What to do in the Algarve this August 2018? Here’s a question with a complex answer: it all depends on where you are going to be spending your time on the sunny shores of the Portuguese litoral region.

But regardless of your destination of choice, please be sure Portugal will always be a really worthwhile place to spend a memorable, amazing holiday.

If you love Portugal and music, you should really book your pass for the Summer Sound Portimao music festival meant to offer two amazing unforgettable electro music festival days between August 17th and 18th 2018. NoSoloAgua will host the first edition of this festival meant to bring music, fun and the seaside atmosphere together in an unforgettable mix. In case you were wondering about the artists who are going to be meeting you there, the names include The Avener, Henri PFR, Ofenbach, Mercer, Tony Romera and Damien N-DRIX.

In case you are lodged in the capital of Algarve or its surroundings, don’t worry: Portimao is a short drive away and you have a couple of trusty transport options to consider. For one, you can rent a car in the Algarve. Otherwise, you can opt for a Faro airport transfer to Portimao to have a luxury car and an experienced driver at your service for a safe and swift trip around the Algarve coast.

Portimao has also become really quite popular throughout the last quarter of a century because of its August Sardine Festival. This year we are getting ready to celebrate the 24th edition of this campy and happy event that celebrates the fishing history of the town and the coast, as well as the way you can bring people together with such a happy event.

If there is one thing the Portuguese are great at, that is having a good time and making people feel really welcome in their country.

The Petisco is a delicious local dish. The Rota do Petisco is a festival held in the Algarve every year that has come to its 5th edition. For the 2015 festival, 170 restaurants and resorts have lined up to participate in the event and present their delicious treats during the 37 days of sweet culinary delight, entertainment and joy.

Gastronomy is a great cultural constituent and people in Portugal are very much aware of this fact. With mixed cultural influences, ranging from pure Portuguese to Mediterranean and accents of the medieval Moorish reign, Portugal is a happy cultural blend. And the country loves to show this in any way possible. Food is not only sustenance in Portugal, it is an expression of identity.

The Petisco is part of the Portuguese and Algarvian heritage. Events will be held both in Portimao and in other locations, such as Alvor, Mexilhoeira Grande, Ferragudo, Monchique and Silves. If you develop a taste for the Portuguese version of “tapas”, you can see this variety of locations as an opportunity to visit the entire region. If you don’t have a car with you, don’t find a new pretext in that: you can rent a car in the Algarve and enjoy the drive along the beautiful Atlantic coast.

Stop by Silves to make a mental (or a physical) picture of a perfect medieval town, go to Alvor for the sandy beaches and come back to Portimao. At the end of your trip, you can book a transfer to Faro airport, sit back and remember the beautiful memories made during your holiday.

But firstly, let us remember (or find out) some information about Manuel Teixeira Gomes. He was the seventh president of The First Portuguese Republic, ruling the country between 1923 and 1925. Born in the proud city of Portimao, being raised in the area. His political contribution to the Portuguese destiny earned him a place in the gallery of the country’s great men, but it is also his cultural legacy what is celebrated today. He published books and participated intensely in prominent literary circles of the time.

Today Portimao takes great pride in the correlation to such a great man and celebrates him through Casa Manuel Teixeira Gomes, which is in fact his birth home. This September, once again, the museum hosts dozens of cultural events, so let’s review the schedule together!

On September 3rd, the house hosts a photography exposition: Sous les paves, la plage… sous la plage, un autre Algarve. It will remain open until September 30th.

Between 5 and 19 September, you are invited to a Passeio Cultual Noturno at 9 PM, and on the 6th, you are invited to discover what coaching means, at 16:00.

And if you love music, on the 18th of September you are the special guest at a wonderful concert hosted by the Grupo Coral de Portimao.

So what are you waiting for? Portimao is the place to go if you are now in the Algarve. You are most welcome to join the group of happy people and spend September at Casa Manuel Teixeira Gomes!

As we mentioned before, Portimao is first and foremost a seaside resort – at least this is the face known to the crowds of tourists who come here annually. So if you are one of them, know that there are plenty of exciting free activities at Praia da Rocha beach every day for the entire summer. Fitness, hydrogymnastics, Yoga, Zoomba and boot beach camping are the popular options, keeping you busy from dusk to dawn!

Moreover, if you still have time to spare, you can opt for more outdoors fun or for a short cultural break.

Between the 4th and 6th of July, motor bikes take over the city, as the Worldwide Superbike Championship 2014 is organized in Portimao! Power, noise and wheels are to be expected, as competitors and passers-by gather here for one of the most spectacular circuits in the world.

Sticking to the auto events , Between July 18th and 20th, another great sporting event is scheduled, namely the Ferrari Challenge. Previously known as EUROGTSPRINT, this is the place for anyone who is into expensive, fast cars and auto excitement!

If shopping is one of the reasons you travel, Portimao does not disappoint: this July, between 11 and 13, come to the Feira de Stocks in Portimao Arena to see countless Portuguese and international brands display their products: clothes, shoes and accessories at the lowest prices. And if you are more of a library mouse, there is a book paradise for you as well, as the Feira do Livro has literary gifts and surprises in store for you from the 25th of July until the end of August.

These are just a few of the reason you simply must come and Spend the Best Summer 2014 in Portimao. We’ll soon be back with more info!

Well that might be a bit of an issue at the present time because quite a few cinemas in the region have been closed for some time, but it has now been confirmed that due to new management, these will be re-opened by the end of 2013.

The management of the Algarve Shopping in Guia and Continente Portimao cinema screen has been taken over by the Brazilian Grupo Orient.

An agreement was reached between Sonae Sierra – the shopping centres’ management company – and film distributor Grupo Orient, for the latter to start managing the cinema halls at the Portimao and Guia centres. Sonae Sierra has confirmed that the cinema screens will be turning on again before the conclusion of 2013.

The issue started back in January this year when the then-distribution company – Socorama Castello-Lopes – closed several cinema screen across the nation, including the ones at Guia and in Portimao, in a cutback that saw dozens of people left jobless.

At the time Sonae Sierra stated that even though they have supported Castello Lopes in order to make their cinema operations viable, the latter allowed for a huge debt to accumulate and has not presented the necessary conditions to make the business viable again. This being the reason why the closure of the cinema screens being inevitable.

So both inhabitants and visitors to the Algarve can look forward to more film-going opportunities in the future.

The 2012 edition of the festival was judged to be unsuccessful on several levels with the overall feedback from exhibitors indicating a lower than expected number of visitors and even the organizer, Portimao Urbis, admitted having lost money even considering, or maybe due to, it charging an entrance fee and attracting big name groups to the event.

Instead of trying again with the same setup and expecting different results, the festival’s management has decided to move the festival back to the people and just have one big party along the waterfront so that the local restaurants can heat up their grills and so that the entire local economy can benefit.

Historically speaking the sardine catch used to be unloaded at the quayside, so having the festival in this location is a fitting tribute. There are three famous outdoor restaurants here that have always served the freshest catch of the day possible, and after recent renovation the entire area is a pleasure to walk along.

Instead of the more limiting setup from last year, the 2013 Portimao Sardine Festival will see the people being invited to eat sardines in the local restaurants and the organizers will also make sure to add in a daily program of entertainment option along the waterfront.

Discussion are under way between the organizers and the restaurants to create a variety of suitable menus which will do the noble sardine full justice, as well as make them palatable to foreign tourists.

We should mention that the Portimao council is currently embroiled in the Portimao urbis scandal over funding and missing money so reducing the expenditure on this year’s festival shows some flexibility and sensible management in tune with local needs as well as maybe the requirements of the auditors.

The online travel site TripAdvisor – one of the most visited travel websites – has rated the Falesia beach in Albufeira as being the best beach in Portugal and the 18^th in a top 25 of European beaches.

Another Algarve beach that has been awarded as being the 22^nd in the top 25 is the Ponta da Piedare in Lagos, whilst Cascais beach in Lisbon is the second best Portuguese beach and 21^st on the European list.

When it comes to the Top 10 Portugal Beaches, as expected the Algarve beaches occupy most of the positions, with the Falesia in Albufeira taking the top spot – as we mentioned earlier, Olhos d’Agua being ranked fourth and five other following them, all of which are to be found in the Western Algarve. They are as follows:

Ponta da Piedade in Lagos

Praia da Rocha in Portimao

Praia Dona Ana in lagos

Praia da Luz in Burgau

Praia de Odeceixe in Aljezur

Albufeira was voted one of the top European beach destinations in 2012 as well, thanks to the great beauty of its beaches and the diversity which placed the entire municipality as 6^th in the Top 10 of Travellers’ Choice Awards.

We should also note that Albufeira was also given top marks for its good environmental practices and 20 blue flag beaches in the district.

So there you have it, in case you needed an extra boost to decide whether or not you’ll go to the Algarve for your next holiday, the visiting masses have decided and they’ve decided that the Algarve beaches are definitely worth your time.

And in case you want to see as many of them as possible, don’t forget to employ some Algarve car rental services while on your trip, they will serve you well.

We’ve talked about, and most likely we’ll continue to talk about the wonderful weather, beaches and culture of the Algarve in the future, but today we’ll focus on things that are less obvious, although just as popular once you get there.

Boat trips

Considering the size of the coastline and the weather, one should think these are a given but you’d be amazed how many people just think of the beach as their main go-to activity – or lack of activity. You can take a variety of pleasure boat trips from many of the resorts and towns on the coast. This way you can get to see some of the wonderful cliffs and hidden beaches and grottos.

Fishing trips

Yet again, those who are interested in fishing will head for the Algarve for this reason, rather than the beaches and great weather – although the weather helps with their pass-time as well. This is a region rife with big game fishing, and Portimao hosts daily fishing trips between June and September.

Check out a colorful Algarve market

Across the entire region there are regular market days and times being held. They all depend on the town or village that you’re in or near to because there is something quite wonderful about seeing one of these markets live. There are even tourist markets held in some places, such as the one held in Loule on Saturday mornings.

Golf

The Algarve is one of the best destination for golfing enthusiasts of all ages and experience level. The large number of sunny days combined with the large number of top-notch golf courses makes the region a Paradise for golf players.

This has been just a quick introduction to what the Algarve really is, for more information check out the rest of the website and don’t forget to consider our Algarve car rental services when you’re planning a trip to the region.

The majority of the town is made up of late 19^th and early 20^th century buildings, when we’re talking about the older part of town, while the rest of Portimao is made up of modern apartment blocks in a variety of colors, hues and shades. It is interesting to note however that most settlements in the region have much longer histories, Portimao is a rather young place that managed to develop despite being surrounded by older towns. You can quickly get here by using some Portimao transfers from Faro Airport.

Because of its age, Portimao offers a special type of holiday experience, a more modern take on it. The shopping opportunities abound, especially in the centre, which is jam-packed with shops offering everything from clothes, gifts, souvenirs and electrical goods to general household items and whatever else you might expect to find in any town on the globe.

Of course entertainment is never far from the spectrum of shopping so there are also a lot of bars, restaurants and cafes where you can have yourself a sit and a rest while enjoying a snack or a nice refreshing beverage, be it hot or cold. The town is not exactly a resort town, so it can get rather busy in the center and the residential areas, however if you’re interested in seeing the more relaxed side of Portimao all you have to do is to head down to the river front.

Alongside the river front you’ll find the ‘Manuel Bivar’ gardens as well as some very famous regional fish restaurants situated near the end of the waterfront – all you have to do to get there is to follow the wonderful smell of barbecuing sardines.

Those who have employed some Portimao car hire services will quickly notice that the roads in and around Portimao can be a bit confusing, and more than just a bit congested because on some of the narrow streets you’ll find cars parked on both sides of the road. This happens even though car parking spots exist all around the town and there’s a very large free car park on the waterfront.

Portimao - Praia da rocha

While in Portimao you will simply have to visit the Portimao Marina, the colors that you’ll see there are quite unexpected to say the least. This is possibly the only place where you can see ochre and terracotta together; you can find the marina at the eastern end of the Praia da Rocha, this is also where you’ll find the Tivoli Arade and Nikki beach resorts.

As far as Portimao activities go, there are a plethora of things that one can get involved with, for instance boat trips. Not only boat trips but actually pirate ship trips which take you visiting the caves in old boats.

There are a couple of museums and art galleries to keep the culture vultures occupied and interested and a port built in the 17 century to protect the mouth of the river Arade. Located at the end of Tomas Cabreira avenue, this makes a great observation point to see across Ferragudo, Praia da Rocha and the marina.

Other activities that you can partake in are visiting the Zoo Lagos, located on the outskirts of Lagos however, so you’ll need a ride there, or go to the the Zoomarine at Guia, a vehicle of sorts will also be ideal for this destination.

This has only been a very short and quick description of what you should expect from Portimao, once there you’ll obviously find more things to see and do, even if it’s just strolling around the place taking in the atmosphere, rest assured that you won’t get bored, how could you with the beach in such close proximity.

What started as a quiet and very elegant resort back in the 1930s only started to develop at a major rate once cheaper flights started to be offered in the 1970s, which in turn spurred on a boom in apartments being built, and steadily and surely Praia da Rocha became the region’s second-largest resort town.

There are basically two types of travelers in the world: those who haven’t been to the Algarve yet, and those who return there year after year, but what exactly makes the latter do this?

It may have to do with the fact that the Algarve sees only about seventeen days of rainfall each year, or more specifically to Praia da Rocha, maybe it’s the two kilometer beach that is home to both wonderfully soft sands as well as rock formations, after all Praia da Rocha means “rock beach”.

Portimao guide - Praia da Rocha

Almost as the beach is vast, the main town avenue runs along the top of it and is chock full of restaurants, cafes and shops and you can bet that during the night it simply comes to life thanks to the plethora of bars and clubs that one can choose from.

At the avenue’s end you will find the Fortress of Santa Catarina de Ribamar, this fortress was part of neighboring Portimao’s defences meant to protect the city from corsair and pirate raids during the 17th and 18th centuries.

In terms of accommodations, Praia da Rocha offers mostly hotels and many-many apartment-blocks – because of the earlier mentioned building boom of the ’70s – however you won’t feel crammed in because the buildings are well spaced and they are well positioned in regards to access to the local amenities.

Praia da Rocha is the ideal destination for those who want a quintessential Algarve experience, not a traditional one. It’s a great place if you’re interested in sunbathing, great restaurants and many places to party during the night. The only place that it doesn’t shine as strong is in the shopping category, but you can always rent a car and head into Portimao to visit the main shopping centre there.