If you’re planning to visit Portugal, then Albufeira is one of the most exciting and vibrant places to visit there. Located in the heart of the Algarve region, Albufeira is only a 30 minutes drive Faro international airport. There are over 25 golf courses within easy reach of Albufeira, as well as stunningly beautiful beaches. Add in some great nightlife and shopping, and there’s something for everyone to enjoy at Albufeira.

Until the 1960s, Albufeira was little more than a town reliant on fishing. Gradually tourists began to discover the charms of this beautiful, sun-drenched region, and Albufeira became a prime tourist destination. More than 5 million tourists visit the Algarve region every year, with large numbers of them heading for Albufeira. This influx of visitors has caused Albufeira to expand, with many facilities being developed specifically for visitors. Recent additions include the huge Algarve Shopping Center near Guia, and the Albufeira Marina. Restaurants, shops and cinemas have sprung up to provide entertainment for tourists, as well as the more recent influx of permanent residents.

If you’re interested in historical things, then you will enjoy wandering some of the older parts of Albufeira, where there are narrow streets, whitewashed houses and a feeling that you’ve stepped back a few centuries. Albufeira also has a small museum with historic Ming ceramics, as well as the new Virtual Archaeological Museum. The Municipal art gallery also regularly holds exhibitions with paintings from past centuries. Nearby there are ruined castles, or the caverns at Ponte Grande if you want to explore some natural history.

Perhaps sitting back and relaxing is more your style, in which case you should grab a coffee on the central square, Largo Engonheiro Duarte Pacheco, and sit back to watch the world go by. When you’re done, there’s a nearby pedestrian-only mall and tunnel that leads through to the town’s main beach, so you can go and soak up some sunshine.

For a family day out, visit Zoomarine and enjoy the shows of seals, dolphins and other sea animals. Your children can swim with the dolphins, as well as enjoy various other interactive programs. You can travel a little further afield and fine water slides and other fun activities.

One of the best things about Albufeira is that it’s a great place for a holiday all year round. In some ways, it’s actually better to visit outside the peak time of summer, so that you can avoid some of the crowds. The low season from November through to February is particularly good if you want a little bit of peace and quiet and fast service in the restaurants. The weather is still very mild, and you get more of an opportunity to experience the friendly locals.

There are so many great things to see and do in Albufeira and the Algarve region of Portugal, that this article can’t do the area justice. Still, take a holiday there yourself and you’ll soon discover what so many others have found before you – it’s hard to leave.

If you?re planning to visit the Oktoberfest for the first time, there are a few things you should keep in mind. Following these tips will help you to have a pleasant stay at Munich?s famous beer festival.

Do’s
1. Always take a friend or more with you
Even though most of the people are friendly and peaceful, there is the occasional drunk that can cause you trouble. Being with a friend makes your stay much safer (especially a woman should never go alone). Furthermore, it?s a lot more fun to celebrate with your friends than with strangers.

2. Drink a lot of water
The old rule ?one beer, one water? also applies for the biggest beer festival in the world. The beer tents are hot and you?ll be thirsty. Drinking only beer makes you drunk much faster than you even notice, especially when you?re not used to the strong German beer .

3. Be friendly to the waitress
Waitresses in the beer tents are the secret queens of the Oktoberfest. They decide if you can stay or have to leave. And they definitely decide if you get a beer or not. Remember that you can only order beer once you sit at a table. No beer is sold to persons standing in the alleys.

4. Do everything that requires coordination before the second beer
It?s not funny to be trapped inside a roller coaster after the second or third beer. Owners of the attractions will not let you inside anyways, because they know what can happen.

5. Enjoy!
Dance and sing as much as you want and have a lot of fun.

Don’ts
1. Don’t bring valuables
Bring only the amount of money you?re planning to spend. Don’t wear expensive jewelry. Wherever there are masses of people, there are also pickpockets. Be on the watch out.

2. Don’t drink and drive
Use the public transport for your sake and the sake of everyone else who could be involved in an accident with you. Drunk driving will cause you to lose your drivers license and get you into a lot of trouble. Germans are very tolerant with alcohol but not in connection with driving.

3. Don’t try to get into the tents at the main entrance
Despite their size beer tents fill up quickly and are closed for security reasons. Chances to get in through the main entrance are nil. Your luck will be better waiting at the side entrances where security sometimes lets people enter when someone else leaves. To avoid closed tents either have a reservation or come early, preferably during weekdays.