Portimão
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Portimão is the second biggest city in the Algarve, Portugal, and famous for its fresh fish restaurants, grilled sardines being the most famous dish. One of the most well known beaches in the Algarve, Rocha ("Praia da Rocha") "Rocky Beach", is very close to Portimao, and there are numerous others nearby.
Get in
There is an small airport near Portimão which despite having an IATA code does not feature any regularly scheduled flights. The nearby airport in Faro, only 70 kilometres away, has both domestic and several international routes from across Europe.
Trains on the, rather slow, regional line between Lagos and Faro stops here, it's about a 1½ hour journey from Faro, for connections to Lisbon change trains in Tunes just over half an hour to the east. Most trains continue on to Vila Real de Santo António on the Spanish border after a short layover in Faro.
Eva Bus offers numerous daily connections from Faro. There are also 5-6 daily connections from Lisbon (3 hours, €19) on the Expresso Qualidade service, and once daily from Seville (6 hours, €19) on the Lagos-Sevilha service. The bus station is on Largo do Dique a bit north of the centre, about 500 meters south of the road bridge.
Portimão is a sea port, Naviera Armas offers a weekly service from Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife via Funchal (23 h) on Madeira Island.
Get around
See
- Praia da Rocha (A 30 minute walk from the centre of town or a 70 cent bus ride). The beautiful beach.
- Praia do Vau (Just walk west, along the scenic cliffs). The less known beach, but what a gem!
- Praia de Alvor (Nice walk along the river). With a nice beach.
Do
Wild dolphin watching departing from marina de Portimão in Praia do Rocha.
Watch football ie soccer at Portimonense SC, who play in Primeira Liga, the top tier of Portuguese football. Their stadium, Estádio Municipal de Portimão (capacity of 9500), is just south of city centre.
Buy
The main street shopping area has a wealth of nice shops supplying clothes, jewelry, and ornamental objects.
Eat
- Pizzeria Bulli & Pupe (Praia da Rocha), ☏ +351 282-415645. 37°07,08'N 08°32,74'W
- Terezinha, Rua Direita, 97, ☏ +351 252 425 690. The oldest restaurant in Portimao and provides a fantastic seafood meal at very reasonable prices.
Drink
- Casa Inglesa (River front). Dixieland jazz every Thursday at 20:30.
Sleep
- [dead link] Hotel Praia da Rocha ITC, Avenida das Comunidades Lusíadas 8500-809, ☏ +351 282 400 500.
- Mirachoro Apartments II, Urb. Alto do Quintao, 64/65, ☏ +351 282 460 880. Inexpensive 3-star hotel.
- Morgado Nau Hotel & Golf Resort, 8501-912, ☏ +351 282 241 540.
- Penina Hotel & Golf Resort, Po Box 146, Penina, ☏ +351 282 420 200, penina@jjwhotels.com. A "luxurious" hotel and golf resort, part of the JJW Hotels & Resort Group, comprises an 18-hole championship course and other amenities.