I visited Albafeira with my toddler and my partner (Image: Liam McKinnerny)
I'm now back from a memorable family holiday at the picturesque coastal resort of Albafeira. It was everything I wanted – from sandy beaches to various activities that make the sunlight shine.
However, I was lucky enough to get home safely with my partner and daughter, but not everyone was that lucky. During my stay, two British people lost their lives, and then people call the area just a night party town.
Greg Monks, 38, was found dead after disappearing on the first night of Stag Do's celebration. He attempted to leave his companions and return to the hotel, but on June 4th, he had a tragic accident before his body was found in the valley.
His sister, Gillian, later told the record: “I think everyone needs to stick together in places like Albafeira and take care of each other. His peers are absolutely devastated by what happened.”
Thousands of Britons flock here every summer (Image: Getty Images)
Don't miss it… There are no British tourists who disappeared from a stag found at the bottom of the valley (latest)
The 21-year-old man was later discovered at the foot of a series of steps in the stunning old town of Albafeira.
Death plunged the popular Algarve resort into the spotlight, and several publications have since reported on the “dark” side of Albafeira, which appears to have become a “boosie bolt sole” for wild behaviour.
And while my time happily passed away with my partner Ciara and our daughter, one observation of antisocial behavior remained with me. Birthing toddlers is inevitable, and during some sunrise I went for a run across Albafia.
During one exercise excursion I reached a miles long neon lit “strip” that was reportedly referred to as “chaos” by locals.
I was already there in the daytime. The atmosphere is noisy, but it was relatively harmless. People were simply having a good time while consuming a lot of liquor.
Some of the confusion I encountered (Image: Liam McKinnerny)
But being there at 7am, it was a completely different story. The street was completely covered in trash. It looked like a garbage dump.
With a street full of late night bars and clubs, full of tourists thirsty for fun, I didn't expect it to be clean. But the huge amount of garbage scattered everywhere, including bottles, glasses, take-out food, was overloaded.
Some party forks were still shifting what they hadn't been to bed yet, with one tourist throwing on the streets while busy binman loading trash into trucks and collecting trash and unfolding leaf shopping.
It was a miserable look scene, my eyes were drawn to one old lady, one old lady trying to navigate with caution, without tripping her tail. Another man, clearly incredibly drunk, was trying to walk forward, but his body instead accidentally moved backwards.
It reminded me of the conversation I once lived in forty years with Michelle Baker, a britt who lived in Benidorm.
Speaking about walking along the party strip, famous in Spanish holiday hotspots for an early morning walk, she told me.
“In some of the strips, the smell of vomiting is very unpleasant in the morning.”
When I saw the Algarve strip on my early morning run, it reminded me of what she said. It also made me think about comparing it to Benidorm.
The historic centre of Albafeira is a place where many tourists enjoy visiting (Image: Getty Images)
Some locals now believe that the Benidorm authorities are working on drunken behavior has led to hungry British people at parties who, like the Algarve, are seeking other destinations instead.
Paul Surflis, a Newcastle britt who runs a business by the strip, told the Sun: “Spain cracked down on tourism and said it didn't want Britons there, so Albufeira is now gaining the Benidorm crowd.
Another local told YouTuber Wendall that Albufeira has a worse reputation than Benidorm. Drug use and public nudity is reportedly on the rise at favourite destinations of Portuguese families.
Wendor himself summed up in a YouTube video as follows:
However, he added: “If you want to go wild with your hair down, like the British overseas, then this is where you go.”
Panoramic aviation drone view of the popular Praia do Castelo Beach in Albafeira (Image: Getty Images)
From my own experience, I did not necessarily agree with Wendal. Especially since Albafeira offered a lot to his family (boat trips and dolphin viewing are some examples) – far from the charming shenanigans of young people.
But despite my opinion, one British tourist, Doreen Bellywood, told the Daily Mail:
Towards the end of my holiday, I found myself on another run and once again, I came across a strip early one morning. This time the scene is even more dirty, with the hardworking Binman still having no chance to reach all the junk.
And while I'm sure most of the people had a good time early, I once again felt sympathy for the workers who had to clean up their mess.
Nonetheless, there was a crackdown on the Albafeira City Council to combat anti-social behaviour by violent tourists.
This includes a stricter dress code that will prohibit bikini and swimsuits on city streets if the law is passed at the end of this month. Spitting, vomiting, or urinating on the street can result in a fine of up to £630.
We contacted the Albafeira City Council about the allegations made in this story.
