Portimão

Portimão (poor-tee-MOW - rhymes with "clown", /puɾ.ti.ˈmɐ̃w/) is former fishing and shipbuilding centre has developed into a strong tourist centre oriented along its beaches and southern coast.

The main beach area, Praia da Rocha, is 3.5 km away from the centre of town. You can walk between them but you'll see only motorways and apartment blocks for half an hour.

There is a pretty reliable public bus system for travelling around and outside the city for €1.65 (Jan 2024). Tickets can be bought inside the bus. Google Maps contains the timetables, handy for an easy navigation.

E-hailing taxis are available by Bolt and Uber.

• 🌍 Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Conceição (Mother Church), Largo da Igreja. Built in the 15th century and almost completely destroyed in the 1775 earthquake. Later, its portico, Gothic with capitals decorated with vegetative motifs, was rebuilt. It comes from the original church. (updated Jun 2021)
• 🌍 Convento do Colégio dos Jesuítas, Praça da República 25 (on the corner of Rua do Comércio). Built in the 17th century by Diogo Gonçalves . On the façade, three bodies are distinguished, the highest corresponding to the church. The church has a single nave, one of the largest in the Algarve. The altars are in gilded wood carved from the 17th century. (updated Jun 2021)
• 🌍 Fortaleza de Santa Catarina de Ribamar (Fort of Santa Catarina), Praia da Rocha. It was built in the 16th century, with the objective of defending the coast against piracy attacks. The fortress also belonged to the small chapel dedicated to Santa Catarina, still visible today. With a magnificent view over Praia da Rocha and the Marina, it is one of the most visited spots in the region. (updated Jun 2021)
• 🌍 Portimão Museum. In the museum there is a reconstruction of the daily functioning of fish unloading, with life-sized mannequins of the workers. Also canning industry, shipbuilding, fishing, stowage and others are shown. 
• 🌍 Alcalar. A group of around 18 burial tombs from 3000 BC, that comprise a Calcolithic necropolis, on a hilltop. The smallish museum area contains a showcase of the history of the area, two burial tombs and one (broken-down) lime kiln. 
• 🌍 3D Fun Art Museum Portimão, Av. Guanaré 35. Adults: €13, children: €9. (updated Feb 2024)

• Wild dolphin watching trips sail from Marina de Portimão in Praia do Rocha.
• Football: Portimonense SC play soccer in Primeira Liga, Portugal's top tier. Their home ground Estádio Municipal de Portimão (capacity 9,500), is just south of city centre.
• 🌍 Algarve International Circuit (Autódromo Internacional do Algarve). A motor-racing course that hosts Formula One, motorbikes and other races. Outside the public events, it's not really accessible for visits and none of the racetrack is visible. 
• Visit 🌍 Benagil , one of the most popular maritime caves of Portugal, with or without an expert guide. You can rent a paddle board on site.
• Take a catamaran cruise and have a barbecue on the beach after visiting caves.

The main street shopping area has a wealth of nice shops supplying clothes, jewelry, and ornamental objects.

Groceries can be bought in the many minimarkets. In the city centre Spar has a somewhat bigger variety of products, for a large supermarket check one of the two Pingo Doce. At Praia da Rocha Intermarché Express and Spar have a decent variety of products. Nearby the Mirachoro Apartment Hotels, are Lidl, Aldi and the large supermarket Continente.

• 🌍 Casa Inglesa, Praça Manuel Teixeira Gomes 2 (River front), ☏ +351 282 416 290, info@casainglesa.com. 08:00–20:00. Dixieland jazz every Thursday at 20:30. 

• 🌍 Clube Praia da Rocha, Avenida das Comunidades Lusíadas, ☏ +351 282 400 500. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 10:00. 
• 🌍 Mirachoro Apartments II, Urb. Alto do Quintão 64/65, ☏ +351 282 460 880. Inexpensive 3-star hotel. 
• 🌍 NAU Morgado Golf & Country Club, Morgado do Reguengo Resort, ☏ +351 282 241 540. (updated Dec 2015)
• 🌍 Penina Hotel & Golf Resort, EN 125, ☏ +351 282 420 200, penina@jjwhotels.com. A golf resort, part of the JJW Hotels & Resort Group, comprises an 18-hole championship course and other amenities. (updated Dec 2015)

Along the main road of the beach promenade of Praia da Rocha are a lot of drug dealers who openly ask if you want to buy something. They are not dangerous, just pesky. Still it is remarkable that the city and the police seem to do nothing against it. The more tourists complain about that, the earlier the drug dealers may disappear. You can do so at the tourism information center (Posto de Tourismo) and at the Policia de Tourismo, which are 2min walking away from each other on the beach promenade. Another way is writing a complaint e-mail to both turismo.praiadarocha@turismodoalgarve.pt and divportimao.faro@psp.pt (police).

• Lagoa - lovely beaches
• Lagos
• Monchique
• Sagres
• Silves - castle