This page is unofficial. The information has been obtained from printed timetables and other local sources (like taking the bus) and is given in good faith.
Page checked and updated 22nd March 2013
BUSES BETWEEN THE MAIN RESORT AREAS ALONG THE ALGARVE COAST
Please also read the the general guidance notes as bus
operations here in the Algarve may be a little different from
where you live.
Click here for a diagram of Algarve
bus routes
Lagos – Portimão – Lagoa – Albufeira – Vilamoura – Faro
For a quick summary of the buses at the main towns only, click here.
Click here to view the
complete timetable Faro – Almancil – Quarteira – Vilamoura –
Albufeira – Lagoa – Portimão – Lagos, including express services
Faro to Lagos and Albufeira to Lagos.
Click here for the complete timetable in
the opposite direction Lagos – Portimão – Lagoa – Albufeira –
Almancil – Faro.
The services between the coastal resorts consist of several
different, overlapping, routes. The buses do not carry route
numbers!
I have done my best to indicate what connections there may be. However it is my experience that connections are NOT usually held for late running buses.
Faro - Tavira - Monte Gordo - Vila Real de Santo António
Click here for the times of buses along the eastern coast of the Algarve.
Do the buses run every day?
Most of the buses along the
coast do not run at WEEKENDS or on PUBLIC
HOLIDAYS.
Those buses that RUN DAILY (including public holidays) are
highlighted with a blue heading and marked DAILY
MFO – Mondays to
Fridays only; does not run on Saturdays, Sundays or on Public
Holidays
SHX – does not run on Sundays or
public holidays
SAT – runs on Saturdays only except
holidays
SSH – runs on Saturdays, Sundays and
holidays only
SUN – runs on Sundays and Public
holidays only
SCH – runs on SCHOOLDAYS only ie
will not be running in July and August nor during Christmas
and Easter breaks.
XXX – used where bus runs only on
certain days that do not fit into these headings – look for
a special note.
Delays
Many buses along the coastal routes are routinely 10 - 15
minutes late. The schedules are rather optimistic and delays
occur even at weekends. I have experienced delays eg: from Faro
to Albufeira (15 minutes late arrival), Albufeira to Portimão
(35 minutes late arrival) and Lagos to Albufeira (15 minutes
late arrival almost every journey).
I would not trust any connection of less than 15 minutes. If
you have a vital connection eg for a flight at the airport -
take heed! These delays are almost entirely due to traffic
congestion in Portimão and Faro. Buses are not normally held for
late running connections.
Local buses generally run on time but, the longer the journey,
the more likely you are to be delayed. Buses between Faro and
Albufeira via Vilamoura usually keep fairly well to time.
During high summer (August) there is often severe traffic
congestion in Albufeira, which delays buses including local
routes.
A – At Faro Bus Terminal the TRANSRÁPIDO bus leaves
from inside the terminal building. Most of the other buses
towards Quarteira, Vilamoura and Albufeira leave from the stop
immediately outside the bus station entrance on the same side of
the road, but check on the departures board to be sure. You must
buy your ticket from the ticket office inside the terminal
building before boarding your bus. If you have time to wait for
your bus, avoid the disagreeable café/bar inside. There are two
or three much better establishments across the road, with a
McDonald’s and other fast-food shops about three minutes walk
away.
B – Faro Figuras - this stop is outside the FORUM ALGARVE shopping centre on the outskirts of town. The bus to and from the airport stops across the road - towards FARO you cross the road to get TO THE AIRPORT. From the AIRPORT you can get off at the Forum Algarve and cross the road to get to ALBUFEIRA etc. Getting on or off here can save a lot of time, as the Transrápido does a loop round the town of Faro on its way to or from the Bus Station. Bus times to and from the AIRPORT here. The NORMAL and DIRECTA buses between Albufeira and Faro also stop here at the Forum Algarve
C – Olhos d'Agua. If you are visiting the beach, get off the bus at CANAS.All buses from Albufeira stop there two minutes after Olhos D'Agua, towards Albufeira two minutes before Olhos D'Agua This stop is a lot nearer the beach and the big hotels. About 50 metres from the stop you will see a road going off down a hill at some traffic lights. The beach is about 200 metres down this road. There is NO PARKING down there, unless you are willing to pay €1.15 per hour. It is a nice beach though.
D - Aerias São João - this stop is
where ' The Strip' crosses the main road, near Jinkies bar. The
bullring is nearby.
E - Continente/Modelo shopping centre
- to and from the Vilamoura direction this is the nearest
stop to the old town area of Albufeira. DO NOT STAY ON THE BUS
ALL THE WAY TO THE BUS STATION, which is a mile/1.6km from the
old town. From here it is about 6 or 7 minutes downhill walk
into the old town - the EVA buses do not go there. See this page for more information and a
map.
F - The Albufeira Bus Terminal is on
the north edge of town and a mile/1.6km from the beaches etc. If
you are coming from the Portimão/Lagoa direction (except
on the buses that run via Vale de Parra) you will need to take
the local GIRO bus for the last leg of the journey, take taxi or
walk. Separate ticket needed. More information here.
G – Algarve Shopping (Vale Verde) This
stop is outside the ‘Algarve Shopping’ mall and close to the
Albufeira Retail Park. Warning - if travelling from Albufeira or
towards Guia you will have to cross a VERY busy main road. There
is no crossing as such, but there is a 'no steps' footpath over
a bridge. It's rather a long way round but much safer than
trying to cross the road.
The website of the Algarve Shopping Mall is here – there is
currently nothing in English. There is a free bus on weekdays in
summer from various hotels in Albufeira and Olhos D'Agua - click
here for details.
H – The remodelling of the seafront
of Armação. de Pera has resulted in buses
being diverted. Buses no longer stop at the Hotel Garbe. There
is a new bus stop on the Via Dorsal, about 150m from the hotel
and the beaches.
Armação de Pera stops are a bit complicated. I have a map here. The bus 'terminal' in
the Via Dorsal has no office. All the buses towards
Lagoa, Portimão and Lagos stop there, after having gone past it
on the other side of the road and nearly 400 metres in the wrong
direction! (Why there is not a bus stop opposite the existing
one I do not know!)
ALL buses to and from Silves and Alcantarilha Estação stop only
at the ‘terminal’. There is also a stop outside the campsite on
the road to Alcantarilha. Local buses stop there. Sorry
about all that - map.
Also, the published timetable for some buses refer to a stop at
the 'Hotel Garbe'. This stop is no longer used following the
conversion of many streets to pedestrians only. Check the map.
J - In Porches, all buses stop on the
N125 just outside the village, but only those running via
Senhora da Rocha actually stop in the village centre.
K – Portimão does not have a Bus
Station as such. All buses start and their journeys at stops
along the Avenida Guarané, by the river near Largo do Dique.
Plan here.
The local buses also stop elsewhere in town, according to route.
The Transrápido buses and Albufeira - Lagos buses do not stop
anywhere else.
For more information including local connections etc please click here.
L – Praia da Rocha bus stop for
EVA services is near CLUBE PRAIA DA ROCHA in the AVENIDA DAS
COMUNIDADES LUSIADAS. This is about 300 yards from the Hotel
Jupiter, down on the main road by the roundabout. The stop is at
the same location as the city ‘VAI e VEM’ bus stops called Clube
Praia da Rocha.
M - at Alvor this bus stop is at the
roundabout/traffic circle (rotunda) just outside the centre of
Alvor. All buses use the same stop. Buses cannot enter the
village as the roads are too narrow. EVA bus timetables
are not displayed at Alvor.
N - In Vilamoura all buses in both directions stop at the same stop at the Praia da Marina, near the Casino and Marina. Buses also stop at the Aldeia do Mar in Rua do Sol (50 metres from Jafer's) a couple of minutes after Praia da Marina. The bus stop outside Jafer's supermarket is no longer served. Map of Vilamoura showing the stops etc here.
Z - to and from the Lagoa direction, this
stop is the nearest to the old town area of Albufeira which is
about 5 minutes walk. The fast buses do NOT stop here. The Av.
do Ténis stop is outside the school just down from the
roundabout. The Rua 1 Dezembro stop is close to Merlin's Bar on
the corner where the pedestrian area begins - the bus shelter is
there but there is no actual bus stop sign. Trust me, they do
stop there. The bus goes past the Rocamar Hotel and along a
narrow little road just before the stop.
INT – Interurban Bus. Also, note NOR = ‘Normal’ DIR = ‘Directa’
– there are two sets of local buses between Albufeira
and Faro. They take slightly different routes – for more
information click here.
AL– Albufeira - Lagos
DIRECTA fast service (formerly Linha Littoral/Coastline) –
this express service stops only at the places shown.
TR – Transrápido – this express
service stops only at the places shown plus some other
locations in the city of Faro. Buses carry 'TRANSRÁPIDO' sign
on the front.
I have a scanned, printable copy of the timetable here.
For a list of all the timetables on the site,
click here
For an alphabetical list of places in the Algarve, click here
For some important general notes about buses in the Algarve,
click here
Back to the main page, click here