Things To Do in Sao Joao

The Strip is renowned for its pumping nightlife. The action starts at the southern end, nearest the beach, and runs all the way to the Montechoro district in the north. Down at your end the bars are liveliest – there are karaoke bars, sports bars and techno clubs that attract international DJs. Take a 5-minute stroll to the northern part of the Strip and you’ll get to some quieter wine bars with garden terraces and cosy interiors.

The nearest beach to Sao Joao is Praia d’Oura – a good stretch of gently shelving golden sand with umbrellas and sunloungers dotted along the coast. There are restaurants and bars at the western end of the promenade, or you can walk east to discover quieter hidden coves. There’s a watersports centre on the beach that offers paragliding, snorkelling and jet-skiing.

This area not only comes with stunning coastline, but the sea is also famous for its dolphins. If you pop along to Albufeira’s marina, you can join a tour which goes out to find them and then manoeuvres through the little caves scalloped from the cliffs – some tours include a stop in a little sandy cove so you can take an ocean dip.

Sao Joao comes with supermarkets, and there are street vendors selling handicrafts and paintings of the local landscape. A foray into the old town, meanwhile, will lead you to shops selling glazed ceramics and leather goods. And if you want high-street names, a 10-minute drive takes you to a great shopping mall in Guia.

You’ll find Johhny Hooper’s just off The Strip. On Tuesdays and Fridays, Johnny brings out his saxophone, and there are different musicians on other nights. In between the music you can pit your knowledge in a quiz and tuck into homemade burgers. Later on, the place transforms into a disco.

The Strip is all about cheerful kebabs and gyros, but you can seek out more traditional Portuguese cuisine if you venture further into Albufeira itself. Just a 5-minute drive away is the old town’s main square, where restaurants serve up freshly-netted seafood along with specialities like arroz de marisco, a Portuguese twist on paella. Meals finish nicely with a coffee and a tarta de nata, a Portuguese custard tart.

This seafront restaurant comes with an elegant upstairs terrace with great views over the sea. Food wise, you can expect good-value dishes of fresh seafood, honey-glazed chicken and salmon with chilli and lime. If you’re here on a Wednesday, pop down to the casual bar afterwards for their quiz night.