I don't know about actually getting anywhere by boat from Albufeira, since all the trips I know or have been on about just sort of float along the coast and come back.

Markets - there is a weekly tourist trap market at Quarteira on a Wednesday morning (next to the bus station) and there is a similar one at Loule on a Saturday morning. At Albufeira, It's the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month.

There is a good list of markets, local indoor markets plus the others, at http://algarve.angloinfo.com/information/33/markets.asp

Loule has a splendid indoor market hall right in the centre, with stalls spilling out into the surrounding streets. Much better than the tat at the open air Saturday affair. Open every morning except Sundays and Holidays.

My personal website http://www.algarvebus.info contains the bus and train timetables for the Algarve - please feel free to consult for possible day trips. If you would like a short visit to a proper Portuguese town, Sao Bartolomeu de Messines is a nice ride from Albufeira. The older part of the town is bit hidden but worth a look. Estoi and Sao Bras de Alportel and are also a visit but this one is bit more complicated as you have to go to Faro first. Estoi has a good set of Roman ruins, Sao Bras is a relatively unspoiled town up in the hills.

Hope that helps.

Hello sooze, Faro is a great place to visit if you like a bit of local history, there are the moorish walls round the old town, a Cathedral you can go up the bell tower and see for miles and even see the planes taking of at the airport, they do a boat trip round the water ways ( The Parque Natural Da Ria Formosa ) around Faro.
There is the Baroque church, Igreja do Camo in the Largo do Carmo with its golden altar and the macabra Chapel of the Bones. There are some good museums like the Museu Regional to see local crafts and Industies, Museu Arqueologico said to be the oldest museum in the Algarve, and the Museu Maritimo right near the bus station and a nice Marina with a good cafe to start you of. The town centre is car free with some good shops and cafes for lunch.
If you can get a bus to Tavira this is a very nice town to visit set on a river and make a change for towns like Albueira, we have just had our two weeks holiday there. Also if you can get a bus to Vila Real De Santo Antonio this town is a model of parts of Lisbon and is a great place if you need some new towels there are loads of shops selling just towels, but the best bit is the ferry over to Spain to have a look at the town of Ayamonte and have a piella.

hope these help as well,
Dave.

That's really helpful thank you. I'm going to print off your info and take it with me.