Portimão
A riverside city on the Arade estuary with a fishing heritage, a cannery museum and the resort beaches of Praia da Rocha.
Portimão is a city and municipality on the estuary of the Arade river, historically a centre for fishing, shipbuilding and sardine canning. The Portimão Museum, housed in a former cannery, tells that story, and the riverside and parish church are worth a wander.
Tourism now centres on the coast. Praia da Rocha has a long beach guarded by the Fort of Santa Catarina, while Alvor is a former fishing village beside the Ria de Alvor. Inland, Mexilhoeira Grande is rural, and the Algarve International Circuit lies in the hills. Portimão is busy and practical, with a marina and plenty of services.
