Click on the place name to go to the
timetable. For some locations with several routes, there is
extra information.
Some bus routes are marked below as 'fast'. This means that they
miss out most stops between towns.
There are several villages in the Algarve with
duplicate or very similar names i.e.different places with the same
name and sometimes very close to one another. I have done my best
here to mark the differences. Click here for a plan of the bus routes in
the Algarve.
Click here for a list of local bus
timetables and here for a list of
those at each main town.
FOR LONG DISTANCE BUSES (COACHES TO BRITISH READERS) TO AND FROM
LISBON ETC PLEASE GO TO THIS
PAGE
TRANSPORT ON DEMAND - IN
ADDITION TO THE PLACES BELOW, VAMUS OPERATES A FEW BUS ROUTES 'ON
DEMAND'.
THESE SERVE VERY RURAL AREAS AND MUST BE BOOKED IN ADVANCE. THEY
TYPICALLY RUN ONCE EACH WAY, THREE DAYS A WEEK.
THEY OPERATE AROUND LOULÉ, SILVES, MESSINES, CASTRO MARIM AND
THERE IS ONE AT ALBUFEIRA TO AND FROM COTIVO
They are not shown on the main maps. Some information I have here.
For detailed timetables and the number to call to make a booking
click or tap here.
Most weekend bus service outside the main towns is now permanently withdrawn.
Buses at Albufeira Terrace Shopping near the Brisa Sol and Vila Galé HotelsVAMUS routes 9 and 66 to and from
Vilamoura, Quarteira, Almancil and Faro Local GIRO buses stop here. Routes 1,2,4, 6 and 9. The
stop is officially called Rotunda dos Relógios (Watches
Roundabout) DO NOT CONFUSE GIRO BUS 9 WITH VAMUS BUS 9. VAMUS BUS 9
(THE WHITE ONE) GOES TO VILAMOURA, QUARTEIRA AND FARO
|
This stop is the nearest to many of the major hotels
and is also the nearest stop to the old town centre
for many VAMUS Interurban buses. It is close to
the 'Watches' roundabout, McDonald's and several of the
large hotels. There is NO bus service from here down into this end of
the old town. Walk the whole way (downhill) in six or
seven minutes. Map here.
Giro route 2 runs to the other end of the old town
(Avenida Liberdade) and route 4 the reverse. There are NO direct buses from here towards Armação de
Pera, Lagoa, Portimão, Lagos. These all leave from the
main bus station in Albufeira, so you must change buses
or walk (uphill) to the terminal - about 8 - 10 minutes. Albufeira old town centre is served only by the local
Giro buses. The Albufeira tourist train
operates a frequent daily service all year from outside
Brisa Sol hotel to 'The Strip' area. For two people, it
is more expensive than a taxi. |
Buses at Alcantarilha and PêraVAMUS routes 13 and 14 Towards
Albufeira via Guia or Vale de Parra |
The village of PÊRA is adjacent to Alcantarilha
and most of the same buses go there. Local buses on
routes 13 and 14 between Albufeira and Portimão via Guia
stop on the main road (N125) just outside Pera but do
not go into the village. Times eastbound 1 minute after
Alcantarilha; westbound 1 minute before Alcantarilha. The railway station called Alcantarilha is 4 miles/6
km from the village. There are no buses between the to
places. |
Buses
at Algarve Shopping near Guia
|
Algarve Shopping is about 4 miles (6km) from Albufeira
and about a mile (1.6km) from the village of Guia. A taxi to / from Albufeira will cost 8 - 10 Euros.
There is a taxi rank at the mall for the return journey.
Uber and Bolt 'app' based 'taxi' service are also
available. I advise against walking from Guia village. Traffic on
the road is very fast, very busy and there is no
footpath for most of the way. The free bus from major hotels in Albufeira no longer
operates. |
Buses at Algarve Stadium
|
The nearest railway Station is Parque das Cidades,
about 12 – 15 minutes walk away. Scheduled train times here; there are no extra trains or
buses for matches. A taxi or driving are the only
practical means to get there and back. Tip if driving –
when leaving DON’T queue for the motorway if you can
avoid it, find one of the back ways out of the car park. |
Algarve Zoo and Krazy Worldwebsite – open daily April to September, limited opening remainder of year. Closed mid - December to mid - January. |
There are no buses to this location, which about 6
miles (10km) from Albufeira. The park can arrange
transport. |
Buses at Algoz
|
The main bus stop in Algoz is near the Post Office on
the main road through the village. There is a shelter
only on one side of the road; stand outside the
pasteleria 'Tita' opposite if heading towards Albufeira.
There is no actual bus stop sign but they do stop there,
by the pedestrian crossing. Trains run at irregular intervals between Algoz and
Portimão, Lagos and Faro – for times click here. The station is a few minutes
walk north of the village centre on the road to
Messines. Algoz outdoor market is just to the north of the
village centre and next to the railway station. |
Buses at AlmancilVAMUS routes 9 and 66 owards Faro
Bus Station |
The main bus stop for VAMUS and for all long distance
buses (coaches) at Almancil is in the town centre in
Avenida 5 de Outubro. VAMUS regional buses also stop
elsewhere in the town. The FREE
Almancil local bus runs five times daily except
Sundays and Holidays. This bus calls at stops
between Almancil centre and Mar Shopping via São
Lourenço, Trota and Esteval. There are also one or two
journeys to the Loulé railway station. Their main town
centre stop is in Rua Vale Formosa, near the GNR (police
station) around the corner from the VAMUS stop The railway halt at Almancil is just to the north of the town centre and offers direct services but rather irregular to Silves, Portimão and Lagos also Faro and beyond. Almancil outdoor market is on the south edge of the town near the Estadio Municipal. |
Buses at Alvor
|
The main Alvor
bus stop is at the roundabout on the edge of the
village, as the roads in the village itself are too
narrow for buses. It is the same stop for all buses in
all directions. There is a taxi rank at the bus stop in
case you need a taxi for the last leg of your journey. The buses between Lagos and Albufeira (Route 51Linha
Littoral) stop at the bottom of the hill leading to the
Hotel Delfim. They also stop on request outside the Dom
João II hotel. Vai e Vem local buses on routes1P and14 also stop on
the main road a few minutes walk away from the Delfim.
They also serve the Dom João II hotel and the waterfront
area close to where the picture at left was taken.
Route 15 calls near the waterfront. There is a local agent selling Vai e Vem bus passes called Papelaria d'el Rei nearby at Rua Marquês de Pombal, nº 3. Open every day. Picture to the left is the old village near the river front, about 5 minutes walk from the bus stops at the roundabout. The monthly open-air market stretches from the Dom João II hotel almost to the Alvor roundabout. |
Aqualand |
The Aqualand theme park is about 2 miles / 3.2km west
of Alcantarilha on the N125. Although local buses do
pass by, they are very infrequent.They no longer run
their own transport and advance booking for a visit is
now essential. Open mid June to Mid September. |
Aquashow Family Park |
Aquashow is north of Quarteira on the road to
Loulé. Local
buses between Quarteira and Loulé stop outside.
The website has pages in English and a location map.
They it seems also no longer run their own transport. |
Buses at Areias São João (the ‘Strip’ area of Albufeira)VAMUS routes
9 and 66 to and from Vilamoura, Quarteira, Almancil
and Faro |
There are NO direct buses from Areias São João towards
Armação de Pera, Lagoa, Portimão and Lagos. These all
leave from the main bus station in Albufeira, so you
must change buses there. Bus maps of the area
here The Albufeira tourist 'train' operates every 20/40
minutes every day all year between Areias São João (the
'strip') and the escalators above the old town centre.
Details here, official
tourist train website here. |
Buses at Armação de Pera
to and from
Lisbon Picture is the beach at Armação de Pera, looking east towards Galé. |
If intending to travel between Armação de Pera and Vilamoura, Quarteira or Loulé you must normally change buses in Albufeira Bus Station. Beware stopping
arrangements in the town. Map here. There are two ticket sales points for Rede Expressos
long distance buses about 450 metres from the main bus
stop! 1- Papelaria Tio Papel, Urbanização Mar Salgado,
Via Dorsal de Armação de Pêra, 8365-184 Armação de Pêra
open weekdays only 0930 - 1330 and 1500 to 1830. Map
link here.
2- Gormial LDA, an estate agents, located in Rua D.
Afonso III in the town centre. Open 0900 - 1300 weekdays
and Saturdays, 1500 - 1900 weekdays. Closed Saturday
afternoons, Sundays and Holidays. Map here. For all local
journeys, if you do not have a pass or the VAMUS ticket
app, buy your ticket from the driver when boarding the
bus. Cash only! |
Autodromo do Algarve - Algarve Motor Racing CircuitOfficial website |
The only
public transport is a very limited minibus service on
weekdays only - details here it's
route 21. Groups may be able to arrange mini-buses runs
from one of the local transfer companies, otherwise it's a
taxi for about 7 miles/10km from Portimão. The city
council have arranged transport for past events, but this
is not well publicised. |
Buses at FerreirasBus times to and from Algoz, Silves and Messines click
here but please read the note to
the right. Giro
route 11 runs in the opposite direction There are no buses to Guia, Algarve Shopping, Portimão
or Faro. There are different bus stops in Ferreiras - map here. |
|
Buses at Forum Algarve Shopping at Faro
|
This shopping mall is about 1 mile / 1.6km west from
the centre of Faro on the N125 road towards the airport.
It is served by the local Proximo
buses, also the Albufeira –
Faro routes including Transrápido and the buses
between Faro and Loulé. Also
route 68 Olhão - Loulé via Mar Shopping stops here, same
page as Faro - Loulé buses. |
Buses at Guia
|
See this map for details of bus
stops at Guia and Algarve Shopping Mall. The Algarve
Shopping Mall and Albufeira Retail Park are about a
mile/1.6km from the village of Guia - uphill along a
very busy road with no footpath! Picture to the left is the roundabout in the centre of
the village with its chicken sculptures. Guia is the
'Chicken Capital' after all! Picture below is the
Algarve Shopping mall.
|
Buses at Lagoa
|
Lagoa bus terminal is just off the main road on the
edge of the old part of the town.
|
Buses at Lagos
|
For longer distance journeys to Faro and beyond check
the train timetable as an
alternative. Lagos Bus Terminal is by the river a few
minutes walk from the old part of the town and also
about five minutes walk from the railway station. Many
buses also stop along the ‘Esplanade’ alongside the
river and closer to the historic town centre. Diagram of
the local bus routes etc here. The quickest route between bus station and train
station is to take the footbridge over the river then
walk through the fish docks (not as horrible as it
sounds) and the station is right in front of you. From
the train station to bus station, turn sharp left and go
into the docks past the long white building and the side
of the marina to the bridge. Click picture for larger
version. |
Buses at Loulé
|
Click here for
a map of Loulé centre showing the bus stops etc. Loulé Saturday OUTDOOR market is on the Boliqueime road, a few minutes walk from the town centre. The INDOOR market is in the city centre, in the nicely restored market hall. Loulé railway station is about 3 miles/ 4.8km from the
town, it is near Quatros Estradas. There is a bus stop
about 300 yards from the station on the main road.
The VAMUS buses to and from Albufeira and Quarteira stop
there. Local minibuses in Loulé - two routes
operate around town, each with a bus every 20 minutes.
Buses run from 0740 to 1920 on weekdays and from
0740 to 1400 on Saturdays. There is no service Saturday
afternoons, Sundays or holidays. Timetables at most
stops. There is also a very limited service between the
town and railway station. The details are here in
Portuguese only. These buses are now FREE to all users. |
Buses at Mar Shopping / IKEA |
This
major shopping mall and complex is about 12km (7 miles)
from Faro and about 6km (4 miles) from Loulé. There is
only a bus stop there, no grand facility where you can
wait. Buses run daily on all but one route, but some
service does not run when Mar Shopping is closed, for
example on December 25th and January 1st. |
| VAMUS routes 10, 59, 68 and 118 to and
from Loulé and Faro VAMUS route 10 to and from Boliqueime and Albufeira (very limited) VAMUS route 68 and from Olhão VAMUS route 2 to and from Almancil and Quarteira. FREE bus from and to Almancil |
The bus stop is across the car park from the main entrance. Picture here. |
Buses at (São Bartolomeu) Messines
|
Messines has three daily train services to and from Lisbon. These start from Faro and also provide local service at regional prices to and from Faro. The railway station is only about five minutes walk
from the town centre. The picture is Messines town from
the railway station - the new bus station is about five
minutes walk away. The bus station is located in Rua Primeiro do Maio,
slightly to the south of the town centre. It looks a
very extravagant facility for a place that has 20 buses
a day at best. The stop for the long distance
Rede-Expressos services to and from Lisbon etc is also
there. |
Buses at Montechoro
Local bus Map here |
FOR VILAMOURA, QUARTEIRA AND
FARO Buses to Vilamoura, Quarteira and Faro leave from
the stop at Arcadas São João (the
‘Strip’ area of Albufeira) about 10 minutes walk.
FOR LOULÉ AND MAR SHOPPING / IKEA The number 10 bus to Loulé and Mar Shopping stops in Vale das Pedras at Brejos Sul opposite the Casa Benfica, about 10 minutes walk. How to get there here. Times here. For all destinations west and north of Albufeira you must first go to the bus terminal. Picture is the Hotel Jupiter. The Giro buses stop
outside Erin's Isle bar close by. |
Buses at Olhão VAMUS route 66 and 67 to and from Faro, Tavira, Monte Gordo and Vila Real de S. Antonio VAMUS routes 62 and 70 and from Alfandanga, Fuzeta and Moncarapacho |
Olhão has good train services to and from Faro, Fuzeta,
Tavira and Vila Real de Santo António. You can also,
usually with a change of train in Faro, travel to
Portimão and Lagos. Train times are here. Olhão is also the point from which scheduled passenger
ferries leave for the outlying islands of Armona,
Culatra and Ilha Farol. The ferries are about a ten
minute walk from the bus and train terminals, going
through the old part of town. Picture is the old dockside waterfront seen from the
ferry pier. |
Buses at ParchalVAMUS buses (various routes) to and
from Portimao and Lagoa |
Buses from Portimão stop in Parchal about 5 minutes after leaving; towards Portimão about 5 minutes before the arrival time shown for Portimão. Also the buses to and from Ferragudo stop at Parchal (X), which is on the main road near LIDL. The railway station called Ferragudo is actually in Parchal. The 'Bela Vista' football stadium is about ten minutes walk from Parchal, at the top of the hill towards Ferragudo along Rua da Escola - School Street. |
Buses at Portimão - click here |
The link to the left opens a detailed page about the buses in Portimão including local city buses between Portimão, Praia da Rocha, Alvor, Praia do Vau etc. |
Buses at Praia da Rocha
|
Local Vai e Vem buses stop at various locations in
Praia da Rocha including Hotel Jupiter, the Marina and
Clube Praia da Rocha. The VAMUS route 51 buses to Lagos
and Albufeira, also the route 52 summertime bus, only
stop on the main avenue at the Clube Praia da Rocha
stops. There are no direct buses between the western end of
Praia da Rocha and Alvor, except for the infrequent
VAMUS route 51. |
Buses at QuarteiraVAMUS routes
9 and 66 to Almancil and Faro Bus Station
The bus station at Quarteira is about three minutes walk from the beach. |
If you are intending to travel from Quarteira to
anywhere WEST of Albufeira (eg Portimão or Lagos) you
must change buses in Albufeira Bus Station. There are no
through services. Quarteira and Vilamoura area map
showing routes and stops here. The Wednesday morning outdoor tourist market in
Quarteira is about a mile out of town on the road to
Almancil, past the camping site. The nearest bus stop is
about 100 metres from the entrance at Fonte Santa,
outside LIDL. Details here. The Parque Campismo de Quarteira (camping site) is on
the road to Almancil about 3 minutes before/after the
bus terminal in Quarteira. Buses stop outside. Quarteira / Vilamoura also has an ‘Urbanas’ local
mini-bus service that does a circuit round the towns
once an hour weekdays from 0730hrs to 1930hrs, but on
Saturdays only until about 1400hrs. There is no service
in winter on Saturday afternoons after about 1400hrs,
nor all day Sundays and Holidays. In summer there are
buses on some parts of the route all day Saturday,
Sundays and Holidays until after midnight.Timetables and
maps (only in Portuguese) here. These
buses are now FREE for all users.
|
Buses at São Bras de Alportel
|
The new bus terminal in São Bras de Alportel is about
800 metres to the north of the town centre, next to the
Rotunda dos 100 Anos de São Brás de Alportel. The official bus company website states that buses
continue to call at the more central stop in Rua Jõao
Louro, pictured to the left. Click to see that picture
in a larger size. |
Buses at (Estrada) Sta Eulália, AlbufeiraThis is the Estrada da Sta Eulália outside the tourist
information office. VAMUS routes 9 and 66 to and from
Vilamoura, Quarteira, Almancil and Faro |
There are NO direct buses from Sta Eulália towards Armaçao de Pera, Lagoa, Portimão and Lagos. These all leave from the main bus station in Albufeira, so you must change buses there. Giro 2 runs via ALDI, the Avenida dos Descobrimentos,
Albufeira Terrace Shopping (Continente) and then down
into the old town Avenida da Liberdade and after that up
to the Dolphins and Cerro Grande. Giro Route 6 goes to Montechoro, down to Albufeira
Terrace Shopping, then back up to the Bu Station. There are no longer any buses to the nearer side of the
old town. You can go on the Giro 4 to the Inatel hotel
and walk about 200 metres and go down the escalators or
get off at the Câmara (Town Hall) and wait for a Giro
10 bus. Buses also stop outside the Santa Eulália resort hotel on the road towards Balaia. |
Buses at Silves
VAMUS route 17 to and from Albufeira |
NOTE – Silves Railway station is just over a mile from
the town but the train does give
the best direct options to get to Faro, Tavira etc. The
bus stop is in the town centre near the football ground
and by the river at the tourist office. Some outbound
buses first stop across the road from where you are
sitting, go up to a junction, turn round and then come
back, so do not panic. Map.
There is nowhere to buy tickets. On local buses you pay
on boarding (cash only) or use a pre paid pass. |
Slide’n’SplashNot very well served by
buses! |
This popular theme park is on the N125 between Lagoa
and Estombar. There is a bus stop about 200 yards/metres
from the entrance on a busy road with no proper
footpath. This is served by the LOCAL buses between Lagoa
and Portimão. The little railway station of Estombar /
Lagoa is about 1.2km (3/4 of a mile) away, so the brave
can go by train plus a short walk. Train times here. They
no longer operate their own transport. |
Buses at Tavira
|
Tavira Bus Terminal is only three or four minutes walk from the historic town centre and various attractions. Click the picture to view full size.See also the trains page for options to Vila Real de Santo António, Olhão, Faro etc. Trains are irregular, but run every day. They can be cheaper than buses and are faster.The railway station is about half a mile (0.8km) from the town centre. Tavira also has a local mini-bus service around town. Two routes operate on weekdays at irregular intervals between 0730 and 2000, but there are only five journeys on Saturdays and none at all on Sundays and Holidays. Timetables were posted at the bus stops I passed except the stop at the railway station. Maps and timetables on line here. Click the route name to see a map of the stops, Horários for the timetables. There is also a tourist 'train' which may be useful
to get to the ferry at Quatros Aguas. It operates
through the summer until October. Details here Details of ferries and water taxis to the island and
the beaches can be found here. |
Buses at Torralta Hotel Pestana
Delfim and Dom João II
|
VAMUS route 51 buses between Albufeira, Portimão and Lagoa and the summer time route 52 stop in Torralta on the main road near Hotel Delfim and also the Dom João II. Local buses Routes 14 and 1P of the Vai
e Vem local network stop on the main road at the
bottom of the hill from Hotel Delfim. Route 10 stops
about 100 metres further away and elsewhere in the area. The local open-air market stretches from the Dom João II hotel almost to the Alvor roundabout. |
Buses at Tunes (Gare) (Railway Station)All bus times here but please read note to the right. Bus service is very limited and very irregular. |
If you are staying in or near Tunes, trains give you the best options to get to and from Faro, Tavira, Vila Real de Santo António, Portimão and Lagos. For train times click here |
Buses at Vale de ParraVAMUS route 13 Towards Albufeira
direct |
Buses to and from Guia and via Galé stop on the road
towards Galé; direct buses to and from Albufeira etc on
the main road near the roundabout. On the direct route,
there are only two buses each way at weekends. You cannot use Giro tickets and passes on VAMUS buses,
nor vice-versa. |
Buses at Vila Real de Santo AntónioVAMUS routes 66 and 67 to and from
Monte Gordo, Tavira, Olhão and Faro  |
There are frequent buses between Vila Real de Santo
António and Monte Gordo in summer. The main bus route to
Tavira, Olhão and Faro now runs only every 2 - 3 hours. Vila Real has a good train service along the coast to
Tavira, Olhão and Faro with connections there to
Portimão, Lagos also to Lisbon. Train times here. There are no trains across the border into Spain. There
is no railway station across the river in Ayamonte. The
railway station there was closed and converted into the
bus station. Pictured to the left is the bus station at Vila Real de
Santo António, The ferry across to Ayamonte is behind
the photographer's position. |
Buses at VilamouraVAMUS route 9 and 66 to Quarteira,
Almancil and Faro Aerial photo of Vilamoura
Marina area
|
There are two bus stops near the tourist part of
Vilamoura around the marina. See the map. Because of
the one way street system ALL BUSES IN BOTH DIRECTIONS
stop at the same stops, so you get back on exactly
where you got off, not on the other side of the road
etc. Long distance coaches (buses) to Lisbon etc
(Rede-Expressos) stop outside Jafer's supermarket
(top of the map) which is also the ticket sales point.
There is also a road 'train' that does a circuit of the
town from May to end October every day about once an
hour. Their current information flyer can be viewed here. |
ZoomarineOfficial
website - open
from early March until late October. Check dates and
times here. VAMUS route
51 Albufeira - Armação de Pêra - Lagoa - Portimão -
Lagos stops at Zoomarine VAMUS
route 57 Transrápido Faro - Albufeira - Lagos buses
stops at Zoomarine. Also stopping are :- VAMUS route
14 from Albufeira via Guia, going to Lagoa and
Portimão |
Zoomarine theme park runs its own visitor buses, which
pick up at major tourist locations. These include many
places in the Albufeira area, also Tavira, Lagos,
Portimão, Alvor, Armacão de Pêra and much of the Algarve
in general. Transport must now be pre-booked before 5pm /1700hrs the previous day. Please do double check times and pick up places to avoid being left behind. You can book on line at the Zoomarine website when purchasing your entrance tickets. These buses can be booked via the website when you buy
your tickets or through one of the 'ticket shops'.
Zoomarine transport information is here.
There is a map showing their pickup locations at https://pickups.zoomarine.pt/
- so it's easy to find the one most convenient. The local public bus stop nearest the park is about 150 metres from the main entrance, along a busy road with no footpath. |
For a list of all the
timetables on the site, click here
For some important general notes about buses in the Algarve, click
here
Back to the main page here
NB this is NOT the Algarve
Shopping Mall, which is the one near
Guia/Albufeira! Nor is it Mar Shopping, which is halfway
between Faro and Loulé.
Part of the tiled mural at Quarteira bus
station.
