Though Portimao is a vibrant business town it’s also fringed with wonderful beaches and has much to offer the traveller. If you can bear to leave the golf, night clubs and beach sports you will unearth even more to experience. Whatever your passions, Portimao is agreeably unpredictable in the amount and choice of things to enjoy.

• Boat trip to Silves – The relaxing and breathtaking journey along the Arade river from Portimao to Silves normally takes approximately one hour. Then you’re able to enjoy approximately one and a half hours experiencing Silves just before getting the tides straight back to Portimao.
• Karting – An exciting new, electrifying karting circuit launched not too long ago in the Portimao Race Circuit and it is the biggest and most impressive in the area.
• Dolphin watching – Memorable dolphin viewing outings are readily available out of Lagos and Portimao harbours, where one can witness this beautiful animal in its natural habitat.
• Slide & Splash – An excellent water park within the Algarve, Slide & Splash is barely twenty-five minutes out of Portimao on your way East to Albufeira. Well organised, lush and also spotless, you can either eat at the fast food outlets or save money by taking an open-air picnic. The most enjoyable attractions include the Kamikaze Run, Torpedo and Corkscrew.
• Wine tasting – Visit the Monte da Casteleja environmentally friendly wine cellar nicely situated between Portimao and Lagos in the Algarve for a terrific wine tasting program directed by a professional.
• Motorcycle sidecar encounter – Is it possible to imagine a better way for you to enjoy the wonderful views of the Algarve than from a sidecar? We can’t either!
• Tennis – A great activity vacation may be had by enrolling at tennis academy Clube de Tenis in Portimao and enhancing your skills in the sunshine. Classes are available for adults and children of all talents and courts and gear can be rented without having to be a member.
• Extreme Watersports – The south west of Portugal is known for the scores of outfits providing the full range of extreme watersports such as kite surfing, wakeboarding and windsurfing.
• Lagos Zoo – a great outing for your loved ones, with over one hundred twenty species of animals which includes lemurs, monkeys of all types, wallabies, tropical birds, lynxes and lizards. Don’t forget the feeding of pelicans, primates and cormorants. Additional amenities include a petting zoo, an education centre and snack bars.
• Ferragudo – One of the Algarve’s most recent hot-spots, this lovely town is excellent for people-watching in bars, relaxing at the beachfront or taking the short stroll to the Fort of Sao Joao de Arade. Conveniently situated close to the town is the Casabela Hotel Portimao.
• Stag weekends – When you desire a little sunshine, sea and sand before the big event then the Algarve is the answer, with lots to enjoy and affordable prices to make your hard earned cash stretch.
• Scuba Diving – Readily available in the neighboring town of Alvor, both for skilled divers and beginners who need to do official PADI courses.
• Retail therapy – Best purchases in Portimao and the Algarve are crystal, leatherware especially footwear, pottery, cork products, copperware and embroidered tablecloths.
• Canoe & Kayak Excursions – The seaside caves and unique rock formations are perfect for kayak and canoe treks in the western Algarve.
• Walking trips – Go back to nature with a peaceful guided tour of the Algarve countryside and enjoy the genuine Portugal of natural beauty and hospitable natives.
• Fatacil – The Fatacil is an annual farming expo held in August featuring products and handicrafts from the area – a commercial showcase which makes a worthwhile spot for tourists as well.
• Monchique – This delightful, old-fashioned community is mainly famous for its thermal health spa, first constructed in the Roman Empire. However the historic Misericordia Chapel and seventeenth century Hermitage are also a must-see.

The recommended way of travelling to Portimao is by flying to Faro airport and then either taking a taxi cab or renting a car. The journey from Faro to Portimao will be roughly 65 kilometers and should take between half an hour to forty-five minutes.

Information is also offered in French for Algarve Hotel Casabela. The author specialises in writing vacation article content and is currently enhancing the ILA Chateau & Hotels de Charme website.