"Portimão" a Portimão Travel Page by Balam

Portimão, the beach resort Praia da Rocha, and the nature reserve Ria de Alvor are the most well known places of an Algarve region quite unique in its diversity. Portimão is a commercially orientated town with 35,000 inhabitants. It was one of the most important canning and fishing centres in the Algarve until the early 1980s when the factories closed during the recession . It was also the main shopping area for the whole of the Algarve in the 70s and 80s.

Located at the mouth of the River Arade it provides a natural harbour and has been associated with many famous smugglers and pirates in the past. Its origins date back to a Phoenician, Greek and Carthaginian trading port, with some historians believing it was originally the notorious Portus Hannibalis named after the Roman general, Hannibal Barca.

The Arade provides the sea access to the ancient city of Silves which was the capital of the Algarve during the Moorish occupation. It was called Porcimunt during this period but was recognised as a town in 1504 and renamed Vila Nova de Portimão and ruled by the Castelo Branco family until the seventeenth century.

Summertime is clearly the busiest time of the year, reaching a climax with a popular annual event in Portimao: the sardine festival in august. The mild climate of the Algarve, and many sunny winter days attract a multinational crowd in all seasons, exploring the regional markets, visiting historical sites, strolling along the river boulevard or just sipping a drink in a garden bar.

This is a video of the square and river

A new marina has just been built adjoining the popular tourist area of Praia da Rocha and with this has come a plethora of new bars and restaurants to while away the hours watching the yachts and what seems like the rest of the world go by.