FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION, GO TO:
www.visitportimao.com

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PORTIMÃO, A RENEWED MUNICIPALITY AWAITS YOU

Portimão, Alvor e Mexilhoeira

Portimão is today a landmark in the Algarve, the focal point of the Algarve Barlavento, outstanding for its provision of tourist facilities, for its unique character and liveliness, and for the myriad activities that mean that everyday life can be lived to the full all year round.

Over the past few years, Portimão has undergone several improvements, particularly on the waterfront, which has been subject to several changes during the past few years and now offers spacious areas for riverside walks, a real attraction on summer hot nights.

Facts:
Area: 183 km2
Main economic activity: commerce and tourism
Population: 44,818
3 Parishes: Portimão, Alvor and Mexilhoeira Grande

Alvor
A centuries-old, deeply religious fishing community, Alvor combines traditional fishing with the art of providing hospitality, offering a wide range of restaurants, shops and accommodation.

Mexilhoeira Grande
Mexilhoeira Grande, with its whitewashed houses crisscrossed by narrow lanes, is in a rural area whose main wealth is to be found in traditional handicrafts, agriculture and archaeological sites.

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ALL THE BEAUTY OF THE BEACHES OF THE ALGARVE CAN BE FOUND IN PORTIMÃO

The exceptional climate, the warm, calm sea, the soft white sand, contrasting with the blue of the sea and the ochre of the cliffs, make Portimão's beaches a focus of attraction. In addition to Praia da Rocha, one of the most famous beach resorts in Europe, there are other beaches to suit all tastes. It has five beaches distinguished with the Blue Flag and is proud to have three beaches accessible to people with limited mobility (Praia do Vau, Praia da Marina and Praia de Alvor).

Some Figures
A municipality with 8 km of beach;
More than 3,000 hours of sunshine;
Average Annual Air Temperature: 17.7º C (Praia da Rocha);
From June till September temperatures reach 30º C.
Average Annual Sea Temperature: 17.4º C (Algarve).

MAIN BEACHES

PRAIA DA ROCHA
Praia da Rocha, Portimão

PRAIA DA MARINA
Praia da Rocha, Portimão
PRAIA DOS TRÊS CASTELOS
Sítio dos Três Castelos, Portimão

PRAIA DOS CAREANOS
Sítio dos Três Castelos, Portimão

PRAIA DO VAU
Vau, Portimão

PRAIA DO BARRANCO DAS CANAS (ALEMÃO)
Vau, Portimão

PRAIA DA PRAINHA
Prainha, Alvor

PRAIA DOS TRÊS IRMÃOS
Alvor

PRAIA DE ALVOR
Alvor, Portimão

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A PLACE WHERE ALL SPORTS CAN BE PLAYED

As one of the main nautical centres in the country, Portimão offers excellent conditions for practising all types of nautical sports, but much more.
In addition to big game fishing, speedboat racing, kite boarding, jet skiing, sailing, windsurfing, parasailing, water skiing and diving, visitors will also find excellent conditions for golf, horse riding, swimming, extreme sports, as well as a wide variety of beach games available during the high season on the beaches of Praia da Rocha and Alvor.

A Safe Harbour
Direct, safe access to the sea, with a harbour entrance open all year round, quality infra-structures and an excellent climate make Portimão a safe harbour, an exceptional stopping place for craft of all types and a nautical centre par excellence.
Marina de Portimão

Portimão Marina
Beside the river but facing towards the sea, the Portimão Marina can shelter large craft in the waters of the Arade. It is also a meeting point for people who want a commercial area offering relaxation and tranquillity.

Recreational Harbours
The Arade estuary also offers a safe haven for small craft in the Bartolomeu Dias and São Francisco Recreational Harbours, next to the Portimão Riverside area.

SPORTS FACILITIES

Water Sports Centres
Praia da Torralta - Alvor
Pedalos; Jet-skis

AQUA SPORT
Praia da Marina - Praia da Rocha, Portimão
Jet Ski; Pedalos; Parasailing.

Praia da Rocha Water Sports Centre
Praia da Rocha - Portimão
Parasailing; Water-Skiing; Jet Ski; Pedalos; Banana-boat; Biscuits.

Penina Water Sports Centre
Praia de Alvor - Alvor
Sailing; Windsurfing; Pedalos; Canoes, Laser I; hobbycat.

“3 Irmãos” Water Sports Centre
Praia dos 3 Irmãos - Alvor
Pedalos; Jet Ski; Banana Boat; Donut.

Wassersports Center
Praia da Rocha, Portimão
Pedalos; Jet Ski; Banana-boat; Buoys; Water-skiing; Canoes; Flyer.

Portimão Naval Club
Recreational Harbour – Portimão Riverside Area
Tel.: +351 282 417 529
Surfing; bodyboarding; windsurfing; kite.

KITE BOARDING
Wind Brigade
Alvor, Telf: 963 839 150
www.windbrigade.com

DIVING
Pinguim Sub
Urbanização da Raminha, Lote 1 cave - Portimão
Telf.: 282 485 784 / 917 209 235
PADI diving courses; Diving baptisms and diving outings; Hiring of all types of equipment;
Courses in underwater hunting and breath-hold diving; Underwater hunting

WALKING TOUR
Associação A Rocha
LPN - Liga de Protecção da Natureza (Portimão)
Apartado 439 - 8500 Mexilhoeira Grande
Tel: +351 962437445

GOLF
Alto Golf
Quinta do Alto do Poço, Portimão
Tel.: +351 282 460 870
www.altoclub.com

Penina Golf
EN 125 - Penina, Portimão
Tel.: +351 282 420 200
www.lemeridien.com

Morgado do Reguengo Golf
Morgado do Reguengo - Portimão
Tel.: +351 282 402 150
golf@morgadodoreguengo.com

TENNIS
Municipal Tennis Complex
7 courts
1 practice wall

Alvor Sports Complex
2 Courts
1 practice wall
1 multi-purpose court

Heated Swimming pool (25m x 12,5m)

HORSE RIDING:
Belmonte Club
Urbanização Belmonte, Portimão
Tel.: +351 282 476 020

Santa Isabel Club
EN 125 Penina, Portimão
Tel.: +351 282 410 340

Vale de Ferro
Sitio do Vale de Ferro - Mexilhoeira Grande
Contacto: Valdemar Oliveira
Tel.: +351 282 968 444

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GET IN TOUCH WITH NATURE

For nature lovers, the region of Portimão offers unique tours through the natural environment, of scenic and ecological interest.
Of note is the Ria de Alvor (Alvor Estuary), the most important wetland area in the Algarve Barlavento. It is part of "Rede Natura 2000". For those interested, there is a wide variety of trips available along the coast, in sailing- or motorboats, dolphin-watching trips, or up the Arade River to Silves (the capital of the Algarve during the Arab period) and walks organised by environmental groups.

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THE BEST OF ALGARVE GASTRONOMY AT YOUR TABLE

A land of fishermen, Portimão is a paradise for lovers of fish and seafood. Grilled sardines is Portimão’s best known dish, but there is a wide range of delicious specialities on offer, almost all from the sea, which visitors can enjoy with high-quality regional wines, in a large number of local-style restaurants.
Regional sweets show how important dried fruits were in the economy in the past and they are still a key element in the gastronomic heritage of the municipality. Some of the highlights include "Dom Rodrigo” and "Bolas de Ovos” desserts, "Morgados” and "Morgadinhos”, stuffed figs, and “queijos de figo” (fig cheese).

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AN OPEN -AIR SHOPPING CENTRE

Ranging from traditional products to renowned international brands, you will find excellent shops in Portimão, Praia da Rocha, and Alvor, genuine open-air shopping centres where you are spoilt for choice.
Take the opportunity to visit the wine shops where wine can frequently be tasted free, and let yourself be enchanted by the art galleries and street artists who, with sensitive brushstrokes, immortalize the hidden corners of a city that reaches out to embrace the world.

Shopping Hours
Monday to Friday: 9am to 1pm and 3pm to 7pm
Saturday: 9am to 1pm
Sunday: Closed

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A DIVE INTO HISTORY

Portimão has a rich historical past, and a wealthy heritage that should not be missed. InPortimão there is a lot to visit and many places of interest: a notoriouslywealthy museum, an interesting collection of industrial architecture linked tothe canning industry, beautiful examples ofazulejaria(hand-paintedceramic tiles), countless churches with their gilt carvings, the Palace Sárrea,the Santa Catarina Fortress, and the archaeological remains of Abicade andAlcalar.

Places to visit in Portimão

Bivar Palace - This palace was built in the last decade of the 18th century. Neoclassical style with baroque features. It now houses the City Hall.

Sárrea Garfias Palace - Small palace in the neoclassical style, with baroque features, constructed at the end of the 18th Century.

Largo 1º Dezembro - Garden with seats made of tile panels, representing scenes from the history of Portugal.

House of Manuel Teixeira Gomes - Where Manuel Teixeira Gomes was born, the President of the Republic who signed the decree-law in 1924 granting Portimão the status of a city.

Praça Manuel Teixeira Gomes - As at the beginning of the 20th century, this square continues to be a meeting point for people from Portimão.

Ruas Santa Isabel/ Padre Filipe/ Júdice Fialho/ Serpa Pinto – Streets with 19th century buildings with some 16th century architectural features.

Jardim Visconde Bivar - 1905. One of the oldest gardens in Portimão.

Largo da Barca - Site of the boat link between the two banks of the River Arade before the bridge was constructed.

Chapel of São José – 17th century. Longitudinal nave and rectangular main-chapel.

Main Church of Our Lady of the Conception – 15th Century. Has one of the loveliest late Gothic doorways in the Algarve and an altar piece in the main-chapel made of finely worked walnut wood.

Jesuit College - Impressive 17th century building, with a façade of high, geometric walls with a curved pediment.

Santa Catarina Fortress and Viewing Point - 17th century. Strategic point used to defend Vila Nova de Portimão from pirate attacks. Inside is found the Capela de Santa Catarina. View over Praia da Rocha beach, the harbour entrance, the marina and Ferragudo village.

“Miradouro dos Castelos” Viewing Point – view over the beach at Praia da Rocha, and the cliffs of the “3 Castelos” and “Vau”' beaches.

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Places to visit in Alvor

Sculpture in homage to Fishermen – Created by the sculptor João Cutileiro, inaugurated in 2000.

Old Fish Market

Marabout of S. João, Marabout of S. Pedro – Architectural remains of Arab civilization. Quadrangular in plan, with four pinnacles in each corner and a cupola crowning the dome. Nowadays, they are chapels dedicated to the Christian religion.

Alvor viewing point - View over the Alvor Ria, the most important wetland zone in the western Algarve.

Castle – There are only four sections of wall remaining from the castle that was rebuilt in the 12th century. There is a playground inside.

Abreu Palace – Restored at the beginning of the 19th century. Inside there are stucco walls with frescoes.

Alvor Misericórdia Chapel - Building of simple construction, with a door and a window of plain stonework and straight lines.

Ethnographic Museum – Portrayal of aspects of the lives of the people of Alvor through the ages.

Main Church – 16th Century. The body of the church comprises three naves and five altars in addition to the chancel. The main doorway is a magnificent example of the Manueline style in the Algarve.

“Salva Vidas” Building – Inside, there is a 1920s lifeboat that has recently been restored.

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Places to visit in Mexilhoeira Grande


Main Church - 15th Century.

Misericórdia Church - 17th Century

Pre-historic complex of Alcalar - Dates back to the late 4th millennium and 3rd millennium B.C. Visitors will be received at the interpretation centre and can visit monument no. 7.

Roman Villa of Abicada – 2nd to 5th centuries A.D. One of its outstanding features is the multicoloured mosaic with geometrical motifs.