Portimão
District: Portimão 
Region: Faro, Portugal
Post Code: 8500
Distance from Faro: 67 km
Residents: 35.900
The historic roots of Potimão go back to the Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians, when this place was a small trading port. Located at the mouth of the River Arade it provides a natural harbour. During the Moorish occupation this river provided an important sea access to the ancient city of Silves, the former capital of the Algarve.
With the development of the fishing and canning industry in the late 19th Century Portimão became an important economic centre until the recession in the early 1980s. Today Portimão is a busy and modern tourist place, with the cosmopolitan atmosphere of an international tourism destination with its famous beaches Praia da Rocha and Praia do Vau and an active nightlife.
Portimão and its municipality have more to offer though. A rich heritage of historical monuments. The eternal natural beauty of the Ria de Alvor, a recognised wild life sanctuary. The charm of cultivated fields, of slopes covered with pine trees and wild flowers.
The varied supply of shops and accommodation, as well as the support facilities offered for enjoying water sports such as windsurfing, sailing, diving or deep-sea sports fishing, have made the municipality’s beaches even more valuable as highly attractive tourist destinations.
