Portimao sightseeing
Use this map for (half / one) day sightseeing in Portimao: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1_ymzEs4CASYkAcjbf1PBboiAu3kn
oik&usp=sharing.
Beach bathing
All information about the beaches can be checked here. You only need to enter the name of the given beach: https://infopraia.apambiente.pt/rules/
Beaches closest to the apartment: Praia da Rocha (beautiful), Praia do Vau (more beautiful), Praja do alemão (the water is the calmest, maybe this is the most beautiful beach).
Water parks
The nearest:
https://www.slidesplash.com/en/ This water park is in a nearby town. From the apartment by Uber it’s 7 euros and takes 15 minutes to go there. I haven’t mapped other transport options yet.
Even in winter:
There is only one such water park in the Algarve region that is also open in winter, this is Aquashow: https://aquashowpark.com/
Billiards and bowling
Bowling Praia da Rocha: A place close to the apartment, where you can play billiards and bowling.
Kayaking among the rocks
Such kayak tours also start from Portimao:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJqwvya6Iu8&t=1s&ab_channel=CalebOwens
Ocean4fun
I recommend the company Ocean4fun because I know them last time and because their sports activities start from Praia da Rocha.
They start from: Marina de Portimao (37°06’58.3″N 8°31’45.0″W).
Kayaking between Portimao and Alvor: €25 for adults, €15 for children. It always starts at 4pm.
Boat trip + kayaking around the Benagil cave €45. Only people over 10 can go.
I recommend to avoid kayaking around the Benagil cave in summer, there are a million people there, everyone pushing the kayaks with the boats.
This trip departs every day at 9:00, 12:00 and 16:00. 2 and a half hours long.
100% refund in case of bad weather.
Telephone: +351926800316
Email: reservas.ocean4fun@gmail.com
Booking is also possible online: www.ocean4fun.pt
The most up-to-date information is on their Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ocean4fun.pt/
Boat trip
A boat trip from Portimao to Benagil and back costs just €25. It’s worth it, great experience!
Ocean4fun
I recommend the company Ocean4fun because I know them and because their sports activities start from Praia da Rocha
They start from: Marina de Portimao (37°06’58.3″N 8°31’45.0″W).
Boat trip to the Benagil Caves on a safe, calm catamaran: adults €25, children €10, babies free.
Boat trip + kayaking around the Benagil cave €45. Only people over 10 can go.
Avoid kayaking around the Benagil cave in summer, there are a million people there, everyone pushing the kayaks with the boats.
This trip departs every day at 10:00, 12:30 and 16:00. 2 hours long.
100% refund in case of bad weather.
Telephone: +351926800316
Email: reservas.ocean4fun@gmail.com
Booking is also possible online: www.ocean4fun.pt
The most up-to-date information is on their Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ocean4fun.pt/
Visiting the coastal cliffs
You can walk on the beaches and cliffs almost everywhere.
(Portuguese mountain tours here.)
Cycling
I don’t have a bike yet, so I have to rent one. You can rent it 100 m from the apartment at Europcar, 30 euros for 24 hours, 100 euros as a deposit.
Escape room
https://www.escapeonealgarve.com/en
Exploring other options
A book summarizing nature walks in the Algarve here available:
https://algarveaddicts.com/algarvewalks2018.pdf.
Exploring the surrounding attractions
Explore nearby cities worth seeing (in order from closest to farthest):
Ferragudo (it’s almost in Portimao): Small, traditional fishing village next to Portimao, on the other side of the river.
Seriously (5 km from Portimao): Cozy little fishing village with excellent restaurants.
Carvoeiro (10 km from Portimao): Beautiful village surrounded by mountains. A hiking trail built east of the center begins, where you can see beautiful landscapes, rock walls, bays and lunar landscapes. Between Carvoeiro and Praia da Marinha there is a perfect and beautiful 12 km footpath.
Benagil cave (15 km from Portimao): The largest cave in the Algarve, it is worth starting from Portimao as part of a boat trip.
Silves (16 km from Portimao): Cute little town, it used to be the center of the Algarve.
Monchique and Alferce (30 km Portimaobol). If you have a car, it is worth going to Alferce first, where you can leave the car in the village. From there, you can take an easier 1-2 hour hiking trail through the mountains (480 m above sea level). A prominent point of the hiking route is the Demo gorge walkway (Oassadiço barranco do Demo), where you can cross a long wooden suspension bridge.
From Alferce it is worth going to Barragem de Odeoluca also to an artificial lake, if we have a car. The view is beautiful.
Then you should drive beyond Monchique to the restaurant Paraíso da Montanha, which is 485m above sea level outside the city. The view from the terrace of the restaurant is stunning, from where you can see the mountains, low-lying areas, Portimao and the sea.
After that, let’s go back to Monchique by car, where it is worth eating a cake and drinking a coffee in the cafe on the main square. Main square of Monchique:
If you don’t have a car, you can get to Alferce and Monchique by bus or taxi, maybe it’s worth making the trip on two separate days if you don’t have a car.
Armacao de Pera (27 km from Portimao): cozy fishing village, but there is little to see. It is worth combining sightseeing with relaxation, dining, and pastry shopping.
Lagos (30 km from Portimao): Perhaps the biggest tourist center in Portimao, life is bubbling in the summer, plenty of water sports opportunities. There is also a zoo next to Lagos.
Albufeira (40 km from Portimao): relatively large city, tourist center, party capital in summer.
Vilamoura (60 km from Portimao): This is a town famous for its luxury yacht harbor and golf courses. Here you will find the only water park in the Algarve that is also open in winter.
Sagres is Cabo de São Vicente (60 km from Portimao): A Cabo de São VicenteThe most south western point of Europe, the sunset is beautiful. Sagres, a small town, there is a fortress there, the view around the ocean is wonderful.
More in the Algarve region
Faro: The largest city in the Algarve, the airport is also located here. It is worth going to one of the churches, which is partly decorated with human bones.
Tavira: Beautiful, traditional village. From Tavira we can also go on a boat trip to Spain.
Lisbon and its surroundings
Lisbon, Sintra, Cabo da Roca (the westernmost point of Europe), Cascais, Satúbal
Porto
And many more places I haven’t discovered yet.