Europe’s ‘ugliest’ beach town revealed — and it’s a holiday spot Brits love

From Great Yarmouth to Bangor and Skegness, determination are a fewer towns that (rightly oregon wrongly) ever look to marque it onto lists of the ‘worst’ seaside spots successful the UK.

And it seems determination are respective equivalent locations across Europe receiving the aforesaid benignant of criticsm, if a caller database is thing to spell by.

Travel experts person been brutally honorable and revealed their picks for the ‘ugliest’ European seaside towns successful a portion for the Telegraph, and 1 spot successful peculiar is apt to origin a stir.

That’s because, Albufeira successful Portugal – a vacation destination that’s beloved by Brits – was fixed a alternatively damning verdict.

Albufeira tin beryllium recovered successful Portugal’s confederate Algarve portion and is known for its aureate sandy beaches which pull thousands of tourists each year, arsenic good arsenic the arsenic alluring ‘Strip’ which is the bosom of the town’s nightlife and the spot to spell for a party. 

While the squad at albufeira.com reason the edifice municipality has the ‘most beauteous beaches successful Europe’, it seems the Telegraph’s destination expert, Mary Lussiana, doesn’t agree, arsenic it’s recovered itself firmly connected the ‘ugly’ list.

She cites the ‘endless fig of bars, pulsating nightlife and inexpensive accommodation successful ugly, modern flat blocks’ arsenic immoderate of the reasons wherefore she’s not a fan, claiming those who spell determination successful hunt of Portugal ‘will beryllium disappointed’ by what they find successful the seaside resort, which was erstwhile a small sportfishing village.

And if you instrumentality a look online, Mary’s not the lone 1 that feels this way. The municipality has had its just stock of antagonistic reviews and comments implicit the years, with it being featured connected the ‘Urban Hell’ forum connected Reddit owed to its expected ‘ugliness’.

Elsewhere connected the societal media level it’s been slated arsenic thing much than a ‘town of drunk Brit meltdown’ and adjacent compared to Benidorm. 

Tripadvisor users besides had arsenic harsh words to accidental astir it, with the Centro Histórico de Albufeira (the aged town), peculiarly drafting immoderate unfortunate comments. One idiosyncratic thought it was an ‘ugly wasteland’, portion Susan H echoed Mary’s sentiments, saying: ‘What was erstwhile a picturesque sportfishing colony has present go an implicit dump owed to wide tourism of the worst kind. It’s dirty, and afloat of the worst benignant of inexpensive bars and accelerated nutrient and chiefly English tourists. It makes Blackpool look classy. Avoid astatine each costs.’

But is this truly the case, oregon is is conscionable a spot of snobbery?

Honestly, it seems to each travel down to waht you privation retired of a holiday. Albifeira mightiness not beryllium the spot to spell if you’re looking to immerse yourself successful culture, whiling distant hours successful galleries, museums and humanities buildings. But it is determination you tin flop down connected a formation each day, bask the sunshine and spell retired for cocktails of an evening, if that’s much your speed.

Things to bash successful Albufeira

The Algarve is often considered the ‘California of Europe’ and it’s not excessively hard to spot why. It’s not abbreviated of marvellous beaches, and 1 large item successful Albufeira has to beryllium Praia da Falésia beach, which was antecedently crowned the best formation successful the world arsenic portion of the Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards 2024.

This was acknowledgment to the ‘soft powdery’ soil and ‘spectacular’ coloured cliffs, which reminded immoderate of distant beaches of Western Australia. 

Metro besides antecedently shared that Praia bash Evaristo, a tiny small bay with melodramatic cliffs, is simply a large hidden gem, for those who privation to flight the crowds.

Our writer, Ella Glover, who spent respective days successful Albufeira, said it was the ‘perfect place’ to retrieve from work, and walk clip ‘blissing retired and doing nothing’.

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Moreover, if you’re a foodie, you’ll find immoderate large spots successful Albufeira, according to Portugese nutrient writer, Miguel Andrade.

He told Tripadvisor: ‘People travel to Albufeira for a batch of reasons, but for me, the large gully is the food. Chefs astatine this seaside municipality enactment wonders with accepted dishes, particularly erstwhile it comes to seafood. You can’t spell incorrect with a food dish, but my deed database includes kitchens that bash astonishing things with chicken, veal, and pork, too.’

‘Must-try’ section restaurants see Veneza (for a unsocial vino and nutrient experience), Restaurant La Cigale, which offers unparalleled views of the crystal wide sea, and O Jacinto which is fashionable for its seafood dishes.

Other things to bash during a travel to Albufeira see strolling the aged town, particularly the streets adjacent the Porta bash Norte metropolis gate, wherever you’ll find remains of the Muralha bash Castelo. There volition beryllium plentifulness of shops on the way, but beryllium definite to look retired for cobbled streets, aged mosaics, and immoderate beauteous houses on the way.

Travellers could besides instrumentality a vessel travel to circuit immoderate of the awesome Algarve caves on the coast, including Algar de Benagil, Zorreira, and a grotto known arsenic Gruta bash Capitão. There are besides dolphin watching vessel trips, and sunset cruises, positive plentifulness of different h2o athletics activities to enjoy.

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Get successful interaction by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

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