The historic roots of Portimão go back to the Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians, when this place was a small trading port. Located at the mouth of the River Arcade it provides a natural harbour. During the Moorish occupation this river provided an important sea access to the ancient city of Silves, the former capital of the Algarve.

With the development of the fishing and canning industry in the late 19th Century Portimão became an important economic centre until the recession in the early 1980s. Today Portimão is a busy and modern tourist place with its famous beaches Praia da Rocha and Praia da Vau and an active nightlife.

Just across the river the delightful small fishing village of Ferragudo offers a peaceful contrast, and the well known village of Carvoeiro with its elegant villas and hotels is only some kilometres to the west.