Algarve, Portugal - Useful Information!

What do you need to know about the Algarve? Well, here you can find information about anything from buying baby food to opening times for Algarve shops and services! There are contact details for the main Algarve tourist information authorities, advice about exchanging currency, useful Portuguese language to help you get by on your holiday and practical health care information and emergency numbers, as well as Portugal national holidays dates, and general shopping and European clothes sizes.

Algarve Information - At at a glance!

Location of the Algarve:
South Portugal, western Europe

Currency of Portugal:
Euro (€)

Languages spoken:
Portuguese is the native language. English, Spanish, German and French are widely spoken.

Portugal time zone:
Western European Time Zone (WET). *Same time as the U.K & Ireland

Safety in the Algarve

You can holiday with the assurance that the Algarve has a very low crime rate and you will see the police on the ground! The only issue to be aware of is petty theft so protect yourself as you would in your own country and be prudent – don’t leave anything on show in your car, keep possessions in a bag close to your body and don’t carry too much money around with you.

Algarve Tourist Help Line - Tel: (+351) 808 78 12 12
Albufeira Police - Tel: (+351) 289 513 203
Vilamoura Police - Tel: (+351) 289 388 989

Local police

The Algarve (and the rest of Portugal) has two police forces - the Guarda Nacional Republicana (GNR) and the Polícia de Segurança Pública (PSP). The GNR will deal with most matters, and pass you on to the PSP if necessary.

Emergency / S.O.S - Telephone 112

If you feel you are in need of emergency assistance, from the hospital, police (GNR) or fire brigade,call 112 for the national emergency service. This call is free of charge (unless using a foreign mobile) and the call will be answered in three languages: Portuguese, English and French. If you require non-emergency medical assistance, you should go to the local Health Care Centre (Centro de Saúde). Please note: The Hospital Emergency Services are only to be used in serious cases.

Forest Fires - 117

Currency and Banking in the Algarve

The currency used in the Algarve (since 2002), as with the rest of Portugal and much of Europe, is the Euro (€). One Euro is divided into 100 cents.

There are 7 Euro banknotes: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 Euros. (The front and back of each note is the same for all countries using the Euro).

There are 8 coins in the Euro currency: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents and 1 and 2 Euros. All coins have one side that is common to all countries with the Euro, whilst the other side differs from country to country – in Portugal one side of the Euro coins displays the royal seal of Dom Alfonso Henriques.

LIVE CURRENCY CONVERTER

get your own [ free ]

Exchanging Currency in the Algarve

There are plenty of cash machines all over the Algarve, identified with the 'MB' abbreviation, for Multibanco. You can use them the same as you would at home and you can draw up to 200€ per day. Charges for using your card abroad depend on your own bank so check before leaving. Travellers cheques are expensive to cash so best avoided. Many of the businesses and shops accept credit and debit cards (Visa, Amex, Eurocard, Euro-Cheque, Diners Club and MasterCard).

Health care information

For non-emergency health care in the Algarve you should go to the local Health Care Centre ("Centro de Saúde").

For emergencies, dial 112 for the emergency service, free of charge. The call will be answered in three languages: Portuguese, English and French.

Algarve health care contacts:

Algarve Hospitals

Faro - (+351) 289 891 100
Lagos - (+351) 282 770 100
Portimão - (+351) 282 450 330

Algarve Red Cross

Algarve Red Cross in Faro - Te: (+351) 289 899 900

National Holidays in Portugal 2011 to 2017

New Years Day -1st January
Carnival ("Carnaval" - Mardi Gras) - 2011-March 8th; 2012-February 21st; 2013-February 12th; 2014-March 4th; 2015-February 17th; 2016-February 9th; 2017-February 28th.
Good Friday - 2011-April 22nd; 2012-April 6th; 2013-March 29th; 2014-April 18th; 2015-April 3rd; 2016-March 25th; 2017-April 14th.
Easter Sunday - 2011-April 24th; 2012-April 8th; 2013-March 31st; 2014-April 20th; 2015-April 5th; 2016-March 27th; 2017- April 16th.
Liberation Day (celebrating the 1974 revolution) - 25th April
Labour Day - 1st May
Corpus Christie - 2011-June 23rd; 2012-June 7th; 2013-May 30th; 2014-June 19th; 2015-June 4th; 2016-May 26th; 2017-June 15th.
Portugal Day - 10th June
Assumption of the Virgin - 15th August
Republic Day - 5th October
All Saints' Day - 1st November
Restoration (of Independence) Day - 1st December
Immaculate Conception - 8th December
Christmas Day - 25th December

Portuguese Language

Portuguese words, phrases and questions that you may find useful for your Algarve holiday:

Basic words:

Hello:

Olá, Oi

Good morning:

Bom dia

Good afternoon:

Boa tarde

Good night:

Boa noite

Good bye:

Tchau, adeus

Yes:

Sim

No:

Não

Thank you:

Obrigado (male)

Thank you:

Obrigada (female)

You are welcome:

De nada

Please:

Por favor

Excuse me:

Desculpe, Com licença

Places:

Museum:

Museu

Bank:

Banco

Tourist Information

Posto de turismo

Hospital:

Hospital

Pharmacy:

Farmácia

Store, shop:
Loja

Church:

Igreja

Post Office

Correio

Beach:

Praia

Street:

Rua

Supermarket

Supermercado

Restaurant:

Restaurante

Travel:

Bus:

Autocarro

Bus Stop:

Paragem de autocarros

Taxi:

Táxi

Taxi Stand:

Ponto de táxi

Car:

Carro

Train Station:

Estação

Train:

Comboio

Rent a Car:

Alugar um carro

Airplane:

Avião

Airport:

Aeroporto

Arrival:

Chegada

Departure:

Partida

Questions:

Where?

Onde?

When?

Quando?

Who?

Quem?

What?

O que?

Which?

Qual? / Quais? (pl.)

How?

Como?

How much/many?

Quanto(a) / Quantos (as)?

Is/are there?

Há?

How are you?

Como estás?

Where is the...?

Onde fica...?

Is that all?

É tudo?

Que horas são?

What time is it?

For more Portuguese words and phrases for food and drink visit our Algarve Food and Drink page. Alternatively, if you would like to listen to a spoken introduction to the Portuguese language visit "Talk Portuguese" at the BBC.

Opening times for Algarve shops, supermarkets and services:

Banks ("Bancos")

Monday to Friday: 8:30am to 3:00pm. Closed on Saturdays and official holidays.

Chemists ("Farmácias")

Monday to Friday: 9:00am to 1:00pm / 3:00pm to 7:00pm. Saturday: 9:00am to 1:00pm. Main resorts and particularly during summer they will be open all day.
Details of the out of hours duty chemist are displayed at each Pharmacy. Many pharmacies have ticket dispensers just inside the door and display boards on the wall to make sure everyone is seen in turn.

Museums and Churches ("Museus e Igrejas")

Opening times for museums and churches vary greatly across the Algarve, so it is worth visiting the local tourist offices to find out precise times. As a general rule though, many museums are closed on Mondays and public holidays. National museums tend to open Wednesday to Sunday: 10:00am to 6:00pm and on Tuesdays: 2:00pm to 6:00pm.

Post Offices ("Correiros")

Post offices are open Monday to Friday 8:30am to 6:00pm. Post offices in smaller towns may close for lunch. There are two postal services: "Correiro normal" and "Correiro azul". The former is for ordinary post and airmail, and mail goes in the red post boxes and Correiro azul is the priority or express service and mail goes in the blue ("azul") post boxes. There is normally a 'ticket' dispenser and a display terminal on the wall so that you know when it's your turn.

Restaurants ("Restaurantes")

Some restaurants open for lunch between 12:00 and 3:00pm and then re-open for dinner from 7:00pm to 10:00pm, but there are others, particularly ones in the town centres and popular resorts, that stay open all day. In peak season especially, many restaurants will stay open all day and accept diners later into the evening.

Shops ("Lojas")

Typical shop opening hours in the Algarve are from 9:00am to 1:00pm and 3:00pm to 7:00pm Monday to Friday and until 1:00pm on Saturdays. During peak summer season most of them will stay open all day on Saturdays and will be open later at night in the main resorts.

Supermarkets ("Supermercados")

Supermarkets are open 7 days a week from aroung 8.30am to 8 or 9pm with extended hours at Christmas and during the peak summer season. The 3 key dates when most will be closed all day are December 25th, January 1st and May 1st. Supermarkets in Shopping Malls are regularly open until 11pm.

In December most shops extend their opening hours for Christmas shopping, being open Monday to Saturday, from 9:00am to 1:00pm and from 3:00pm to 7:00pm.

In the peak summer season, shops catering for tourists are open all day until 9:00pm or 10:00pm, even on Sundays and holidays.

Shopping in the Algarve

If you like to shop, you will love it in the Algarve! Like any tourist holiday destination, the Algarve has a plentiful supply of gift shops, where you can buy Portuguese souvenirs bearing the cockerel, pottery and ornaments, jewellery, postcards and much more to take home with you. Algarve ladies like to co-ordinate their outfits, with matching shoes, bags, belts and jewellery, so there are plenty of clothes and leather goods shops and some lovely boutiques for bargain hunting.

Algarve Shopping Malls

There are currently five main shopping malls in the Algarve, 'Forum Algarve' in Faro, 'Algarve Shopping' in Guia (near Albufeira), Aqua Portimão in western Algarve and 'Gran-Plaza' in Tavira and 'Ria Shopping' in Olhão, which are both eastern Algarve. All except Aqua Portimão have multiplex cinemas, plenty of parking, restaurants and, of course, lots of shops. Children are well catered for with play areas and 'Algarve Shopping' also has a creche for toddlers over 2 years of age.

Opening hours for Algarve Shopping Malls

Forum Algarve
Shops: January to May and October: 10.00 to 23.00 June to September and December: 10.00 to 24.00
Hipermercado Jumbo: 09.00 to 24.00 every day.

Algarve Shopping
Shops: 10.00 to 23.00 daily and 10.00 to 24.00 in summer and December
Continente Hypermarket: 09.00 to 23.00 (Sunday to Thursday and holidays), 09.00 to 24.00 (Friday, Saturday and day before holidays), 09.00 to 24.00 every day in summer and December.

Gran-plaza
Shops: 7 days a week from 10.00 to 23.00 and until midnight in July and August.
Continente supermarket: from 09.00 to 23.00 every day and until midnight in July and August.

Ria Shopping
Shops: 7 days a week from 10.00 to 23.00 except for July and August until midnight
Pão de Açucar supermarket: 7 days a week from 09.00 to 23.00 and in July and August until midnight

For more every day items, such as groceries, the Algarve is well equipped with local markets, convenience stores and supermarkets. If you are staying in self-catering accommodation you’ll have a huge variety of local foods and familiar foods from home to choose from and many shops, particularly the supermarkets have a good selection of vegetarian foods. If you are travelling with younger children, the supermarkets stock lots of baby milks and foods, nappies, baby sundries and much more, so you don’t need to worry about taking too much with you.

Baby Milks, Food and Products

Cow and Gate baby milks are marketed under the 'Nutrilon' brand in Portugal. Nutrilon 1,2 and 3 are equivalent to Cow and Gate Premium, Plus and Step-up. Nutrilon Omneo 1 and 2 are equivalent to Comfort 1 and 2. Nutrilon AR 1 and 2 are for babies with reflux Nutrilon HA 1 and 2 are for babies allergic to dairy products. Aptamil milks are still marketed as Aptamil in the Algarve. Aptamil 1, 2 and 3, being equivalent to First, Extra Hungry and 3. Huggies nappies are available in most supermarkets and Pampers are marketed under the name 'Dodot'. Johnsons products, baby wipes,lotions, suncreams are widely available. All of the main supermarkets and a lot of the 'mini-mercados' stock a good range of baby products, from milks and jars of food to nappies and toiletries.

Portugal Size Guides for Clothes and Shoes

The Algarve (and the rest of Portugal) uses European sizing. If you are travelling from the United Kingdom (UK), the United States (US) or other regions of the world outside of Europe, you will need to convert your size from your home country into European sizes. Here are some size guide tables for clothes and shoes for women, men and children.

Women's Coats, Dresses & Suits

UK

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

US

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Europe

32

34

36

38

40

42

44

46

Men's Suits & Coats

UK

36

38

40

42

44

46

48

US

36

38

40

42

44

46

48

Europe

46

48

50

52

54

56

58

Women's Shoes:

UK

4.5

5

5.5

6

6.5

7

US

6

6.5

7

7.5

8

8.5

Europe

38

38

39

39

40

41

Men's Shoes:

UK

7

7.5

8.5

9.5

10.5

11

US

8

8.5

9.5

10.5

11.5

12

Europe

41

42

43

44

45

46

Children's Clothes Sizes:

Height (cm)

56

62

68

74

80

86

92

98

104

110

116

122

128

134

140

Age (mths / yrs)

0-3m

3-6m

6-9m

9-12m

12-18m

18-24m

2-3

3-4

4-5

5-6

6-7

7-8

8-9

9-10

10-11

Children's Shoes:

UK

0

1

2

3

4

4.5

5

6

7

8

8.5

9

10

11

12

12.5

13

1

2

2.5

US

0.5-1

1.5-2

2.5-3

3.5-4

4.5-5

5.5

6-6.5

7-7.5

8

8.5-9

9.5

10-10.5

11

11.5

12-12.5

13-13.5

1

1.5-2

2.5-3

3.5

Europe

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35