CombatCritic's TravelValue™: Albufeira, Portugal: This Nice Sea View Apartment In Central Albufeira Is A TravelValue

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Monday, March 11, 2019

Albufeira, Portugal: This Nice Sea View Apartment In Central Albufeira Is A TravelValue

Andre's "Fisherman's Beach Apartment"

Albufeira, Faro, 8200 Portugal

A nice one bedroom apartment in central Albufeira, this place has everything you will need for a couple days or a couple months and it even has a nice sea view! Andre met us upon arrival and was as nice and informative as he could be. It is on the 4th floor of a building with no elevator which was not a problem except when we arrived and were leaving, hauling heavy suitcases up and down the stairs. It does have its own secure parking space (not covered) through an electric gate and inside the courtyard of the building. There was even a bottle of Portuguese wine waiting for us when we arrived.

The living/dining room is large with a large pull-out sofa and coffee table, LCD TV with satellite channels, relatively fast internet, a dining set with four chairs, and a small balcony overlooking the street and a view of the Mediterranean Sea.

The kitchen has an automatic coffee maker (there was even some coffee to get us started), electric kettle, toaster, electric range and oven, microwave/convection oven, a large refrigerator, and a clothes washer. There were plenty of plates, pots and pans, and other utensils and spices needed to cook and eat in the apartment if getting tired of eating out as we did. There is also a Spar market immediately downstairs and next to the building in case you need something right away. Two large supermarkets (Pingo Doce and Continente) are a just ten minute walk away if you need to do some major shopping. There are several restaurants in the immediate area, but the ones closest by were not the best and had higher than average prices. You have to walk down to Fisherman's Beach and Old Town Albufeira for more variety and competitive prices.

The bedroom is relatively large with a king size bed, nightstands, dresser, and fitted wardrobe with plenty of space for our clothes and bags. Andre even provided plenty of beach paraphernalia, including chairs, mats, and an umbrella for those days where the sun is shining (300+ days a year) and the temps warm enough to bare all. The weather was wonderful during our entire two week stay, but not quite warm enough to do any sunbathing, averaging between 60 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit (15 to 18 degrees Celsius) during the day.

I always provide the pros and cons in my reviews and I rarely find a "perfect" restaurant or hotel and the drawbacks here were all very very minor. First, the AC/heating units, of which there were only two (bedroom and living room), were not quite enough to heat the entire apartment on our first night. The apartment could possibly use one more wall mounted AC/heating unit in the hallway, but after the first night the walls must have defrosted a bit because it was a bit easier to warm the place up at night. Second, the massive dog that lives just behind the building, who was very sweet by the way, likes to bark in the morning. I am a light sleeper and he woke me up a couple of times, but it was not a daily occurrence and, after all, dogs bark. Finally, the unit is advertised as "Fisherman's Beach Apartment", a little bit of a stretch given the fact that Fisherman's Beach is actually a ten minute walk away down a large hill to a double escalator and across a large plaza.

Unless you plan on hanging out and simply going to the beach and eating in Albufeira, you might get by without a car. However, if you plan on sightseeing, playing golf, or visiting the other beautiful areas in the Algarve, of which there are many, a parking place is A MUST in Albufeira. We were there in late January, the low season, and parking spaces were few and far between. Having said that, there is pretty much everything you need within walking distance of the apartment, so you could easily get everything you need for a short or long stay nearby. At $36.32 (€32) per night for a private, one bedroom apartment in a central location and a great view, Andre's apartment is a definite TravelValue!

CombatCritic Gives Andre's Fisherman's Beach Apartment 9 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!