Portimao Holidays

Portimao’s thick as thieves with Praia da Rocha, the pint-sized town right next door that comes with a stunner of a beach. The biscuit-coloured sand stretches out for around two kilometres, backed by huge, camera-friendly cliffs. The shoreline shelves into the gentle, clear waters, so families are well catered for. Everyone’s a winner, though – a little further out, the waves are primed and ready for windsurfers and bodyboarders.

This place started out as a trading post and small commercial port, thanks to its handy riverside setting.These days, it’s reinvented itself as a tourist-loving town. It’s put on a smart waterfront promenade, with palms, gardens and open-air cafés for wining and dining. And you can step on board boat trips from this very spot – some cruise the coast, while others trace the Arade River.

Take a 20-minute train ride down the coast, and you’ll find yourself in one of the Algarve’s most popular seaside resorts – Lagos. You’ll find a bevy of historical hotspots here, like the building which housed colonial Europe’s first slave market. And there’s a first-class collection of neon-lit, open-all-hours bars. Not to mention, the town’s right next to the four-kilometre-long Meia Praia – a sweep of sand that stretches all the way around the bay.