"Unspoiled river port town - Ferragudo, Portugal" Top 5 Page for this destination Ferragudo by dlytle

The tourist trade has happily not yet taken over the small and delightful fishing village of Ferragudo, lying across the river between Portimao and Praia da Rocha. Sitting within the eastern breakwater at the mouth of the river Arade, it maintains an air of unpretentiousness. When you look close, there is a somewhat shabby serenity about it. Un-enviously it looks across the river to Portimao and Portimao's beachside satellite, Praia da Rocha.

It has been a fishing village since time immemorial and had defensive walls in the Middle Ages, vestiges of which are still visible today. It has preserved its original character, with rows of houses cascading down to the river, crowned by the outline of the Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceicao high on the hill, and pretty streets of whitewashed walls and roofs intersected by decorated chimneys. Romantically said to have once been the home of local pirates, this place has retained much of its unique Portuguese charm. A fleet of small pleasure and fishing boats are typically anchored just off shore from Ferragudo, creating a pleasing vision for the passing tourist.

Ferragudo has two areas of any real interest; the pretty square with a range of cafes and the wharf area which is about half a mile away. During the summer, on weekend evenings, the main square is filled with the sound of music and laughter as the locals and tourists dance the night away. And you can find the port area by following the stream down towards the estuary. It is well worth a visit as it appears authentic rather than festooned for the tourist trade. At the far end of the fisherman's paved area there is an ancient fortress.

Although I didn’t get to visit it in person, but only from afar as we passed by it on our way to anchor near Portimao, I thought that Ferragudo was one of the prettiest little coastal towns that I saw in the region. It has a superb little beach with three bar/restaurants and safe swimming for children on account of the shallow gentle waters protected from the Atlantic by the port breakwaters.

• Pros:Not too touristy, very picturesque
• Cons:I didn't get to visit it, just look at it from the river
• In a nutshell:I want to go back and explore it more thoroughly myself!