Museum of Sacred Art (Museu de Arte Sacra)

The basics

Works inside the Museum of Sacred Art include a grand wooden altar decorated with duck-egg blue paint and gilded carvings, and artwork made with traditional Portuguese azulejos (hand-painted tiles). The museum is sometimes featured on Albufeira tours that take you away from the beaches and off the beaten track; these often combine it with the historic center of Albufeira, home to landmarks such as the Igreja Matriz, the town’s main church.

Things to know before you go

• Information panels throughout the museum are in Portuguese and English.

• There’s a nominal entrance fee for the museum, but students and seniors enter for free.

• The museum is tiny, so you only need to put aside a maximum of 20 minutes for your visit.

How to get there

The Museum of Sacred Art is just a 5-minute walk from Praia do Peneco, part of Albufeira’s main beach. From the Albufeira-Ferreiras train station, which is further inland, the museum is a 15-minute drive via the N395 road.

When to get there

The museum is open every day of the week; most days it’s open from mid-morning to late afternoon, but on Wednesdays, it’s open from mid-afternoon to late evening. While Albufeira is often crowded from June to September, you’ll rarely find that the museum is busy.

Historic sights in Albufeira

While Albufeira might be most famous for its beaches and nightlife, there’s more to this Algarvian resort town than the coast and cocktails. Other cultural sights include the town’s archeological museum, home to artifacts dating back to the prehistoric era and Roman times, and the 18th-century church, Igreja Matriz.