If you’re planning a last-minute escape before summer wraps up, you might want to think twice about heading to one of Portugal’s most famous resort towns.
Albufeira, a longtime favourite for British partygoers, has come under scrutiny after a series of viral videos revealed dangerously overcrowded scenes in its popular nightlife district, known as ‘The Strip’.
Footage shared throughout July and August shows crowds of revellers crammed shoulder-to-shoulder outside of neon-lit bars and nightclubs in the Areias de São João area.
Though it’s not uncommon to see throngs of tourists partying into the early hours of the morning, the area has seen a surge in tourism this summer – seemingly reaching a tipping point.
Clips posted to the Instagram page @partyhardalbufeira – a platform that promotes local nightlife – have left viewers stunned.
In July, one video, captioned ‘Busy busy busy here in Albufeira,’ shows what some have called ‘hellish’ scenes at 3am.
Dazed tourists appear trapped in a sea of bodies, many unable to move, as others try to forge narrow paths through the crowd.
Additional footage posted in August shows similar scenes, with partygoers were filmed pushing through dense crowds that spilled out into the street outside late-night spots like La Bamba cocktail bar and fast-food eatery App John.
Albufeira, a longtime favourite for British partygoers, has come under scrutiny after a series of viral videos revealed dangerously overcrowded scenes in its popular nightlife district, known as ‘The Strip’
Footage shared throughout July and August shows crowds of revellers crammed shoulder-to-shoulder outside of neon-lit bars and nightclubs in the Areias de São João area
Despite the warnings, Party Hard Albufeira continues to promote a range of alcohol-fueled activities, from bar crawls to boat parties to beach club events.
With thousands of young tourists pouring into the town over the summer months, some now fear the resort is fast becoming overwhelmed.
In the comments, one person wrote: ‘Used to holiday here and it was amazing! Looking at this makes me sad and I feel sorry for the locals to be honest.’
Another said: ‘Looks like hell l went there 25 years ago and it was lovely nice shop bars and restaurants.
‘How have they allowed this to happen the councils should restrict these bars and cheap apartments which encourage you adults to these places.’
A third viewer added: ‘Couldn’t pay me a million pounds to even attempt to go there’
Another described the scene as a ‘Sports Direct Convention,’ while another added: ‘Not one Portuguese person in sight. We avoid Albufeira like the plague.’
It comes as Britain’s love affair with the Med is finally cooling off.
Additional footage posted in August shows similar scenes, with partygoers were filmed pushing through dense crowds that spilled out into the street outside late-night spots like La Bamba cocktail bar
With thousands of young tourists pouring into the town over the summer months, some now fear the resort is fast becoming overwhelmed
According to research, a raft of non European destinations have won our affections this summer.
Classic sun resorts across Italy, France, Spain and Portugal are becoming less popular, with tourists seeking their holiday kicks further afield, including in Thailand, Canada and the US.
Virgin Media O2 data suggests that visitors to Spain have plummeted by around 9% year-on-year – with protests against over-tourism amongst the factors that may be seeing UK holidaymakers jetting off in a different direction.
Another enduring favourite, France, has been eclipsed by the US this summer, which has commanded 17% of visitors compared to a hop across the Channel, where only 14% have travelled.
Greece and Portugal? They’re also down by 7% and 5% respectively, the new data suggests, with many dedicating their summer breaks to more far-flung places.
