Hi Grenadier, and welcome to the forum.

If you want to stay in Albufeira you would probably be best staying in one of the hotels right on the beach in the Old Town. The Sol e Mar is right on the beach and the Rocamar is just above it. You would then be able to enjoy the shops, bars and restaurants of the Old Town as well as the two lovely beaches. Have a look here to see some photos. The first photo was taken from near the Rocamar, and the Sol e Mar is the large hotel half way along the beach. There is a lift down to the beach near the Rocamar and escalators at the other end.

All the roads around the Old Town climb quite steeply away from it. The only problem I can see is parking, if you intend to hire a car, as these two hotels have no dedicated parking.

There are other hotels close to beaches a little further east (Praia da Oura, Santa Eulalia, Balaia etc) but if you have trouble walking this would mean a taxi ride to the Old Town, and also to the newer area of Albufeira in the case of the last two).

In your post you say you are keen to visit the Algarve. If Albufeira is going to be too hilly for you, the resorts to the east of Faro might suit you better, e.g. Cabanas which is close to Tavira.

Hope this helps!

Thanks for the advice my friend. Most welcome. However I am looking for a 4 star hotel if possible. Maybe I should be looking at Vilamoura as I believe that it is flat there ?

Yes, you're right. Vilamoura is flat, and the Marina is nice to wander around. Lots of bars and restaurants. It depends on what you are looking for in the Algarve. In Vilamoura you could be in any smart resort in Europe but it's not very Portuguese. If you're fine with that, it is a good base as, like Albufeira, it's fairly central in the Algarve and you would easily be able to take excursions eastwards and westwards.

Thanks again my friend for your help.

I would have preferred to be in Albufeira rather than Vilamoura, but am reluctant to go because of how hilly it is. If I could have got a good hotel without having to climb, then I would be content, but it doesn't seem to be that easy. I have looked at loads of hotels, but they are either in a bad location, or not of a high enough standard.

Thanks again.

Have you thought about Lagos? It has a beautiful Old Town and a smart Marina, both close together. I don't know about 4 star hotels with level access but no doubt our Lagos experts will be along to help you shortly.

I have thought hard about where to recommend in the Algarve - we have stayed at the Sol e Mar and Rocamar but the only reason we would return is for the position of each.
Vilamoura has several nice hotels close to the Marina and would probably suit you more than Albufeira.

I wonder if the Costa Del Sol would be better for you in October. Torremolinos has miles of level promenades and there are a lot of hotels on the sea front. Good weather too!

You might consider going east of Faro, and trying Monte Gordo, it's a nice place and pretty flat there?

In Lagos there's the 4* Marina Rio hotel which is on the flat. It faces the Marina and although a little steep you can walk over the bridge to visit some nice restaurants facing the Marina. The hotel is on a main road but the reviews are very good. From this hotel you can walk, on the flat, into the main shopping, restaurant area which is lovely of an evening to people watch.

http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/reviews/portugal/algarve/lagos/marina-rio-hotel/

http://www.marinario.com/uk/apresentacao.htm