Apartment

Sao Rafael. Stunning 2 Bed G.Floor Apt. Beach/pool 250m. Albufeira 5Mins by Taxi

Photo gallery for Sao Rafael. Stunning 2 Bed G.Floor Apt. Beach/pool 250m. Albufeira 5Mins by Taxi

Such a pretty apartment. South Facing & lovely gardens right on your door step.
What to chill? We have just the place!
South facing bliss!
Dine out in style!
Bright and airy. A good sized sized living room.

Reviews

9.6 out of 10
Exceptional
2 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 4

Popular amenities

  • Outdoor pool
  • Onsite parking available
  • Kitchen
  • Washing machine
  • Air-conditioning
  • Barbecue

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 4)

Bedroom 2

2 Single Beds

Master Bedroom

1 King Bed

2 bathrooms

Bathroom 2

Toilet · Shower only

En Suite Bathroom

Bathtub or shower · Bidet · Toilet

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Garden
Dining area

About this property

Sao Rafael. Stunning 2 Bed G.Floor Apt. Beach/pool 250m. Albufeira 5Mins by Taxi

This delightful 2 Bedroom property (King Sized Double and Twin), with 2 bathrooms, was acquired by the owners in Spring 2015. It's a beautiful ground floor apartment, built to exceedingly high standards with marble floors, lovely woodwork, and air conditioned throughout. "The apartment is placed, we think, in the best position on the complex, sat on the outer edge, providing wonderful garden space, midway between the local beaches and the pool. The ground floor covered terrace invites alfresco dining, a relaxing shady area, and lots of room to spread out onto the south facing lawns and landscaped gardens to soak up the sunshine, and so brilliant for little ones! There are excellent restaurants, bars and couple of small supermarkets within easy waking distance, or maybe have a couple of rental bikes delivered to your door! Albufeira's marina, with its shops, bars, cafe's and water sports is less than 5 minutes by car, or a lovely 20 Mins walk. Golfers are spoilt for choice with several local options including Salgados Golf Course, just 5kms away. Altogether, it's a great choice for a wonderful holiday. Do check out the reviews, of which we are really proud! The ground floor aspect and garden space makes this an ideal choice for families with little ones, and also wheel chair users. It's pretty near perfect for adults too! No pets please." "If we set out again on a property search, we would buy this outstanding holiday home all over again!"

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About the area

Albufeira

Located in Albufeira, this apartment is near the beach. Albufeira Marina and Balaia Golf Village are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those wishing to experience the area's natural beauty can explore Sao Rafael Beach and Gale Beach. Travelling with kids? Consider Aqualand Algarve, or check out an event or a game at Albufeira Stadium.
Map
Albufeira, Faro District

What's nearby

  • Sao Rafael Beach - 5 min walk - 0.5 km
  • Arrifes Beach - 7 min walk - 0.6 km
  • Praia da Ponta Pequena - 10 min walk - 0.9 km
  • Albufeira Marina - 6 min drive - 1.9 km
  • Coelha Beach - 7 min drive - 2.6 km

Getting around

  • Albufeira - Ferreiras Station - 16 min drive
  • Portimao (PRM) - 32 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Castello Di Norcia - ‬4 min drive
  • ‪Fat Cats - ‬3 min drive
  • ‪el barrio - ‬3 min drive
  • ‪História do Pão - ‬3 min drive
  • ‪Spar - ‬2 min drive

Reviews

9.6

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 81 out of 105 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 18 out of 105 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 6 out of 105 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 105 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 105 reviews

9.2/10

Cleanliness

9.8/10

Check-in

9.6/10

Communication

9.8/10

Location

9.6/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified

10/10 Excellent

Robert W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Perfect location. Very spacious and as advertised with everything you could need.
Stayed 10 nights in Jul 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 15 July 2025
Thank you so much for writing Robert. Your comments are appreciated. Do please come back and see us again sometime soon! Best wishes, Bruce.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jochen N.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
It was perfect!
Stayed 14 nights in Jul 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Suzette C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Property was very nice. Well appointed. Very quiet. Location fabulous. Pool excellent. Appreciated the receptiveness of the owner.Neighbours also very kind.
Stayed 9 nights in Oct 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 22 Oct 2025
Thank you so much for writing Suzette. I am pleased that you enjoyed your stay. Do come back and stay again sometime soon! Best wishes, Bruce.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Cristian G.

Very beautifull villa

A lovelly place to stay with the family
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2018
Response from VrboOwner on 1 Apr 2020
Thank you for your comment Cristian. I am delighted that you and your family enjoyed your stay. Best wishes, Bruce & Elaine.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

britt inger p.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

A beautiful apartment!

We really enjoyed our stay in your beautiful apartment! It was clean, well equipped, nice, calm and had good information about everything you could need. And we had a good kommunication with the owner, Bruce.We can really see us comming back some day, and can absolutely recommend it!Thank you Bruce!Regards Bitte, Veronica and Åsa
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 6 July 2025
What a lovely review! Thank you so much Britt. It is really appreciated. Do please come and stay again sometime soon. Best wishes, Bruce.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Neil H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great place in great location

Well equipped property with comfortable beds and spacious patio area. Good location in west central Algarve
Stayed 34 nights in Jan 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 4 Mar 2022
Many thanks for taking the time to review our apartment Neil. It is so much appreciated. Do come back and stay again sometime soon! Best wishes, Bruce.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Darina H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely apartment close to fabulous beaches.

Lovely spacious apartment close to beautiful beaches.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 26 July 2022
Oh Darina - What a delightful review! Thank you so much. Do please come back and stay again sometime soon! Best wishes, Bruce.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

John T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Outstanding stay in Albuferia

Apartment well laid out and in a fantastic location. We super enjoyed our stay. Hope to return again sometime. We definitely recommend this VRBO. John and Nancy
Stayed 6 nights in Mar 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 13 Mar 2023
Thank you so much for taking the time to write John. It is really appreciated. I am so pleased that you both enjoyed your stay. Do come back again sometime soon! Thanks again. Bruce.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Julie C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fantastic Apartment, great location

Lovely spacious apartment in great location, beautiful beaches nearby just a really relaxing break. Excellent communication with the owner and the information folder was a great help Would love to return to this lovely apartment in the future
Stayed 11 nights in Sep 2020
Response from VrboOwner on 11 Oct 2020
What a delightful review Julie. Thank you so much for taking the time to write. It is really appreciated. Please do come back sometime soon! Best wishes, Bruce.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Steven B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Holiday

Great holiday
Stayed 8 nights in Jul 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 3 Aug 2022
Oh that's good Steven. I'm so glad you enjoyed your stay. Do come back again sometime soon! Best wishes, Bruce.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Graham C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Week in Portugal

Lovely apartment well located near two beaches and a pool. Pleasant 20 minute walk to the Marina.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 19 Aug 2023
Thank you so much for writing Graham. It is really appreciated. Also, thank you for the scoring of our apartment with 5 stars! We were delighted to have you stay. Do please come back again some time soon! Best wishes, Bruce.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Sandra P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Stay at Sao Rafael # 133

We enjoyed our stay. Would definitely recommend it. The Location was great. Being late spring it was nice to have access to a pool ( ocean still a little cool). Outside patio area was lovely and nice to have a charcoal barbecue. If you plan on doing a mix of cooking and going out for meals this was a great choice. Kitchen was well appointed and there were restaurants within walking distance. The owner was quick to respond to questions and minor concerns.
Stayed 6 nights in May 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 2 June 2025
Thank you so much for writing Sandra, and in such glowing terms. We really appreciate it. Do please come back and stay again sometime soon! Best wishes, Bruce.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Julie C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely apartment, great location!

This is our second stay in this great apartment and it once again was perfect for our needs. Clean, spacious apartment in great location with lots of outdoor space. Fantastic beaches and swimming pool close by. Would most definitely recommend!
Stayed 13 nights in Sep 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 19 Oct 2021
Thank you so much for your feedback Julie. It's a real pleasure having you come back again! It's a special place for us too, for all of the reasons you have mentioned. Do come back again sometime soon! Best wishes, Bruce.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Fernando D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family Trip

Overall we enjoyed our stay. We had been to Albufeira previously at another location that had more amenities. Also Albufeira is more geared for a younger demographic. We enjoyed other parts of the Algarve better.
Stayed 11 nights in Jun 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 18 June 2024
Thank you so much for writing Fernando. It is appreciated though I am not sure that I agree with your comments. As well as our lovely pool, there are several beaches quite close by as is the marina. The old town of Albufeira has much to offer, with lots of shops and eating choices. Equally, there are several restaurants in and around Sao Rafael itself which caters well for all age groups. Having said that, I am pleased that you enjoyed your stay.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Julie C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fantastic Apartment

This was our third time to this apartment and once again it did not disappoint. Such a great location, peaceful gardens and close to beautiful beaches. Spacious apartment with everything you need. Would highly recommend and do hope to return in the future
Stayed 15 nights in Aug 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 29 Aug 2022
I am so pleased that you have enjoyed your stay once again Julie! Thank you for writing. It is really appreciated. Do please come back again soon! Best wishes, Bruce.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Heather A.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Excellent

This is our 4th time staying at this property. It is an amazing villa, 3 mins walk to the beach and 6 mins walk to the pool. We always consider going elsewhere but as this place is perfect, we always go back. Very quiet area, with beautiful gardens, enormous patio, 2 bathrooms, a great kitchen/lounge area. A delightful place and we are so glad we found it.
Stayed 8 nights in Aug 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 16 Sept 2024
Oh Heather. What a delightful response to your recent stay! Thank you so much for taking the time to write. Do please come back again, sometime soon! Best wishes, Bruce.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

George J.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely apartment in pretty gardens a short walk from great beaches.

The property is spacious, and well designed and equiped. The shaded patio looks out on pretty shared gardens. The apartment is located in a quiet area, within easy walking distance of two attractive beaches, each with a cafe/bar. Albufeira marina and then on to the old town is a longer walk, but we found using bolt app (taxis) very reasonable and fast even for longer outings.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 24 July 2023
Thank you for writing George in such a factual way. Your comments are really appreciated. It was a real pleasure having you stay. Do please come back again sometime soon! Best wishes, Bruce.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jane M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful Location

We stayed 10 nights , with my daughter and 18 month old grandson, Apartment had everything we needed , It was a very hot spell , air-con was needed , although with windows open a nice breeze came through , the outside covered patio area was our favourite spot for breakfast & dinner , out of sun looking at beautiful gardens , such a quiet spot . Only a lovely 4 min walk to beach , or 10 mins to bigger Sao Rafael ,both with great beach bars , Car is needed to get to bigger supermarkets and restaurants.We had a great holiday.
Stayed 10 nights in Jun 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 8 July 2023
Thank you Jane for taking the time to write with such a lovely and factual review. You do need a car or taxi to get to the larger supermarkets. Local bars and restaurants are walkable. UBER works really well, and most local journeys cost around EUR5.00 Do come back and stay again sometime soon Jane. You are always welcome! Best wishes, Bruce.
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Drew S.

Excellent Holiday in an Excellent Property

Have recently returned from a most enjoyable holiday at Sao Rafael. The property itself was excellent with every amenity we could wish for. As we were off season most of the local restaurants had closed for the season however the local supermarkets detailed in the Information Folder were all well stocked and reasonably priced and we wanted for nothing as far as utensils within the apartment were concerned. Glorious sunshine every day of our stay with temperatures around 20C. It was cold at night though.
Stayed 7 nights in Nov 2017
Response from VrboOwner on 1 Apr 2020
Thank you, Drew, for taking the time and trouble to write, following your recent mid-November stay. It is so much appreciated, and I am pleased that you enjoyed your holiday. I take a lot of pride in keeping the apartment folder up to date, and I know that it is appreciated by our guests. Your comments regarding local restaurants have given me an idea that I should produce a section on local restaurants that remain open throughout the Winter months. Locally, there are several, and this new section will save our guests the time and trouble searching for themselves. I would expect to have this new section produced before our next guests arrive. Of course, the old town of Albufeira itself also has so many such restaurants open all year round. The temperatures during your stay (around 20c), mid November are typical, and I am surprised that more holidaymakers don’t travel to the Algarve during the Winter months. For the most part, the sunny days are just lovely, though you should pack a fleece or similar for the evenings. Otherwise, thanks once again for your comments Drew. I do hope you’ll come back again soon!
Verified

8/10 Good

Mauricio d.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, location, listing accuracy

Excellent house for families.

We had an excellent week in S.Rafael. The location and nearby amenities are great. The two closest beaches are beautiful, but small and always crowded. Bruce was an excellent and friendly host, but Amanda the property manager at Cerro Novo was far from polite and refused to attend to two basic requests. A shame really for such a nice property. Overall an excellent house for families really close to the beach!
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 6 Sept 2022
I am pleased that you enjoyed your stay Mauricio. Of course, you have just travelled in the high season, so all of the beaches along the coastline would generally be busier than usual. I wouldn't describe Sao Rafael beach as being "small". It really is quite a long beach. I'm sorry that you had a communication issue with Cerro Novo. We have never had such a comment before, and we remain happy with the services that they provide. I do hope you will come back again sometime soon. Meanwhile, thank you for taking the time to write. It is appreciated.
Verified

8/10 Good

Sara C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely apartment, well equipped, close to the beach.

Lovely week in well equipped spacious apartment close to the beach, very quiet. Guest pack was hidden away and very out of date. No up to date maps of local area showing shops bars etc. Local mini supermarkets very expensive and the larger supermarkets shown in pack we couldn't find.
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 19 Sept 2023
Thank you for writing Sara. You mention the "Guest Pack". I am assuming you are referring to our guest folder, which is usually left by our previous guests, in the drawers in the coffee table? The pages within this folder are kept up to date every season as is the case at present. The directions shown in the folder to the local supermarkets have not caused any problems to our previous guests. Clearly, the local small grocery shop nearby will be dearer that the larger local supermarkets, as is to be expected. Nevertheless, I am pleased that you enjoyed your stay, and had a lovely week. Best wishes, Bruce.
Verified

8/10 Good

Michael L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, location, listing accuracy

Visiting Albufiera from the USA

Nice property. Excellent location near great restaurants and day trips. Since we didn’t fly into Faro, the directions were confusing. Also had to have help to find the pool. Property was clean and nice. Do bring toilet paper, paper towels, soap and beach towels if you’re staying for any length of time. ( We stayed 9 days.) Would have liked a dryer. We did enjoy ourselves immensely in a foreign country!
Stayed 9 nights in Oct 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 3 Nov 2023
Thank you for your feedback Michael. It is appreciated. We have written directions for our guests from Faro Airport since that is how 99% of our guests arrive. The local directions to the pool are shown in our guests information manual, but on this occasion, it seems that a previous guest had removed them! I understand that our property management company were able to assist you. These directions have now been replaced. Toilet paper and soap are provided for each guest, though it is not easy to estimate how much each guest will use during their stay. Beach towels are not provided, as are shown in your arrival instructions. A dryer is provided. It is situated in the ensuite bathroom cupboard. Just one further thought when renting an apartment. When leaving the property for the day, please do switch off the air conditioning in the lounge and bedroom to avoid unnessesary energy use. Otherwise, I am pleased that your enjoyed your stay. Kind Regards, Bruce.
Verified

6/10 Okay

Marijke H.

Liked: Cleanliness, communication, location, listing accuracy
Disliked: Check-in

Ok

The toilets had a problèmeThe juice machine did not work
Stayed 25 nights in Mar 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 21 Apr 2025
Dear Marijke - Many thanks for your feedback. It is appreciated. I am aware that you telephoned for support on a number of days, early on during your stay. The juicer was working fine before your arrival, and indeed after your departure, so I cannot explain this issue. You asked for help with the TV controls. So we had to call out to show you. The instructions are shown in apartment folder. Irrespective of your call, we had already organised for a linen and towel change midway during your stay. I don't understand the toilet problem. Once again, both were working fine prior to your arrival. I am sorry that you had some difficulties during your stay. In spite of these, I do hope that you enjoyed your stay. Best wishes, Bruce.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Paul F.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Little piece of Heaven

What a great place, the taxi who originally dropped us off from airport left us a wrong location but we eventually found the apartment. It took us a day to get our bearings. Pool and pool bar very good, beach less then 10 minutes away. Apartment was well above expectations and Bruce was a pleasure to deal with. We actually tried to extend our stay but the apartment was already booked up. Luckily Cerro Novo could help us.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 26 June 2023
So pleased you enjoyed your stay Paul. Thank you for the nice comments! Do please come back at any time in the future! Best wishes, Bruce.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

A T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fantastic apartment, all you need for a family holiday

We had a fabulous 10 days and it was quite a shock coming home to the cold and rain yesterday! The apartment had everything we needed and the food parcel, especially the water and juice were most welcome when we arrived. The position of it was great, with the choice of the 2 beaches and only 5 minutes to the pool, which we went to most days. I lost count of the times we walked to the marina and then a bit further to the old town a few times too! Thank you again, I can't thank you enough for making this run so smoothly and also to Cerro Nova for booking the transfers. A totally relaxing holiday which is just what we were looking for.
Stayed 10 nights in Aug 2019
Response from VrboOwner on 1 Apr 2020
My goodnes AT, I am so pleased that you enjoyed your stay. We think that the position of our apartment is just perfect, with 2 local beaches just minutes away, together with a wonderful pool! The lovely stroll into Albufeira Old Town, just past the marina is a wonderful way to spend some quality time on your holiday! I'm so happy it all went well for you AT. Please come back and see us again just as soon as you can! Best wishes, Bruce & Elaine.
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