'I went to Portugal's worst holiday resort: it was a holiday hell'

Daily Record

4 days ago

Young Brits looking for an even rowdier experience than Benidorm have fallen in love with the Portuguese resort of Albufeira – but not all locals are happy with the change
YouTuber Wendall, who specialises in reports showing the reality of life in towns here in the UK and around the world, says that the popular Portuguese resort of Albufeira was, for him at least, a "holiday hell."
The once family-focused resort in Portugal's Algarve region has gained an ugly reputation in recent years, with drug use and public nudity on the increase. Most of those responsible for this surge in loutish behaviour, reports indicate, are British holidaymakers—particularly Brits on stag and hen outings.
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The heavy drinking and reckless behaviour can have grim consequences. The body of 38-year-old Scotsman Greg Monks was recently found in a ravine close to Albufeira—some eight days after he disappeared during a mate's stag weekend.
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Wendall says he had visited the resort hoping to catch a little more sun after returning from Australia and feeling depressed by the grey British weather. But the restful weekend he had expected was not on the cards: "It turns out that Albufeira, where I'm staying, isn't exactly chilled-out."
He started his video by saying: "This is either going to be an advert for the best place to come on holiday in Portugal if you're into clubbing and going mental... Brits abroad and getting hammered. Or it's a warning that you should not come here because this is Portugal's worst resort."
He added: "I wasn't aware, until I arrived, how wild Albufeira is."
The first two locals he met said that while they were fairly relaxed about Brits' bad behaviour—because they had got used to seeing it in the bar where they worked—their families were "scared" because British visitors tended to "drink too much and make a mess."
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He said that while Benidorm was "ground zero for 'Brits abroad' loutish behaviour," Albufeira might be slightly worse because it drew a younger, less disciplined crowd. One of the young women he spoke to said she had seen a lot of fights between boozed-up Brits.
Another local told Wendall that while Brits over 40 were generally fine, younger tourists were "not so good."
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Not all Brits are happy with the way the city has changed in recent years either. One British tourist, Doreen Burywood, told the Daily Mail: "We used to go every year, loved the place, but stopped when the hen and stag parties started arriving—such a shame."
Alongside the heavy drinking that seems to have become an essential part of the Albufeira experience, there is inevitably the need to eat something. Wendall managed to find himself a deserted storefront with a giant vending machine selling "gourmet" burgers and toasties. His toast tasted "exactly how you'd expect," he said—which is to say, awful.
One of the key elements of Albufeira's current grim reputation is the sheer quantity of illegal drugs being consumed in bars on the city's neon-lit "strip" at night.
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Even in the city's more sedate Old Town, Wendall didn't have to walk far before being offered a variety of illicit substances: "Even though the Old Town is nicer to look at," he said, "it's still a pretty wild place."
As the sun went down on the strip, the already lively atmosphere heated up, and it wasn't long before paramedics were called to attend to one or two unfortunate individuals who had passed out in the street outside one of the innumerable bars.
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In a bid to crack down on antisocial behaviour by rowdy tourists, Albufeira City Council is introducing a range of new measures, including a dress code that forbids bikinis and swimsuits on the city streets.
Rulebreakers could face fines of up to €1,800 (just over £1,500) if the legislation is passed at the end of this month. Albufeira mayor José Carlos Rolo said he hoped the new code of conduct would be in effect by mid-July this year.
Wendall says he probably made the wrong choice by selecting Albufeira for his mini-break: "I thought it would be a relaxing few days in the sun," he said, "but this ain't my type of holiday... this is my idea of holiday hell."
However, he added: "If you want to let your hair down and go wild, like Brits abroad, then this is the place."