From Roman outpost to Algarve's most popular tourist destination

Countries & Cities · Published 9 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Once a Roman administrative center known as Baltum, Albufeira has survived empires, religious conquests, and a devastating 1755 earthquake. Today, this Portuguese coastal city has transformed from a subsistence fishing community into a massive tourism hub that swells from 44,158 residents to nearly 300,000 during the busy summer season.

The history of Albufeira is a layering of civilizations. While its exact origins are unclear, scientific research suggests the region was settled during the prehistoric epoch. The Romans later occupied the settlement, naming it Baltum and establishing a centralized administration alongside intense agriculture and commerce. Following the Roman era, the region saw rule by Germanic peoples like the Visigoths before being conquered by North African Muslims in the early 8th century. The modern name 'Albufeira' derives from the Arabic word al-Buħayra, referring to the local lagoon.

During the Moorish period, the area became nearly impregnable due to defensive structures. The Moors significantly advanced local agriculture by introducing new plant species and irrigation techniques, including the use of dams, fertilizers, and winches for well-water extraction. The Christian Reconquista eventually reached the area in the late 12th century, though Albufeira itself resisted several assaults by military orders like the Templars and Hospitallers. It finally fell to the forces of Afonso III in 1249, after the fall of Faro made the siege unsustainable.

The 18th century brought catastrophe in the form of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. Massive 10-metre waves invaded the coast, destroying nearly all buildings along the shoreline. Within the town centre, just 27 homes remained standing after the catastrophe, while the destruction of the local church—formerly a mosque—claimed 227 lives. Despite these calamities and the economic shifts of the 19th and 20th centuries, the town evolved from a fishing-dependent economy into a major tourism center by the 1960s. Today, it stands as the most popular destination in the Algarve, attracting millions of visitors annually.

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