Portimao is one of the largest towns in the Algarve, alongside the likes of Olhao, or the capital Faro. As opposed to most other Algarve locations, Portimao does not get most of its revenue from tourism activities, instead it acts as more of a headquarters for those who want to visit the various nearby tourist resorts, however there are things to be done in Portimao as well.

Portimao offers some great shopping opportunities in its center, so that’s of interest to a certain percentage of visitors of course, but there are also a few attractions in town as well, such as the old iron bridge in the north of the city.

As far as the atmosphere in the city goes, Portimao is quite the lively town, even if it is not a tourist resort. You’ll find a lot of small eating places, family businesses and a lot of great seafood dishes – which are to be expected in the region.

It’s not a town known for monuments or museums, but that doesn’t necessarily make it less worthy of some exploration. It’s smaller than Faro, but similarly to the capital it’s also a working city pretty much, so the experience that you’ll get here from walking around will differ from that you’ll get from a tourist resort.

Lunch in Portimao is something to look forward to, of course you can go to a restaurant but in order to get a better feel of the place you should go to the harborside and find a table at one of the smaller eateries. This is where you’ll get some great traditional cooking, chargrilled sardines and the like, not to mention that it won’t be very expensive either.

You can check out the town and its surroundings that much better with the help of our Algarve car hire services.

One of the best starting places for a tour of the entire city is in fact an attraction in itself, the Praca de Dom Francisco Gomes features an obelisk erected in 1910 which commemorates the diplomat Ferreira d’Almeida, an important figure in Faro’s history.

From there, those looking for some peace and quiet can enjoy the Jardim Manuel Bivar, a garden featuring wonderful flower beds, tall palms and jacaranda trees. On the east side of the park you can see the Igreja de Misericordia, a 14^th century church.

Beyond the Jardim, you can see the Arco da Vila, which is an arched gateway, surmounted by a bell tower and a statue of Faro’s patron saint, St. Thomas Aquinus. Through the gateway you’ll see the very attractive historical centre of Faro.

The historical centre of Faro is dominated by the Cathedral, which saw most of its original Gothic look destroyed by the 1755 earthquake, however the tower and south window still remain from the initial building. It was of course later rebuilt and renovated and it now features elements of Gothic, Romanesque and Baroque architecture.

The interior is very quiet and reminiscent of a basilica, definitely a must-see for those who have a thing for religious buildings.

Then there’s the Largo Se, in the square in front of the cathedral, you can see the town hall and the Bishop’s Palace.

A bit to the south of the Cathedral, on the Praca Afonso III, you’ll find the Archaeological Museum, which is housed in what used to be the convent of Nossa Senhora da Assuncao, founded in 1518.

These are still not all of the attractions in the city, but only a few, make sure you employ our Faro car hire services in order to see them and many more while on your trip there.