible rock formations.
Ariffes beach is about 20 minutes by foot from the Marina and is a tiny jewel of a beach, with a beach bar that produces wonderful Sea food dishes.
Sao Raphael beach is about 25 minutes by foot from the Marina. It is a beautiful beach with some amazing rock formations and an excellent beach bar. There are kayaks and body boards for rent in the summer. The surf in the summer and winter is often great for surfing.
In the opposite direction the Fisherman’s beach in Albufeira is a long stunning sandy beach with numerous beach bars and large inflatables in the summer and next to the Old Town if you wish to do a little shopping or chill in the bars.
The Golf Courses are stupendous. There is a large selection to choose from.
Salgados is the nearest to the Marina, being about a 10 minute drive.
Vilamoura and Val do Lobo have numerous superb courses. These will take about 45 minutes to drive to from the Marina.
From the Marina it is possible to take a huge number of different boat trips: day trip boats, party boats, dolphin watching, Pirate boats, kayak boat trips, speed boats and more.
During the summer there are numerous trips per day and all very easy to book on the Marina.
There is a dive centre situated on the Marina and there are daily boat trips that go out diving for all levels of divers.
If you would prefer to travel inland and discover a little of the culture, then there are several small towns not to be missed:
• Silves - a lovley little historic town, with interesting Moorish art and architecture, including the remains of a castle.
• Tavira – which is 17 miles east of Faro is often described as the prettiest town on the Algarve and dates back to Islamic and Roman times. It has the river Gilao running through it and is a lovely place to while away the day.
• Vila Real de Santo Antono – built after the earthquake in Lisbon of 1755. It has a majestic central square and is built on the grid system, so easy to navigate around.
• Carvoeiro – Further along the coast is an attractive small seaside town, with Portuguese heritage and some excellent restaurants next to the beach. There are also some excellent hiking routes around Carvoeiro.
• Ferragudo – is not far from Carvoeiro and is a very pretty authentic Portuguese town, surrounded by beautiful coastline.
Marina De Albufeira - The Algarve is perfect to enjoy the best the underwater world has to offer. On the Albufeira Marina the dive shop offers excellent diving experiences for all levels of diver. Reef, wall, caves, deep, night, wreck and artificial reef diving to mention a few. Join them and enjoy one of their tailor made Dive Boats for a trip to numerous dive sites. From beginner to advanced the facilities are there for all!
The Marina Life Apartment has so much to offer we will be going back year after year. The apartment looked stunning on the web site and did not disappoint when we arrived!
The pool is fantastic and the views stunning. Looking at the ever changing marina creates a fascinating pastime, even if you know nothing about boats! The intriguing busyness of the crews going about their daily business cannot fail to impress!