Travel between Albufeira Bus Terminal and the rest of town, around the town

The information has been obtained from printed timetables and other local sources (like taking the bus)
and is given in good faith. Everything is correct to the best of my knowledge as of 3rd May 2017

The Albufeira Bus Station is 1 mile/1.6km from the old town! Almost all buses* to and from ALBUFEIRA end or start here. Many do not go anywhere near the old town centre and beaches. Map of Albufeira showing bus station and various town districts. Map here to show you 'how far' from old town and strip.
For detailed interactive street maps of Albufeira, visit www.albufeira.com

(* the only exception is the Frota Azul bus to and from Messines, Algoz, Guia and Páteo which goes via the Bus Station on its way to and from Areais São João (the strip).

Distances from the Bus Station (by road) which is why you might need a a local bus or taxi to get to your final destination.

There are usually taxis at the Bus Station. If you need one phone 289 583 230. Official Albufeira taxi website with fares etc here but is far from comprehensive.

Albufeira Bus Station has a covered waiting area and café/bar. There are nineteen different bus stops, clearly labelled with the routes and destinations. There are however no maps to show where the buses go nor any timetables, except those on the noticeboard inside.

THIS A VERY BASIC MAP TO SHOW HOW THE LOCAL BUSES LINK THE BUS STATION AT ALBUFEIRA WITH THE SURROUNDING AREA
CLICK ON THE MAP TO SEE A LARGER SIZE
THE LOCAL 'GIRO' BUS ROUTES ARE COMPLICATED AT FIRST SIGHT AS THEY DOUBLE BACK AND GO ROUND VARIOUS LOOPS.
The official GIRO bus map for Albufeira's town buses is here - external link opens a new window. There are other maps here.

PLAN OF ALBUFEIRA BUS STATION click for full size

Albufeira local GIRO bus services

IMPORTANT - SERVICE IS REDUCED TO ONE BUS AN HOUR ON ALL ROUTES, EXCEPT LARANJA TO FERRERIAS AND THE RAILWAY STATION,
AFTER 1400HRS ON SATURDAYS AND ALL DAY SUNDAYS AND HOLIDAYS.

CLICK THE GIRO LOGO TO THE LEFT FOR THE OFFICIAL ROUTE MAP SHOWING ALL STOPS

Buses on four routes, Vermelha (Red 01 and 02), Verde(Green) ,Azul (Blue) all leave at the Bus Station at the same times, on the hour and on the half hour. The Laranja route buses to Ferreiras and the station leave at about 10 and 40 minutes past the hour. They run seven days a week (including holidays) at the same times. Except for Laranja, first buses leave at 0700, with last buses from the Bus Station at 1900 during the winter and 2100 during the summer.

Buses run only once an hour after 1400 on Saturdays, all day on Sundays and Holidays, except on Linha Laranja to Ferreiras which runs every 30 minutes all day, every day. First bus on Linha Laranja, to Ferreiras and the railway station, leaves the bus station at 0640am then every 30 minutes until 2040hrs (winter) 2240hrs (summer).

Cash fare is €1,40 valid for one journey. Single tickets are valid for one hour after first issue. You can use it to change to another GIRO bus to complete your trip. If you are asked to change buses at the bus station, show your ticket to the second driver. You do not pay again.

A one-day ticket costing €4,00 is also available on board buses. For irregular users, a pre-pay card (€3) is available which can be loaded with ten rides for 8 Euros or twenty rides for 16 Euros ie 80 cents each. Monthly passes are also available, photo ID required. Ask at the Bus Station, or at the Bus Shop in the town. There are no discounts for seniors or children except residents.Prepay cards will de-activate if not used for three months. Adding more credit will re-activate them. Unused fares are not refunded.

You can save this to your own device. Printed copies of this map can be obtained at the bus station or the bus shop in town. The map will open in a new window.

Official timetables are NOT published. Please take a look at my timetables, which have been compiled after many journeys of exploration by myself and others! These do not list all the stops for reasons of brevity, but I have a link to the official diagrams showing all stops.

There are new style GIRO route maps now at the bus stops - here's a picture - but still no actual timetables!

The LINHA VERMELHA Giro 1 (RED) route (timetable here) runs around the west side of town from the main bus terminal to Albufeira Camping, down to the old town at Av. Da Liberdade, then to Páteo and Vale Santa Maria, back through Páteo, then down to Varzea da Orada and the Marina then back up the hill via Cerro Grande to the old town, then to the Cámara and back to the main Bus Station. In its meanderings it does stop at some places twice. Also, four buses each day make an extra stop down in the Marina near the entrance to the fishing harbour.

The LINHA VERMELHA Giro 2 (DARK RED, a sort of plum colour really) (timetable here), runs as follows: Bus Terminal, Health Centre, Dolphins Roundabout, Cerro Grande, the old town at Ave. da Liberdade, then straight back to the Health Centre, past the Bus Station (stops outside, across the road!), then to the Câmara, Continente Modelo shops, Areais São João (The Strip), Bullring, Globes Roundabout, Quinta da Balaia, Branqueira village and the Vale Navio roundabout, then back to the Bus Station along the main road via Areais São João, the 'Worms' roundabout and Modelo. The maps do show this a bit better. The red routes are often delayed in the summer, when traffic clogs the Avenida Da Liberdade in vain efforts to find a parking space.

The LINNHA VERDE (GREEN) route (timetable here) runs a clockwise route to the Vale das Pedras, Stadium, Câmara, Old Town (Rua Alves Correia), back to the Câmara, then along to Continente Modelo shops, Montechoro, Brejos, Globes Roundabout, Santa Eulália, Oura, Inatel, Câmara again, Old Town (Rua Alves Correia), Cerro Malpique and back to the Bus Station.

The LINHA AZUL (BLUE) route (timetable here) is the same as the green route (more or less) but in the opposite, anti-clockwise, direction.

The LINHA LARANJA (ORANGE) (timetable here) route runs between the Bus Station and Albufeira Railway Station via Camping Albufeira, Ferreiras and Vale Serves.

The BLUE route is the shortest way from the Bus Station to the Old Town. It will take you to the Rua Alves Correia, which is near the square and the 'Fishermen's Beach' area. The RED GIRO 01 route goes a rather roundabout way from the Bus Station to the old town centre (Avenida da Liberdade) about 200 metres from the square.

On your way back to the Bus Station, the RED GIRO 02 route from the Av. Da Liberdade is the quickest, but stops OUTSIDE the Bus Station across the road. The RED GIRO 01 route goes a longer way round but goes inside. The GREEN route runs from Rua Alves Correia to the Bus Station via Cerro Mar.

SUMMARY OF BUS TIMES AT OLD TOWN STOPS

Old town stops map here. Quick summary of bus times FROM the old town centre. Full timetables: RED 1, RED 2, GREEN, BLUE, ORANGE

SUMMER times on the GIRO network apply from 1st June to 30th September. All routes operate seven days a week, all holidays included.

ARRIVING IN ALBUFEIRA FROM OTHER TOWNS? LEAVING ALBUFEIRA FOR A VISIT SOMEWHERE?

Only GIRO buses go down into the ‘Old Town’ area – Centro Antigo. For many destinations you must go to the main bus station. Except, depending on where you may be staying, you may not have to go to the Bus Station if travelling to/from Guia, Galé, Loulé, Olhos D'Agua, Vilamoura or Quarteira.

Except for one route, buses to other towns are run by the EVA company, whose official website is here. I have a summary of the main places you can get to here with links to detailed timetables.

Timetables are posted on the noticeboard, copies can be obtained from the ticket/enquiry office. There is no map of routes either on the official websites, at the bus station nor is one printed. For my map of Algarve bus routes, please click here.

The electronic destination boards do not show all departures, only those to ‘important’ places! There are separate enquiry and ticket offices for local and long-distance bus services. Remember that, if boarding at the Bus Station and except for GIRO and Frota Azul buses, you are supposed to buy your ticket at the ticket office. Some drivers are very strict about this!

None of the inter-urban buses go into the centre of old town of Albufeira. The old town is basically a pedestrian zone, with limited access for residents and those important beer deliveries. There are car parks on the edge of the area, but the closer you get the earlier they fill up. During high summer season, most of the town centre car parks, including the two multi-storey, are full by 9am so you may end up parking a fair way out and having to take a bus into town and back up the hill afterwards. The car park at the top of the Avenida Liberdade (marked on the map below) was converted into proper paying parking area. There are spaces during the day in high season, as locals baulk at paying the €5 per day fee, but it is full in summer evenings. A new multistorey car park was built opposite but is open only in summertime.

If you are coming into or leaving Albufeira on the Transrápido or the Lagos - Albufeira fast buses, the Bus Station is the only place they stop. You might need another bus or taxi as an alternative to a long walk to your final destination. Buses from Vilamoura etc stop opposite the Continente Modelo supermarket a few minutes walk into town - see above and the map below.

If you are coming into town on an ‘ordinary’ bus from the north (eg Ferreiras, Guia or Silves) these buses stop at the Centro de Saude (health centre) before the Bus Station. That is much closer to the old town than the Bus Station, about 7 or 8 minutes walk along the flat footpath into town. This goes under the main road in a tunnel, so is quite safe.

You don’t have to go to the Bus Station if travelling to/from Guia, Galé, Loulé, Olhos D'Agua, Vilamoura or Quarteira. Click on the map to see it double the size - close the window to return to this page

For the Old Town of Albufeira , the nearest stop for EVA buses to/from Olhos d'Agua, Balaia etc is at the Continente Modelo shopping centre. There is NO BUS from there into the old town. Walk down to the traffic lights by the fire station, cross the main road, turn right, keep the Cámara (Town Hall) to your left and go down the hill that's just about in front of you (the Rua do MFA) to the bottom, then turn right again and you will be in the square. It’s about 5 - 7 minutes walk in all. MAP TO THE LEFT - walking route marked in red - CLICK TO SEE DOUBLE SIZE. You can catch a bus back up the hill from Rua Alves Correia to the Camara and Modelo on GIRO Linha Verde (Green)

The buses to and from Loulé stop along the Estrada Vale das Pedras, which runs to the north of Montechoro. There is a stop called Montechoro (X) or Crossroads up near the roundabout where the road leads off towards Fontainhas. The GIRO buses stop there also; they call the stop Montechoro Norte. Using that stop will save you a long walk if you are staying in that area and wish to go to Loulé. See map.

Buses to and from Galé and also the very infrequent local buses via Vale de Parra stop at the Health Centre (Centro de Saúde) and on the edge of the old town. Outbound buses stop in Av. Do Ténis outside the Escola Primaria. Inbound buses stop on Rua Coronel Aguas and also on Rua 1 Dezembro near Merlins Bar.

Click here for a map showing all the EVA and Frota Azul bus stops in and around Albufeira.

ALBUFEIRA TOURIST 'TRAIN'

Runs a circular route all year and every day between the Old town, Brisa Sol/Modelo and Areias São João (for 'the Strip') - official website

The tourist train also stops at the Tres Palmeiras roundabout outside the Forte do Vale hotel between the 'strip' and the old town. tourist_train

This is one of those little things disguised as a train but is in fact a ‘road train’. It runs between in one direction only between Areias São João (the stop is just off the top end of the ‘The Strip’ in Rua Julio Diniz, across the road from Vila Nova), via a stop at the Tres Palmeiras roundabout outside the Forte do Vale hotel, to the Pau da Bandeira (top of the escalators), then up to the Brisa Sol Hotel and then back to Areias São João. The two central stops are marked T on the map above.

It stops only at these places and does provide a useful direct link between the old town area and São João.

Timetable : Operates every 20 minutes from about 0900 until about 0100 from 1st June to 30th September otherwise until 2300 . In winter, they run only every 40 minutes after 1800hrs.

On New Year's Eve it runs until 0400 and on August 20th (Albufeira Municipal Holiday) service also runs until 0400. Timetables are clearly displayed at the stops. Fare is €2.50 for a single ride (children age 6 to 11 or those over 65 pay €2.00); €4.00 (€3.00 children and seniors etc) for a day pass with unlimited rides.

ALBUFEIRA SIGHTSEEING TOUR

This is not a public transport option as such. It costs €18 for one day's travel, €35 for 4 days. Children 12 and under travel half price. However, if you are in somewhere like Salgados, São Rafael or Galé, where normal bus service is very limited, you might find this option more economical than using taxis every day. Visit their website for maps and more information. There is no proper timetable published anywhere, but buses run every every 60 minutes they say. Does not operate in December or from 1st to 15th January.

Outdoor markets, Algarve Shopping Mall, Marina and Bull Ring

Albufeira outdoor market (first and third Tuesdays of the month, mornings) is held just around the corner from the Bus Station in Estrada Vale das Pedras. Parking nearby is very difficult on market days so, unless you are planning to buy something huge, the bus will suit. There are two parking areas for maybe 300 cars in all, one by the Bus Station about 100 yards from the market entrance and another one on the other side of the Bus Station about 250 metres away from the market. You can also park on the road that leads towards the swimming pool - if you get there early enough.

Ferreiras outdoor market (a smaller version of the Albufeira one) is held on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month. This is on the N395 road, just to the south of the village centre opposite the concrete works. All buses serving Ferreiras stop about 150 metres away. Map.

Albufeira Marina is on the western edge of town about a mile/1.6km from the old town centre and about two miles/3.4km from Areias São João. The Marina is served every half hour from the old town (Av da Liberdade) etc by the GIRO 1 red route, which costs €1.40. In winter, the last bus to the Marina leaves Old Town (Av da Liberdade) at 1915 and from the Marina up the hill into town at 1930. In summer (1st June to 30th September) buses go down to the marina until 2115, last bus back up is at 2130.

Algarve Shopping Mall (website) and Albufeira Retail Park

Algarve Shopping website has some pages in English. The Albufeira Retail Park (with Iceland's store) is adjacent,but there is now a fence around the site and the only walking route is right around the back of Algarve Shopping. The huge Leroy Merlin DIY store and that of Sportdirect.com are across the road. The cinema at Algarve Shopping has programmes daily from around 1400hrs, details here - all films made in English are shown in English except some children's cartoons etc. VP in the programme list indicates where a film is in Portuguese, VO in the original. If there's nothing, it will be in English.

These locations are about four miles (6km) out of town on the N125, about a mile (1.6km) east of the village of Guia. They are not well served by bus. The only buses are those from the Bus Station to Lagos (Transrápido and Albufeira - Lagos) and those to Portimão via Guia. Times below, but in all honesty unless you are fairly brave a taxi is probably the best way. There is a taxi rank at the Mall for the ride back. Taxi fare is about 8 or 9 Euros, depending on where in Albufeira you are coming from/going to.

Local buses also run to and from Alcantarilha, Armação de Pera, Porches and Lagoa to Algarve Shopping - times here. There is no bus from Ferreiras. The village of Guia is served by buses from Páteo, Algoz and Messines but that leaves you a mile (1.6km) walk (uphill) to the Mall along a very busy road with no proper footpaths.

Bus times from Albufeira Bus Station to Algarve Shopping and back

There are NO BUSES between Albufeira Old Town area or the 'strip' area and Algarve Shopping. All buses leave from the main bus station and most stop nowhere else.

Buses highlighted run non-stop from Albufeira Bus Station to Algarve Shopping. The other buses also stop at the Health Centre (bottom of the hill near Eden Resort) about 2 minutes after leaving the bus terminal and at Albufeira Camping about five minutes after leaving the Bus Station. Fare is €3,30 on the non-stop buses, €2,30 on the others.

Weekdays (Mondays to Fridays) except holidays at 0835, 0840, 0855, 0910, 1000, 1030, 1150, 1325, 1415, 1525, 1615, 1720, 1800, 1820, 1910 and 2030
Saturdays, Sundays and holidays: 0840, 0910, 0940,1030, 1150, 1325, 1405 (Saturdays only), 1415, 1600, 1800, 1820, 1910.

When you get off these buses there is a very busy road to cross. Use the bridge, even though this means an extra 200 metres to walk.

Bus Times Algarve Shopping back to Albufeira - buses highlighted run non-stop to Albufeira Bus Station. The others stop at Albufeira Camping and the Health Centre.

Weekdays (Mondays to Fridays) except holidays at: 0651, 0751, 0817, 0846, 0931, 0952, 1131, 1136, 1316, 1336, 1531, 1552, 1601, 1716, 1816, 1916
Saturdays, Sundays and holidays at 0817, 0846, 0931, 0952, 1316, 1322 (Saturdays only), 1601, 1602, 1716, 1902, 1916

WARNING - ON ANY DAY THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING BUSES FROM ALGARVE SHOPPING TOWARDS ALBUFEIRA ARE ROUTINELY 10 - 15 MINUTES BEHIND SCHEDULE OWING TO TRAFFIC CONGESTION.

Free bus Olhos D'Agua <> Albufeira <> Algarve Shopping

There is a free bus between 13th March and 13th October from certain hotels out to Algarve Shopping.
To see the timetable full size click here. It will open in a new window

The bus used has 40 seats. Seats cannot be reserved - it is first come, first served. Buses either stop at the 'hotel entrance' or at a nearby bus stop. Check if not sure.

ALBUFEIRA BULL RING

The Albufeira Bull Ring (Praça do Toiros) is in Areias São João. The GIRO 2 Red, blue and green routes pass nearby. Also stopping outside are the buses to/from Vilamoura etc but these do not run in the late evenings for any possible trip back to your hotel.

TAXIS

Licensed taxis in Albufeira are painted either beige or green and black. There is just one number to call if you need a taxi at your hotel or other lodgings - 289 583 230. You can't reserve in advance, just call a few minutes before you need to leave. Base fare is €3,25 for the first three kilometres, then it's 90 cents per kilometer afterwards. Fares (including base fare) are 20% higher after 10pm, at weekends and on public holidays. Baggage is €1,60 extra. If you phone for a taxi, that's 80 cents extra.

You can try to hail a taxi in the street, but 99% of the time they are already on a call so will not stop. If you are in the old town centre or other tourist hotspots, you must go to a taxi rank. Be warned that in high summer queues can be VERY long; half hour waits are not unknown. You may find the GIRO bus, tourist train or walking a better choice!

For some sample fares between the centre of Albufeira and various locations near and far, take a look at the official notice copied here. This will open in a new window.

There is also the official Taxis Albufeira website you may wish to consult here.

And this might sound stupid, but do make a note of the address at which you are staying and have it on a bit of paper to show the driver if need be. I have heard tales of people forgetting where they are supposed to be going back to, especially after a good night out! It's 'a big white hotel' will not help much.

PARK AND RIDE?

There is nothing official, but there is free parking next to the main bus station. Visitors parking there have easy access to all local buses on the GIRO network.

For a list of all the timetables on the site, click here
For an alphabetical list of places in the Algarve, click here
For some important general notes about buses in the Algarve, click here

Old Town Square 1.6km/1mile	"The Strip" 2.3km/1½ miles	Marina 3km/1¾ miles	Oura Praia Hotel 3.2km/2 miles	Páteo Village 2.4km/1½ miles
Montechoro 1.8km/1 mile and a bit	Oura Beach 3.1km/1¾ miles	Brisa Sol/Modelo 1km/1100 yards	Olhos de Agua 5.8km/3½ miles	Balaia 4.7km/3 miles

From Old Town stop at	To	Buses leave at these minutes past every hour on weekdays and Saturday mornings. On Saturday afternoons after 1400hrs, and all day Sundays and Holidays only the buses marked in bold will run.	Route
Avenida da Liberdade Stand 3	Páteo, Vale Santa Maria, Marina	15 and 45, last bus 1915 in winter, 2115 in summer	Vermelha (Red) 1
Avenida da Liberdade Stand 4	Câmara, Secondary School/Indoor Market, Bus Station	15 and 45, last bus 1945 in winter, 2145 in summer	Vermelha (Red) 1
Avenida da Liberdade Stand 4	Health Centre, Bus Station, Continente / Modelo, 'The Strip', Quinta da Balaia and Branqueira	20 and 50, last bus 1920 in winter, 2120 in summer	Vermelha (Red) 2
Rua Alves Correia*	Câmara, Continente / Modelo, Brejos, Montechoro	15 and 45, last bus 1915 in winter, 2115 in summer	Verde (Green)
Rua Alves Correia*	Oura, Sta Eulália, Montechoro, Torre Mosqueira, Brejos	11 and 41, last bus 1911 in winter, 2111 in summer	Azul (Blue)
Rua Alves Correia*	Câmara, Cerro Malpique, Bus Station	15 and 45, last bus 1945 in winter, 2145 in summer	Verde (Green)
Pau da Bandeira (top of escalators)	Oura, Sta Eulália, Montechoro, Torre Mosqueira, Brejos	13 and 43, last bus 1913 in winter, 2113 in summer	Azul (Blue)
THE LINHA LARANJA (ORANGE ROUTE) TO FERREIRAS AND THE RAILWAY STATION STARTS FROM THE BUS STATION AND DOES NOT SERVE THE OLD TOWN. BUSES LEAVE AT 10 AND 40 MINUTES PAST EACH HOUR. LAST BUS TO FERREIRAS LEAVES THE BUS STATION AT 2040 IN WINTER, 2240 IN SUMMER. 'CONNECTIONS´ FROM THE OLD TOWN REQUIRE A MINIMUM 15 MINUTES WAIT AT THE CENTRO DO SAÚDE (HEALTH CENTRE) STOP
* this is behind the multi-storey car park and the tall chimney. Note that buses on the Linha Verde (Green) route go at more or less the same times in both directions, so make sure you get on the right one!

Albufeira Bus Station is a mile/1.6km outside town. Please read on.