1. Festival Do Orgao do Algarve (Organ Festival of the Algarve)

The festival is taking place between 03.11.2017 – 25.11.2017. It follows eight succesfull years in faro and has been expaded across the regios. This year, the festival will take place across four counties: Portimao, Faro, Tavira and Loulé.

You should’t miss this as you will enjoy many concerts and for sure you will have lot of fun.

2. St. Martin’s fair in Portimao

 The fair has taken place every year since 1662 and it is considered the most ancient event and also the most popular in the city.

Visitors will have the chance to browse through 84 stalls where you can find anything from food, clothes, shoes,household item, toys and so on.

Also this year a novelty it will be the exhibition of new and used cars, which represents nine car brands in the Algarve. The show will take place at Portimao Arena, locaed in the grounds of the Parque de Feiras e Exposicoes, from 15:00 to 23:00, each day until 18.11.2017.

3. Christmas and New Year’s Eve

Christmas celebration in Portugal traditionally start on December 8^th (“The day of “Our Lady of the Conception”) and end of 12^th night.

Christmas itself is celebrated on Christmas Eve night.

Did you ever imagined spending Christmas sorounded by decorations but somewhere where the weather is still warm? Algarve is the perfect answer.

New Year celebration can become very expensive but did you thought that you can get more with less money?

You can watch the firework displays on the river front in Lagos and get a view of Portimao’s display as well.

Many open air concerts will take place in Albufeira and all the bars and clubs across the Algarve will stay open until the early hours so everyone can celebrate.

If you need a car we suggest you to hire a car from Lagos Car Hire as they have very good prices and lots of discounts up to 30% this time of the year.

Hope we helped you with some ideas for this autumn and winter and we wish you to enjoy your time in Algarve.

1. Praia da Rocha is the most famous and transited beach in Portimao. It offers some of the most staggering views of the Atlantic Ocean, bordered by the dramatic cliffs that dominate the sea landscape of the Algarve.
2. The Portimao Museum is an award-winning cultural establishment, one that harbors some of the most famous archeological relics in the entire Algarve. It is a destination not to miss. I know I, for one, never leave a town without visiting a museum, so this is my recommendation for the day.
3. Canico Restaurant is a place to visit to satiate your hunger. You can enjoy the local delicacies in a wonderful ambient, surrounded by the wonderfully scenic landscapes of the sea (actually – never forget: the Atlantic Ocean)!
4. TEMPO might mean “time” in Portuguese. But it also stands for Teatro Municipal de Portimão, the local theatre, where you can see some of the best reenactments of modern and classical plays alike.
5. The best sightseeing spot in Portimao is the Portimao Marina. It is the place where everyone comes to take a picture (or a boat). It is also the place where old and young people alike can come to take their first surf lessons. And let’s not forget that Portugal is one of the best places where you can practice this sport

If you need a lift, you can rent a car in Portimao and the best thing is you will get a very good rate if you know where to look. (Start by looking online, actually).

The City Council of Portimao invites locals and tourists alike to discover some of the best cultural sites in both Portimao city and in Alvor under the mild light of stars and the moon. Three night walks in three Saturdays have been scheduled. These are cultural walks organized courtesy of the Alvor Islamic Patrimony and the Portimao Historical Center. So let’s take Alvor first: one thousand years of intercultural interferences between the Iberians and the

Moors is still reflected in buildings and cultural artifacts found in this beautiful and rich town. Alvormight look like a fishing village at first sight, but in fact its history and culture has many more stories to

tell. The Islamic heritage in Alvor is visible. On July 2nd and August 13th 2016, tourists are invited on a walk through the Morabito de Sao Pedro, the Matriz de Alvor Church, the Castle and the Ethnography Museum.

As for Portimao, on July 23rd at 9 PM, you are invited to join the nocturnal group in the Manuel Teixeira Gomes Square. The tour starts here and goes through the Bivar Garden, the Manuel Teixeira Gomes

Memorial House, the Matriz Church and the most important avenues in town. The organizers wish to reveal the happy and unique face of a culturally relevant city: Portimao.

It’s also worth mentioning that both Portimao and Alvor are very accessible by car. You can either get an online transfer – which you can book with Faro airport transfers to Portimao – or you can go to Algarve car rental for a good car for hire in Portimao or a town nearby.

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.

August and September are high season on the Portuguese shores of the endless Atlantic Ocean, so there is much entertainment to speak of, a lot of excitement and enthusiasm. Here’s what you can enjoy during the following weeks in the region:

From August 7th until the 16th of the month, you are all invited to delve deep into the tumultuous, but fascinating past of the Algarve in the Silves Medieval Festival 2015. Silves town is definitely the best setting for such display of history and colour. The picturesque medieval town center will be the arena for princes and princesses, Moors, jesters and knights. You can blend in if you get a costume and sit down for a meal and a drink. The events begin every evening from 6 PM and end at 1 AM and the entry ticket is only 2-3 EUR. To attend the jousting tournament, you need to pay 5 EUR, but they’ll be worth every… eurocent.

For one day, between the 8th and 9th August, Portimao will be the center of the Algarve, hosting the huge inflatable water slide measuring 300 m in length and promising American-style fun! For 5 EUR per slide, you can test its slope and for 85 EUR, you can have unlimited fun for the entire day.

In Lagoa, between the 21st and the 30th of August, you can attend one of the greatest festivals in the Algarve, Fatacil 2015, having got to its 36th edition. There will be fairs with handicrafts, tourist offers, food and drink for everyone.

To move freely around the Algarve, you can either rent a car in the Algarve or book a Faro airport transfer.

Starlit walks through the cultural region of Portimao is just what the Municipality has thought of as a way to celebrate the coming of summer. And not just any walks, but cultural routes along the city of Portimao and Alvor, preservers of a vast and varied cultural heritage.

The Algarve is a region where Europe and the Orient blend in an architectural mixture of beauty and eclectic style. Although the Algarve was reconquered by the Portuguese Crown centuries ago, the Islamic legacy is still present in culture, cuisine and mainly in the millenary architecture that still stands tall.

For Alvor, the organized walks have been scheduled to take place on June 19th and August 21st. The meeting place is… romantic, if a bit creepy: near the local cemetery, at 9 in the evening. Places like the hermitage of Sao Pedro, the church, castle and the Ethnographic Museum are counted among the points of interest in the itinerary.

In Portimao, the walk will take place on July 17th, also starting at 9 in the evening at the Manuel Teixeira Gomes Square. Here, the itinerary includes walks through the Manuel Teixeira Gomes House, the Bivar Gardens and the square of the Town Hall.

The awesome thing about these walks is that they are entirely free. That doesn’t mean, however, that you can just turn up and tag along, because places are limited so your presence must be previously confirmed.
For your prolonged stay in the Algarve, you may like to book a vehicle with Lagos car hire or benefit from transport from Faro airport transfers.

In an initial phase at least, the Portuguese State will maintain 34% of shares, which can later (after 2 years) may be sold as well. The Portuguese publication “Publico” announced that, following the settlement between the syndicate and the Government, TAP future buyer will be prevented from firing personnel, while the State remains as one of the shareholders.

A buyer has not yet been found for the national Portuguese airline, as so far official proposals have not been issued. Nevertheless, the German air company Lufthansa and the Spanish group Globalia have manifested interest, as has been the case with Miguel Pais do Amaral, the Portuguese entrepreneur.

It would appear that the Portuguese Government has grand plans for the year 2015. TAP is just one of the several privatizations planned. Several companies providing public transport are also under review. Last year, the Portuguese Government sold the waste management company EGF to SUMA consortium for 150 million Euro.

TAP is Portugal’s national airline. Based in Lisbon Portela Airport, it has been a member of the air alliance Star Alliance since 14th March 2005. It was founded in 1945 as Transportes Aereos Portugueses. Currently owned by the State 100%, TAP is regarded as the safest European airline and the fourth safest in the world. With around 2000 flights a week in 38 countries and 88 destinations, it is also renowned for its affordable prices and high quality services.

Cross-country flights at the Portimao Municipal Airdrome are going to be an option starting this June. To this effect, flights between Portimao and Braganca have been scheduled from June 1st, with stops in Cascais, Viseu and Vila Real. These domestic flights are very useful both for the Portuguese who can get very easily from one part of Portugal to another, across long distances, and for the international tourists, who now have the option of landing in their city of residence for the holiday.

Regarding the incumbent investment, the Mayor of the city of Portimao, Isilda Gomes stressed that it will be relatively unimportant when it comes to local tourism. The constructions undergone in the Portimao Municipal Airdrome created a debt of 160 million EUR for the town hall.

The Portimao Municipal Airdrome is a small airport in Montes de Alvor. Currently, the airdrome is made up of a single short asphalt runway and is generally used for parachuting and general aviation.

The nearest and largest airport in the Southern part of Portugal is the Airport of Faro (FAO), also known as the Algarve Airport. It is located 4 short kilometres away from the capital of the Algarve region and is currently the only international airport in this part of Portugal. It welcomes more than 5 million passengers annually, being most busy in the summer months.

The possibility of other airports (or rather aerodromes) in the Algarve to open their gates and start preparing for national and even international flights would be wonderful news to the tourism of Portugal. Meanwhile, there is a true industry around airport transfers and car hire services from Faro Airport, so if you are traveling to Portugal, you are welcome to book online, especially during the low season, where the prices can be very attractive.

Portimao is one of the most beautiful and prominent Algarvian cities and also a center of entertainment and (unofficial) capital of fun in the Algarve. Every week, there is something new happening here, especially in summer, though the cold season also has surprises in store.

The month of November is marked by St. Martin’s Fair, a traditional Portuguese celebration that brings everybody out on the street to celebrate with food and drink, fairground rides, games and music and roasting chestnuts. The first fair was held in 1662 and it only keeps getting better year by year. The location is due to take place between 7 and 11 November 2014 at the Parque de Feiras e Exposicoes.

The Mediterranean cuisine so popular throughout Portugal is often made into a reason for celebration. This November, the town of Sao Bartolomeu de Messines is going to host the Gastronomic Week, event which has come to its 7th edition. Between November 28th and December 2nd, prepare for a culinary delight, as numerous local restaurants compete in an extraordinary “tour de force”, wishing to serve and promote traditional dishes and beverages. Silves wine is going to be one of the “stars” of the celebration and we invite you to taste its sweet bouquet.

Portimao and Messines are not the only towns where fairs or markets are due to take place. Some of the other famous and equally beautiful markets in Algarve are: the markets in Aljezur, the Albufeira Gipsy / Flea Market, the monthly market in Estoi (near Faro), the traditional market and cultural center in Lagos, Tavira antique markets and Quarteira fairs.

This November, celebrate on the shores of the Atlantic and travel in Algarve anywhere your heart desires!

Portugal derives much of its economic profit from exporting a wide variety of fish and seafood. The Portuguese export market comprises different sorts of fresh or chilled cuttlefish, squid, codfish (called bacalhau in the local tongue) and octopus. Portugal also produces salted and dried fish.

The Secretary of State on Sea affairs has announced that the Government is putting all its efforts into finding new partners in Asia to sign export contracts. Korea seems to be first on the list of potential clients, so a governmental representative will travel there in November to try to settle an agreement. This was confirmed by Manuel Pinto de Abreu himself at the Mar Algarve Expo which took place in Portimao.

Also according to the Secretary Manuel Pinto de Abreu, Portugal’s seafood responds to all the requirements, so it can enter the Asian market anytime. Increasing exports is a must for Portugal if they are to realistically hope to sustain their economy and ensure stability.

The sea life has always been a part of Portugal’s destiny, and Manuel Pinto de Abreu believes that it should remain an economic priority. At Mar Algarve Expo, the secretary of state equally wished to stress the importance of EU funding. The European Union has invested around 60 million Euro in the 20/20 Program meant to encourage development and monitoring of the sea activities.

If you are now in Portimao, you can still get to the Mar Algarve, open until October 11th. If you need transportation, book an Algarve transfer.