Things To Do in Sao Rafael

Run by Eirik and Lin, this shark-themed bar in the marina is a simple affair. There’s just a handful of tables spread out on the terrace facing the white yachts. You can get a pint of draught beer or a local wine. If you’re feeling peckish, the Sharky burgers are recommended.

A 10-minute drive from Sao Rafael is Guia, known affectionately as the chicken capital of Portugal. This is the place where piri-piri chicken was invented in 1964. For the past 25 years, it’s held a giant annual celebration. Thousands of visitors come to sample the dish, and local Portuguese bands add to the carnival atmosphere.

This beach restaurant is one of the finest fish restaurants on this stretch of the coast, and is always packed. The swordfish, golden bream and sea bass are all sourced daily from the fish market in Albufeira and cooked to perfection. Os Salgados also has a varied wine list that packs in a few local classics like the fruity Vida Loca. Before you get the bill, make sure you have a glass of port – it’s how the locals round off a good meal.

Between Sao Rafael and the next-door village of Galé, you've got a collection of family-run restaurants where seafood is usually at the top of the specials board. Among the regional dishes are braised clams, grilled sardines, and succulent swordfish steaks. And if you’ve never tried piri-piri chicken, which was invented in the Algarve, you’re in for a treat – this marinated bird has got quite a kick to it.

The Algarve’s top waterpark is a 10-minute taxi ride from Sao Rafael. Ride one spaghetti chute after another, race down the kamikaze, or give the Banzai a go – you’ll skim over the water on a magic carpet. There’s also an adventure playground with a tipping bucket for children. If everyone’s had enough excitement for one day, you can idle down the Congo River on a doughnut ring.

You’ll find a couple of mini-markets along Estrada das Sesmarias – the road that leads from Sao Rafael into Galé. Here, you can buy beach gear, postcards, and small souvenirs such as miniature Algarve houses or cataplanas – traditional cooking pots. For anything else, it’s worth taking the 10-minute taxi ride into Albufeira. The pick of the boutiques are on Rua do 5 de Outubro – wood carvings, hand-painted ceramics, even designer clothes, they’ve got the lot.

Sao Rafael’s nightlife options are limited, so most visitors get in a taxi to Albufeira for a change of scene. In 10 minutes you’ll be in the old town’s main square, which is awash with people pouring in and out of the family-run restaurants and bars. You might want to check out the busy strip in the east of town that leads from Areias de São Joao up the hill to Montechoro. There are karaoke bars and pubs with giant plasma screens. And throbbing nightclubs don’t let the party stop until at least 4am.