Hi Lambchop,

We were there in December and there was a lot of work going on in the Old Town, and some of the streets had been dug up. However, it was still easy to walk around, although at one stage we used the beach as the quickest diversion! The Old Town was most definitely not "closed" and there were plenty of places open to eat in. Of course, some were closed but that's normal at that time of year.

However, the good news is that it is planned to be finished by 1st April and you shouldn't be affected at all. We're going out there again soon and again in March so I'll post again if there's anything different.

I'm sure you'll all have a great time!

That's wonderful news - thanks for your help roseweb!

hi any info on if the dug up area is causing a stink ,yes i mean literally mo

Hi Mo,

The Old Town is rather a mess at the moment, with many streets and the main square being dug up, but there are walkways through most of the works. There are still some streets which are fine, including Rua 5 Outubro, and quite a few shops, bars and restaurants are keeping open. We didn't smell any nasty niffs!

going out in 10days staying in old town will post findings when get back

Take a clothespeg for the nose - just in case...

was in albuferia last week. have to report that the main street and old square in town is dug up. great difficulty in walking around. feel sorry for shops and restaurants - they say that the work will not be finished until may or june. it does not affect side streets or tunnel so they are not really affected. got a good deal from lwebsite yeego.com for one week in grande baia hotel . click on deals. also low-cost-transport.com cost 32euro return from faro airport to hotel baia grande. they collected us five minutes before time both ways - very impressed with the service.

Does anyone have any info on when the construction of the old town will be finished? Im going on my honeymoon to the Casa Mitchell apartments in the old town at the end of April and im dredding it now. Can anyone help me find out if the construction will effect the casa mitcehll orany of the nice restaurants or bars? Thankyou so much for your help![/b]

hi going to this accomadation in march will let you know on return mo

Hi. The works were supposed to be finished by the end of March, but the Council is now saying they will definitely be finished by the beginning of the holiday season, so it's not clear but hopefully they mean by Easter. I've heard that the works by the Rocamar Hotel are progressing well and the road just needs resurfacing. The Rua 25 Outubro is unaffected, as are most of the side roads and alleyways. The Fishermen's Beach area is also unaffected at present. The main square is a total mess at the moment, as is the road which approaches it from the north.

However, none of the works affects the Casa Mitchell or your route down to the Old Town on foot. Please don't worry as there will be plenty of bars and restaurants open by the time you go. We had no problem finding places to eat when we were there in January.

I hope you have a lovely honeymoon, and if you want a romantic meal on a terrace overlooking the whole of the bay you should go to O Penedo, which is a little way west of the Rocamar.

Fingers crossed that the works are cpmpleted by Easter then, cos that's when we go! If they're not, then they're not - we're determined to have a good time whatever the state of the paths/roads Thanks for the info Roseweb - coincidentally *we're* staying at the Casa Mitchell too!

thanks everyone!!! x

Does anyone have any info on when the construction of the old town will be finished? Im going on my honeymoon to the Casa Mitchell apartments in the old town at the end of April and im dredding it now. Can anyone help me find out if the construction will effect the casa mitcehll orany of the nice restaurants or bars? Thankyou so much for your help!

Dont want to upset you but my cousin has just returned from albufeira,
(he lives there part of the year) and he heard that they are now saying it wont be finished until June. It is a mess at the moment but i would think that this will get better the nearer to the summer season it gets. They need the tourism they have had a couple of quiet years.

The goalposts seem to move all the time. Most of the project will be finished by April, it looks like the main square will not be finished until May, but this is one small part of a large town with lots of other places to go and things to see, so please don't be put off. Even if the square is not finished, it will be open for business before April, the major underground work is in full flow, and once that bit is finished places will be open again.

I have been told that the work wont finish till at least june and that there is a sign up saying so. I am going at the end of april and really hoped the square would be finished, but from what i have heard, no chance. anyone got any more up to date info??

As I said in my previous post, it should be finished by the end of May (early June then...). The nice restaurants are not in the square; the expensive ones are, the ones that vary from day to day are, and the ones that rush you when they are busy are. The good ones are dotted around, and have mostly been pointed out on this site over the past few months. A couple of friends who use Casa Mitchell all the time eat at a place just over the road from there, and recommend it.

Stop worrying, you will have a lovely time. It is your honeymoon after all.

Is there any more information on when this work will be done or does anyone know a link to the Council website? We are thinking of going in July.

Cheers

Hi Ferrit,

The Camara's website is http://www.cm-albufeira.pt but although I thought it used to have an English translation I can't see it now. There's a link to Viver Albufeira, which is the programme of works now being done - again, only in Portuguese.

We've just got back and I can say that there is certainly still a lot of mud and disruption, particularly in the main square and road leading down towards it from the north. However, there are areas which are unaffected between the square and the sea and there are plenty of bars, restaurants and shops open, particularly in Rua 5 Outubro and near Fishermen's Beach. We saw them working at midnight in the square and the pressure is on to finish before the main tourist season begins, but exactly when nobody knows (probably not even the Council!).

It will be great when it's finished - and I'm sure it will be by July!!