It is worth visiting the village of Alvor and its Roman remains and other interesting buildings.
Travelling up the river to Silves by boat is a very enjoyable trip, once you are past the 125 bridge you are in totally unspoilt and remote country. It is approximately 14km, however not to be attempted with a draft of more than half a metre. If possible make the trip up to Silves on a rising tide and back down again not too long after high water. The best time of the month for such a trip is when there are spring tides because high water is around mid-afternoon, so if you leave Portimão at about midday you will get to Silves at about half past one. There are lots of good restaurants on the quay, so you can have a leisurely lunch and leave before the tide starts falling.
If you have information for this section, or feedback on businesses used, please let us know at editor@noonsite.com. We also welcome new information about businesses you have used (see Related Businesses).
As a free user of Noonsite you are restricted to viewing 3 country formalities per month. You have viewed 0 formalities this month – but can view the countries you have accessed to date as many times as you want.
Become a Noonsite Member and you can view unlimited formalities each month and enjoy additional member benefits. Membership fees help our team keep country formalities information up-to-date in support of cruisers worldwide.
Find out more about membership levels and Become a Noonsite Member.
Leave a comment
You must Login or Register to submit comments.
Excellent marina, good location with a very complete service.
Nice boatyard with a 300T travel lift and many repair companies. The staff is very helpful, friendly and professional. WCs are the best I’ve seen in the various marinas I’ve been to. The city is close by and for those who like a beach near the boat, this is the best. I recommend this marina.
Hi all, I’m currently anchored in Portimao, Portugal.
Although I partly blame myself for not securing my new HF Hydro-Force 2.3m dinghy to anything and not getting back to it until after dark. It should not have happened but it was taken from the beach by a dishonest person/persons. Apparently, there has been a few dinghy thefts just lately so please be careful and don’t leave anything of value on the beach unless you can see it at all times, or it is secured to something. Portimao is a fantastic place and I really do think this was an invitation to good to miss if you were that way inclined.
Great Anchorage. Great marina and surrounding touristy restaurants. Quaint small town feel. Boatyard has a travel lift run by government employees. Very poor attitude. Not recommended.
In September I spent 3 days anchored in 5-8 meters behind the outer mole. Good holding and lots of space despite the number of yachts. Occasional distant boom-boom disco music – as in all Algarve marinas. I did not go into the marina. A convenient free anchorage with easy entry in all weather.
We did spend few days at the Portimao Marina. The staff is very friendly and professional.
You can visit the city either by taxi or Dinghy (we did find some place at the pontoon just after the first bridge of the left).
2 ship chandler shops at the Fisher harbor where you will find a pontoon on the left side.
We have anchored here several times in 2017/18/19. While the anchorage is quite secure and picturesque, and the marina also very nice, the surrounding seaside unfortunately suffers the theme of many nice marinas in Portugal – the continual and constant blaring of disco music. This invariably starts in the early afternoon and goes continuously until 4 am. Even the best earplugs will not cancel-out the constant ‘boom,boom,boom’ from the shore bar(s) which apparently are trying to compete with each other using large outdoor speakers.
So what is a very pretty marina and anchorage, is very much tainted by having to endure the ‘Chinese Torture Test’. BRING GOOD EARPLUGS!!