10 Best Things to Do in Armacao-De-Pera

Promoting conservation, environmental education and FUN! Zoomarine combines an important message with hands on shows and a huge water park.

Located just a few kilometers from Albufeira, here you can see presentations with the parks animals. The highlight of all these has to be the dolphin show which is along the lines of those at the famous Florida Seaworld. These feature displays of amazing acrobatics and the dolphins showing off their intelligence. Not only can you watch the performance, you can swim with the dolphins, although this does require booking in advance. 

Other...

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Aqualand is one of Europe's largest outdoor water parks and features a range of chutes and slides suitable for all ages.

The park is home to several notable rides suitable for adrenaline junkies and thrill seekers. The "Kamikaze" is the biggest slide in Portugal measuring over 100ft (36m) high it takes a mere 4 seconds to plummet to the bottom! Slightly less intimidating is the "Hydra" a more traditional water chute with a long, long corkscrew section.

A less usual ride is the "Banzai" which sees riders hurtle down a 23m slide sitting on skim board before shooting across the...

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Silves' red sandstone castle, which dominates the town, was built by the Moors who held the Al-Gharb (Algarve) region from the 8th to 13th centuries.  During this time, Silves (known at the time as Xelb) became an important centre of trading and culture and was the capital of the Al-Gharb.  In the late 12th and early 13th centuries the town witnessed sieges, battles and much bloodshed as the Moors and Christians from the north fought over this strategically important site.  The Muslims were finally expelled in 1249 and from this time onwards, as the river silted up, closing off trading...

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The parish church (Igreja Matriz) in Albufeira is one of the finest examples of neoclassical architecture in the Algarve. Built in the late 18th century it stands on the site of an earlier church which was converted from a pre-existing mosque.

Inside there is a single nave with four neoclassical side altars which contain notable artworks featuring St. Louis and St. Peter. Also worthy of note is the filigree stucco-work on the barrel vault ceiling.

However, it is in the chancel, beyond an imposing triumphal arch with its Cross of Aviz, that you will find the main reason for...

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The aesthetically pleasing, whitewashed church of São Sebastião (Saint Sebastian) on Praça Miguel Bombarda is thought to date back to the early 18th century, having been re-built on the site of a 16th century church.

It features a mix of architectural styles, including a dome and a multi-coloured wooden altarpiece. The main doorway is of the Baroque style and there is a Manueline side door. The inside of the church contains a number of interesting statues, including an image of Nossa Senhora da Piedade (Our Lady of Piety), thought to date from the 16th century....

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Located in Albufeira's old town, just behind the beach, is this archeological museum. The Museu Municipal de Arqueologia de Albufeira is housed in, what was until the late 1980s, the town hall. Despite its diminutive appearance the museum is surprisingly spacious inside.

Much of the collection was excavated from the local area by Father José Manuel Semedo de Azevedo, a keen amateur archeologist. Objects were collected from nearby sites such as the castle in Paderne, Roman villa in Retorta, the necropolis of Morgado da Lameira and the old parish church. These include such highlights...

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Albufeira is probably as famous (or infamous!) for its nightlife as it is for its beaches. The Strip, in the Montechoro area of town is the heart of Albufeira's nightlife with a plethora of clubs and bars. In the summer The Strip becomes absolutely heaving with mostly young Northern European tourists and stag/hen parties pushing alcohol consumption to its logical limit! As the sun goes down and the neon lights come on Avenida Sá Carneiro turns into a kilometre of what is possibly Portugal's...

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Slide & Splash is one of the Algarve's biggest and best water parks featuring a selection of water flumes, chutes, pools and aquatic fun that should appeal to all ages. Established in 1986 the park has grown to fill its sizeable site with fun-packed activities and new rides.

The main attractions here are the big water slides and you can probably guess a little about some of them from their names; Corkscrew, Banzai, Black Hole, Plunge, Tornado, Kamikaze and the new Big Wave. Most of these involve zooming down chutes of various steepness and twisty-ness at great speed before...

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Silves's small Archaeological Museum contains an astonishingly well-preserved Moorish well, together with archaeological findings dating right back to prehistoric times.

Opened in 1990, the Municipal Museum of Archeology of Silves is built around the Poço-Cisterna Almóada - a 12th century well which was discovered after archaeological excavations in the 18th century. The well is now classified as a National Monument and forms the centerpiece of the museum. The museum also incorporates the city walls of the same period, thus creating not only as a museum, but a showcase of the...

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Silves' Cathedral (Sé Catedral de Silves) was built in the 13th century on the site of the Moorish Grand Mosque, just beneath the castle.  Although much of the building was destroyed by the 1755 earthquake, it was rebuilt and is thought by many to provide one of The Algarve’s best examples of Gothic architecture.

Inside there are tombs of local bishops and dignitaries, as well as tombs of some of the Crusaders who fought here against the Moors all those years ago.

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