Top things to do in Portimão
Attractions, tours, and activities in Portimão
Portimão: the city's best neighborhoods
Find a great area to stay in Portimão
About Portimão
Including tips for the best time to visit Portimão
Portimão is the second-largest city in Portugal’s Algarve region, known for its fresh seafood and beautiful beaches. Its former fishing docks are now a palm-fringed promenade filled with waterfront restaurants and whitewashed houses.
Portimão’s main draw is Praia da Rocha, famous for its nightlife and distinctive limestone rock formations spread along the sand. You’ll find many beachfront bars and restaurants serving cocktails and fresh seafood. It’s a popular beach for families looking to wade in the clear water, but if water sports are your thing, you can try surfing, jet-skiing, parasailing and more. The area behind the beach comes alive at sunset when clubs like NoSoloÁgua host parties featuring guest DJs until the early hours of the morning. A popular alternative is Praia do Vau, which features scenic caves and sheltered bays.
You can expect to eat very well in a city that thrives on fishing, with Portimão’s grilled sardines being the number one dish to try. Other tasty regional delicacies include clam stew and black pork made from native Iberian pigs.
The best shopping options in Portimão are in its historic centre, where you’ll find all sorts of goods like clothes, jewellery and souvenirs like local wine, honey and pottery. If you want to explore the city’s heritage as a key fishing port, head over to the Museu de Portimão. Housed in a former fish can factory, it also features an archaeological exhibition on the area’s human evolution dating back to Neolithic times.
Tonight
From $118 per night
Next weekend
From $137 per night
| Most popular time to visit | October-December |
| Cheapest time to visit | January-March |
| Local currency | € 1 = $1.10 |
| Language | Portuguese |
| Average weekend price | $209 per night |
| Average weekday price | $209 per night |
| Average stay | 3 nights |
Points of interest in Portimão
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Portimão reviews
What other travelers say about Portimão
Very friendly town.
October 3, 2024
Very friendly town. It's got plenty of options for all sorts of tastes. From fine dining to just a casual dinner. One can walk pretty much everywhere. From beach to city center it's about 30min walk. Lots of options to buy from a supermarket if you're on a budget. For someone who is looking for nightlife just grab an Uber and hop to Alvor which is about 5km away. And of course, the beaches are all around amazing. Lots of beach area to visit and with good restaurants.
Portimao has an amazing soft sandy beach, probably the best...
July 31, 2024
Portimao has an amazing soft sandy beach, probably the best in the whole of the Algarve. It has lots of beach bars and restaurants and we could always find somewhere to sit and take in the view. The sea is always cold being The Atlantic but the grandkids didn't seem to mind. We found a super Italian Restaurant near to The Jupiter Hotel called Bella Pizzaria, try the spaghetti with oil, prawns and garlic, its superb. The grandkids loved the spaghetti bolognaise and had it twice during our 7 day stay. There is a large Aldi and Lidl near to Alvor which is a short car journey away,. We used Ubers which were easy to get and very cheap. We took an Uber to Alvor and had a lovely evening there. We went to Slide and Splash on a really hot day. All the 'free' shade from tress was taken up and we didn't take a sun shade. Unfortunately by the time we realised that you can hire them for 5euros (with a 5euro deposit) they had all been hired out. So take one with you, there are plenty of grass areas to put it up. You can also hire beds with a shade for about 10euros. Whist we had to queue for the bigger rides the smaller rides had shorter queues and they moved fairly quickly.
Portimao was a pleasant town to stay in.
June 7, 2024
Portimao was a pleasant town to stay in. It's biggest draw is the beach, shopping/restaurants and doing a trip to the Benagil Caves. There is a cute little "train" ride that you can take as well. I feel like there could be a lot more that could be done promotion wise. Maybe some sight seeing tour booths along the main avenue. We came into town by train and used Bolt to get around. Easy to use!
There is a lovely boardwalk with a fabulous beach .
June 5, 2024
There is a lovely boardwalk with a fabulous beach . There are lots of places to eat along the way. Not suitable for someone with a disability as there are lots of steps to navigate to get down to the beach . I ate in a different restaurant every night. The food was good and not too dear. There are lots of little shops to peruse and people are very friendly. I would reiterate that the steps down to beach are not suitablle for someone with mobility issues
Portimao and surrounding area full of interesting places to...
May 28, 2024
Portimao and surrounding area full of interesting places to visit, boat trip to Silves very good. Did trains to Lagos and Lisbon which where good. Night time Portimao was very quiet, Pria Da Rocha is the place to go, good number of restaurants and bars to choose from, some with bands on.
The location for the race circuit was perfect.
May 20, 2024
The location for the race circuit was perfect. Nice neighborhood and fairly quiet. Be careful of stray dogs or dogs in other properties if walking around. Security of the gates is good, however the windows (most) don't lock. The kitchen utensils are basic and the kitchen itself. The shower heads are loose and hard to control. Lighting outside wasn't working and bbq was basic. There is a bus stop at the end of the road about 200 mtrs.
Popular places to stay in Portimão
Stay in some of the best accommodations Portimão has to offer
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T2 Portimão Beach Praia do Vau, Portimão
From $126 per night
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Casa Mimosa - Algarve Portimão, Portugal
From $98 per night
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Rio A Vista Praia da Rocha, Portimão
From $181 per night
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Apartment Rocha Varandas Amazing Praia da Rocha, Portimão
From $401 per night
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Shantivillas Portimão Praia da Rocha, Portimão
From $208 per night
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