Portimão

Portimão is a city and municipality in the Faro District of the Algarve, southern Portugal. The municipality has about 95,000 inhabitants and covers an area of around 250 square kilometers. It lies on the Atlantic coast at the mouth of the Arade River and includes coastline features such as Praia da Rocha and Alvor, with parts of the Ria de Alvor estuary.

Historically a fishing and canning port, Portimão developed rapidly in the 20th century with tourism and services. The economy today relies on fishing, tourism, commerce, and services, with a marina and golf courses in the surrounding area and popular beaches drawing visitors.

Notable sites include the Portimão Museum, housed in a former fish-canning factory and focusing on maritime and industrial heritage, the old town with the Igreja Matriz de Portimão, and the coastal Forte de Santa Catarina near Praia da Rocha. The central Praça 1.º de Dezembro serves as a town center.

The city is connected by the Algarve Line railway at Portimão station and by the A22 motorway. It administers several parishes and is home to Portimonense S.C., a football club historically competing in Portugal's top tiers. The Portimão region remains centered on tourism, with beaches, a marina, and access to the rural hinterland.