Wandering In Portimao For A Day

Portimao for a Day: A Relaxing Cruise Port Tour

We spent the day wandering around Portimao on a cruise.  Portimao was our first stop in Portugal. Our cruise from Barcelona to LisbonThe following are some examples of how to use Oceania Cruises.  We really enjoyed our walking tour. Cadiz was our previous port of callWe knew we’d find plenty to see on your own.

Portimão was one of the largest towns on the Algarve Coast with a population of about 50,000.  The waterfront city grew up around the Rio Arade.  This port city has historically been dependent on fishing.  Tourism has become the largest economic driver.

The shoreline in Portimao allowed us to see the incredible cliffs and caverns that line the Algarve Coast.  Ferragudo sat on the cliffs.  We enjoyed the colourful old town and the views from the promenade as we walked through the town.  We saw enough for us to want to come back and spend more time.

Docking in Portimao

As we cruised in to the port, we were able to see the breathtaking view of the Cliffs and caves are what the Algarve Coast has been known for.  At the point we passed the lighthouse (the Farol da Ponta do Altar).  

We cruised in past the Portimão Marina and the beach at Praia da Rocha in the morning sunrise light.  We could see the Fort Santa Catarina in the distance.  The buildings along the coast were ablaze with colour.  This looked like an ideal place to stay for a long visit.

The ship was docked outside the town.  We could see the town from the ship.  We were looking forward to spending a day in Portimao. 

Portimao Cruise Port Excursions: Options for Excursions

Portimao is a great place to visit on the Algarve Coast.  We had to leave. A long stay is planned for the Algarve CoastWe knew we’d be returning to this area by ourselves.

One of the day trips from Portimao on the cruise was to the Benagil Caves.  Several different types of tour boats were waiting for our ship to dock.  We hoped to visit that attraction later in our trip when we stayed at the Algarve.

Several excursions were made to Carvoeiro and Sagres. During our stay in the Algarve Coast area, we planned to Visit Carvoeiro to enjoy the Algo Seco Boardwalk.  We explored Sagres and the Cabo de São VicenteOn our first visit to Algarve, we were at the southern tip of Portugal. On this trip, we planned to explore the Algarve. Lagos and along the Ponta da Piedadecliff walkWe can do it on our own  

Other cruise ship excursions flew high above the Algarve Coast.  We started our first trip to the Algarve by visiting the Algarve Coast. Monchique, a city in MonchiqueMount Foia has some of the best views in the world.  

We had already seen so many Algarve Coast – Great places to visitWe had many plans for the future Enjoy a 2 week stay in the Algarve Coast.  We didn’t need to book cruises to see many of the Algarve attractions.  We learned a bit about Portimao, and this part of Algarve, on this day.  

Shuttle buses were available for those who had not booked cruise excursions to get to Praia da Rocha or the old town of this small city.  This was an excellent way to spend a day in Portimao.

Walking along the Promenade

We walked along the promenade immediately after the shuttle dropped us off.  As we looked back to the sea, we could see our cruise ship.

We stopped to look at the stone art on the walkway as we walked. We read the plaques that were on the statues.

We went in search for gelato when we reached the main square.  There were a number of options.  We finally found the perfect gelato flavours and texture at Nosolo Italia. 

A day of wandering around Portimao began at a relaxed pace along the harbour front.

Old Town: A Visit to the Old Town

We wandered the cobblestoned streets. We wandered through the cobblestone streets.  

In the old part of town we found the Igreja da Nossa Senhora da Conceição (Igreja Matriz de Portimão). This church was heavily damaged in the 1755 earthquake.  We walked the outside, but unfortunately could not go inside to see what was left and what we rebuilt.

Wandering In Portimao For A Day For Colourful Art

As we discovered when we explored Other small towns in AlgarveMany buildings were fully decorated with tiles.  On some buildings the tile work was just for decoration.  Even the utility boxes were decorated with colourful tiles.  

Not all the colourful art is tile work.  We bought fun statues as souvenirs. We found street art murals in many places that made us pause and reflect.

We were happy we saw so many interesting sights while wandering through Portimao.  We slowly walked back to the shuttle stop.  Unfortunately, we did not get to stop at the Portimao Marino shuttle bus to visit the Praia da Rocha before returning to our ship.

Portimao – More sights to see

Portimao is a fascinating place to explore for a whole day.  As we cruised away, we saw even more sights that we would like to see again.  Ferragudo, a traditional fishing village perched on cliffs opposite Portimao, was a sight to behold.  As we cruised by, we saw sand beaches, docks and whitewashed houses, as well as the local church and larger Villas. 

At the water level we saw an old stone fort (the Castelo de São João do Arade).  With the  Fort of Santa Catarina on the other side, these two forts originally protected the mouth of the River Arade from incursions by pirates further inland to Silves.  

We loved our last view of Portimao.  The ship turned south, and we cruised along the stunning cliffs heading for the final destination on our itinerary. Cruise from Barcelona to Lisbon.

Great To Enjoy Wandering In Portimao For A Day

We were happy we had a day to wander around Portimao.  We had a glimpse of the beautiful port city.  We found plenty of reasons to visit again.

We saw many of the Cliffs and caves in the AlgarveOur visits.  A day trip to Benagil Caves is something that would make us return.  A visit to the Museum of Portimão would provide some historical perspective on this area as far back as the Roman and Islamic periods.  We would learn more about the history of Portimao by visiting the forts that line either side of the harbor.  We enjoyed seeing all the Small towns in the Algarve.  On a return trip, we would not miss the opportunity to visit the charming village Ferragudo.

There are many reasons to spend more in Portimao during a trip to the Algarve region of Portugal.

Enjoyed your day in Portimao?  What should we include on our return trip?

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