Portimao Holidays

The Algarve in southern Portugal offers a good all year round climate, sparkling turquoise seas, sandy beaches surrounded by coves and cliffs, fresh fish, excellent locally grown produce and wines, ancient monuments, golf, water sports - I don’t think you are in any doubt that it is an ideal place to spend your holidays.

Portimao and its surrounding area offers a rich heritage of historical attractions, hills covered with pine trees and wild flowers, and the shady Manuel Bivar gardens where you can sit and watch the various fishing and pleasure boats pass by.

The Praia da Rocha area first became popular as a tourist resort at the end of the nineteenth century when it was favoured by wealthy families from the Algarve and Andalusia in the summer and the English in winter.

Portimao has many historic attractions including a church dating back to the 16th century which has one of the most beautifully decorated main doorways in the Algarve, stunning statues and panels depicting important events during the life of Jesus Christ; a Roman archaeological site at the confluence of the rivers where there is a 1st/4th century villa with several rooms and coloured mosaics; and an important Neolithic/Chacolithic burial ground with megalithic chamber and tombs with false cupolas and side alcoves.

With some of the best golf courses in the world to choose from, or parasailing, water skiing, scuba diving, windsurfing, sailing and deep sea fishing to keep you occupied, this area offers every possible facility to relax and unwind. Or you can take a one day or half day cruise from the docks in the fishermen’s port to see the coastline from a different perspective.

With an abundance of bars, restaurants and shops, there is also a very lively night scene on offer as Portimao has its own casino on the beach and various discos which really take off after midnight and where the danceaholics can boogie until the last person is left standing - which is often when day is dawning.