There are quite a few hotels in Portimão to choose from, and it should be fairly easy to discover a good bargain, particularly if you book early enough. Atlantic Hotels Studio 17, Mirachoro II Apartmentos Praia da Rocha and Plaza Real are all affordable options that come with ‘good’ ratings or higher. There are also a couple of five-star choices: Bela Vista Hotel & Spar and Hotel Algarve Casino, both of which offer prime beach-facing locations.Families will no doubt be keen to make their way to Praia da Rocha, the town’s popular beach, which is located at the point where ocean meets river. At least two more beaches – Praia dos Três Castelos and Praia dos Careanos – extend westerly providing yet more sandy options.Kids and adults alike are sure to enjoy Museu de Portimão, a monument to the town’s fishing industry of yesteryear, which reached its peak in the early part of the last century. As well as displaying machinery and equipment from those times, the museum also has an interactive exhibition that, among other things, charts the region’s geological history.This particular stretch of the Algarve coastline is quite spectacular and one great way of exploring it is by taking a boat down river and eastward to Benagil Caves. It’s a two-hour journey from Cais Vasco da Gama in Portimão to these naturally formed caves but it’s time well spent. Along the way, you’ll spot secluded bays, the beaches of Pintadinho, Caneiros and Mato, as well as dozens of little coves.
