Portimao Tourist Information

Portimao 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. It is often mis-spelt as Portimoa, Portemia, Portimia etc etc.

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 Portimao and ruled by the Castelo Branco family until the seventeenth century.

The town church of Our Lady of Conception sits on a hilltop and dates from 1476 but underwent many changes from 1717 onwards. It has three naves and an impressive altar with carved and gilded baroque decoration. The municipal museum is housed in an old sardine canning factory where different art, history and general culture exhibitions are held on a regular basis.

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.

As you approach Portimao from Faro you will be offered a choice of two bridges to cross: the old one runs along the harbour and the new ones is one of the most attractive to be built in Portugal during the last century.

Portimao is surrounded by many beautiful places to visit, but some you might like to consider is Armacao de Pera with its small 18th century fortress or the small beach village of Alvor. Across the river is the unspoilt fishing village of Ferragudo, with the fort of St John of Arade built during the 17th and 18th centuries and which was Portimao´s primary defence against pirates.