Last updated: September 2026
Montechoro holidays put you at the heart of Albufeira’s famous Strip — the Algarve’s most vibrant nightlife area — surrounded by resort hotels, restaurants and bars, with golden beaches just a short walk or taxi ride away.
Montechoro holidays are the first choice for anyone who wants the full-on Algarve party experience — sun-drenched days by the pool, golden beaches a short walk away, and some of the most electric nightlife in Portugal just outside the hotel door.
Located about two kilometres north of Albufeira’s old town, Montechoro grew from a small hamlet into the Algarve’s most famous entertainment district through the 1980s and 1990s. Today it is home to the legendary Strip — a kilometre-long stretch of bars, clubs and restaurants that attracts revellers from every European nation throughout the summer season.
Despite its reputation for nightlife, Montechoro is also a surprisingly practical base for families and couples who simply want value, convenience and a lively atmosphere. The big resort hotels here offer exceptional all-inclusive packages, the beach shuttle runs from early morning, and a good number of restaurants on and around the Strip serve family-friendly food at very reasonable prices.
For those who want the best of both worlds — guaranteed sunshine, a brilliant beach, a great pool and the option of a late night out whenever the mood takes them — Montechoro is close to unbeatable on the Algarve coast.
The Strip (officially Avenida São João de Deus) is the raison d’être for many Montechoro visitors. From around nine in the evening the street comes alive: bars open their outdoor terraces, competing music fills the air and the crowd builds steadily from midnight onwards into the early hours.
The venues range from lively sports bars showing live football to super-clubs with professional DJs, light shows and enough room to dance until sunrise. Kiss Club is probably the best-known, consistently drawing big-name international acts in high summer. Liberto’s and Jo’s Bar are stalwarts of the Strip with loyal followings built over decades of reliable nights out.
The beauty of the Strip is its flexibility — you can dip in for a couple of cocktails and be back in bed by midnight, or you can pace yourself through the evening and still be dancing at four in the morning. The sheer choice of venues means it never feels forced or exclusive, and the mixed international crowd generates a genuinely good-natured atmosphere that can be hard to find in purpose-built nightlife districts elsewhere in Europe.
It is worth noting that the Strip quietens considerably between October and April. If you visit outside the main season, Albufeira’s old town takes over as the social hub, with a more subdued but equally charming selection of bars and restaurants.
Montechoro does not have a beach of its own — the nearest sand is about twenty minutes on foot or five minutes by taxi — but the beaches accessible from here are excellent. Praia da Oura, directly below the resort, is a wide, sheltered cove with calm water and a good range of watersports hire. It fills up quickly in peak season, so arriving early guarantees a prime spot.
Most of the large hotels in Montechoro run a regular beach shuttle service throughout the morning and afternoon, which makes it easy to reach a wider choice of beaches without a car. Praia dos Pescadores in Albufeira old town and the vast Praia da Falesia to the east are both popular destinations for the shuttle service.
For days when you would rather stay closer to the hotel, the pools at Montechoro’s all-inclusive resorts are genuinely impressive — multiple pools, swim-up bars, dedicated children’s pools and sunbathing terraces that fill up the whole day with activity. The pool scene here is one of the best on the Algarve and represents excellent value on an all-inclusive basis.
Water parks are an essential Montechoro experience. Both Aquashow Park (the larger of the two) and Aqualand are within a twenty-minute drive and offer full days of slides, wave pools and water-based rides that cater to all ages. The parks are busy in peak season so arriving at opening time is worth the early start.
Boat trips from Albufeira marina are perennially popular. The standard catamaran cave cruise runs along the coast to explore the arches and sea caves that make the Algarve so visually striking. Afternoon sailing trips with snorkelling stops and evening booze cruises cater to a slightly older crowd and leave from the same marina throughout the day.
Quad biking and jeep safaris through the inland countryside offer a different perspective on the Algarve — the farming villages, carob trees and eucalyptus forests of the hinterland are a world away from the coastal resorts and make for a memorable half-day excursion. Pick-up from most Montechoro hotels is included in the price.
Go-karting at the Karting Almancil circuit is popular with families and couples looking for something active to do. The track is well-maintained and has separate circuits for adults and children. Evening slots are particularly popular in the high summer heat.
The Strip and its surrounding streets offer an enormous variety of eating options — everything from full English breakfasts to Indian curries, Chinese buffets and Italian pizzerias, alongside the obligatory tourist-friendly Portuguese restaurants serving piri-piri chicken and espetada (skewered meat cooked over an open flame).
For more authentic Portuguese food, the old town of Albufeira is the better hunting ground. The fish restaurants along Rua Cândido dos Reis serve excellent fresh catches at prices that compare very favourably with the Strip, and the quality is noticeably higher. A grilled sea bass with salad and a carafe of house white is a very good meal at a very fair price.
All-inclusive guests at Montechoro’s big hotels rarely need to leave the property for meals, but the packages typically allow for at least one evening out at a restaurant of your choice — worth taking advantage of to get a proper taste of local food rather than the international buffet fare.
Faro Airport is the arrival point for the vast majority of visitors, with a transfer of approximately 40 minutes to Montechoro depending on traffic. Airport transfers are included in most package holiday bookings; private taxis and shared shuttles are readily available for those booking independently.
The A22 motorway provides a fast, straightforward road connection between Faro Airport and the Albufeira area. Hire cars are available at the airport at competitive rates. Note that Montechoro itself — like the rest of the Albufeira resort area — can become congested in peak summer, so a car is most valuable for excursions rather than daily use within the resort.
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The area around the Strip can be lively until the early hours in peak summer. Hotels that are directly adjacent to the entertainment district will experience more noise than those set back from it — check your hotel’s location carefully before booking if a quiet night’s sleep is important.
Most of the larger resort hotels are set back far enough from the Strip that night noise is not a significant problem. If you are a light sleeper, a room at the back of the hotel or on a higher floor will be the quietest option.
Yes, surprisingly so. The big all-inclusive resorts are well set up for families with kids’ clubs, shallow pools and child-friendly entertainment. During the day the beach shuttle, the water parks nearby and the boat trips keep children busy from morning to evening.
The nightlife means it is not the tranquillest choice for families with very young children, but families with older kids and teenagers often find that the liveliness of the resort is part of its appeal.
Montechoro is effectively a suburb of Albufeira — specifically the area around the Strip, roughly two kilometres north of the old town. Albufeira as a whole covers a much wider area including the old town, various beach areas and several suburban neighbourhoods.
Montechoro is the nightlife-focused district; the old town has a more traditional Portuguese character; and the areas like Acoteias and Olhos d’Água to the east are quieter and more residential in feel.
The Strip is at its liveliest from late May to late September, with July and August being the absolute peak. Outside these months, many bars and clubs close or reduce their opening hours significantly.
April, October and November are quiet but offer excellent value for visitors who want guaranteed sunshine without the crowds. Montechoro in these months has a very different, more peaceful character.
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