Portimão
Faro District
Algarve

Municipalities

Guide to Portugal

Beaches, Sun and Night

Gastronomy and Wine

Praia da Rocha and Holidays in Portimão
Portimão, crossed by the Arade River, is a parish, a city and a county from the district of Faro, in the Algarve, in the southern region of Portugal.

In addition to being a very popular place to spend your holidays, Portimão is the fifth best city to visit in Portugal (see Best places to visit in Portugal ).
Praia da Rocha (Beach) and Holidays in Portimão
The beautiful Praia da Rocha is the postcard of Portimão and one of the postcards of the Algarve and Portugal.

Fishing Port

Portimão is also an important port and center for fishing. Incidentally, the origin of the name comes from the Latin Portus Magnus, great port. Seafood and fish are at the base of local cuisine and gastronomy in Portimão.
See: Traditional cuisine of Portimão

Portimão preserves

The canned fish industry was of great importance in Portimão, especially from 1950 to 1970. The Museum of Portimão, whose headquarters are in the former Fábrica de Conservas La Rose, by Feu & Hermanos exposes the trajectory of this important activity in Portimão. La Rose sardines were sung including in fado by the fado singer Hermínia Silva (Monumentos de Portugal).
Learn more: Conservas de Portimão

City of Portimão

The City of Portimão (49,263 inhab., INE 2021) is the main agglomeration and capital of the municipality of the same name. Its center is located about 2 km from the sea.

Municipality of Portimão

The Municipality of Portimão is one of the sixteen municipalities of the Algarve, in the south of Portugal. With an area of 182 km², it has a population of 59,896 inhabitants (INE, 2021).

Location

Portimão is bordered to the north by the municipality (municipality) of Monchique, to the east with Silves and Lagoa, to the west with Lagos; and to the south, with a small coastline along the Atlantic.

Portimão, the capital of the Western Algarve

Thanks to its central location on the west coast of the Algarve, in addition to being an important urban centre, Portimão is also known as the capital of the Western Algarve. Its beautiful beaches, with emphasis on the famous Praia da Rocha, receive thousands of national visitors and foreigners, especially during the summer.

Portimão, Past and Present

The former Vila Nova de Portimão, "like other places on the Algarve coast, played an important role in commercial and cultural exchange between the Mediterranean, the Atlantic and North Africa" [2].

Portimão, favorite destination

Thanks to its beautiful beaches, Portimão receives thousands of national visitors and foreigners, especially during the summer.

Attractions

• Castle of Alvor or Ruins of the Fort of Alvor
• Santa Catarina Fort
• San Francisco Convent or Convent of Our Lady of Hope

Parishes of Portimão

The municipality (municipality) of Portimão is divided into 3 parishes. The following are parishes of Portimão:

• Portimão
• Alvor
• Mexilhoeira Grande