Portimão’s Sardine Festival is just around the corner!
The staple Portimão festival kicks off this Tuesday, August 5 – August 4, 2025 One of the Algarve’s biggest summer events is back – the highly anticipated Sardine Festival will take place on the city’s riverfront between August 5 and 10, combining grilled sardines and live music. Now in its 29th edition, the festival is expected to welcome around 130,000 visitors. Over the six-day event, organisers estimate that 2.5 tonnes of...
Afro Nation confirmed to stay in the Algarve
The festival’s presence promises a major cultural and economic boost for the region, bringing global stars and thousands of visitors to Portimão – July 17, 2025 | Text Beatriz Maio | Photos Afro Nation Praia da Rocha hosted the crowd-pulling Afro Nation festival for the fifth time earlier this month. This year’s edition, which ended last Friday (July 11), brought major international names to the Algarve, including American singer Mary...
Mercearia Bio: From humble beginnings to a leading organic shop in the Algarve
A unique shop and café in Lagos championing organic produce and sustainable living – July 16, 2025 | Text Beatriz Maio In 2007, Pedro Gonçalves and Ana António set out to adopt a healthier diet prioritising high-quality products. They started by running an online shop out of a modest warehouse in Portimão, where they lived, selling organic products. At the time, options for organic goods in the Algarve were scarce, and the couple...
A family-run bar in Portimão offers an authentic journey into Mexican culture through the artisanal traditions of Mezcal
A taste of Mexico in Portimão, offering a sensory dive into the country’s tradition – July 15, 2025 | Text Beatriz Maio Bringing the flavours and traditions of Mexico to the Algarve, Mezcaleria opened in March near Praia da Rocha, in Portimão. Created by the Gallo family, who now live in the region, the project reflects their passion for their roots and their desire to share a piece of their home country through one of its...
New wave: Rocha Beach House re-emerges with a fresh concept
Blending coastal culture, healthy living and remote work in Portimão – July 9, 2025 | Text Beatriz Maio | Photos Hi-Cam-Portugal What began as a surf shop rooted in a shared passion has evolved into something more, with a broader community vision that blends surfing, healthy eating and creative collaboration into a single lifestyle destination. The story began in 2016 when German-born Patrícia Pereira and Portimão-native...
Created by two local friends, Bike & Water Flow offers a slow, authentic way to experience the Algarve by land or sea
Born in Ferragudo, this outdoor project invites visitors to experience the Algarve the local way – July 7, 2025 | Text Beatriz Maio Located in Ferragudo, Bike & Water Flow is a conscious tourism company born from a passion for outdoor sports and the Algarve’s natural beauty. But founders Daniela Medeira and Maísa Trindade, both locals with seemingly unrelated academic backgrounds (Pharmacy and Architecture, respectively) have...
Portimão Book Fair returns this Summer with author talks, debates, live music & over 20,000 books
Books, talks, music, and more in Portimão starting June 20 – June 18, 2025 Once considered one of the best book fairs in Portugal, the Portimão Book Fair returns after a long wait, running from June 20 to July 6. This year, the fair will feature a new format in a picturesque outdoor setting by the old fish market (Antiga Lota), along the town’s riverside area. Breaking from tradition, the event will be open daily from 10am to...
Rebuilt and reimagined: Portimão unveils the new “Nova Vila” retail park
Rising from the ashes of the 2012 fire, a modern retail hub brings new life to Portimão – May 29, 2025 Constructed on the same site as the former Portimão Retail Park which was destroyed by fire in 2012, the highly anticipated Nova Vila Retail Park opens its doors today, Thursday, May 29. This marks the largest retail park launch in the Algarve in over a decade. The reopening breathes new life into the area just off the EN125...
Praia da Rocha’s gardens undergoing much-needed renovation
A renovation project has begun at the iconic Santa Catarina Fortress gardens in Praia da Rocha – April 23, 2025 The municipal council of Portimão has announced the start of renovations on the gardens located next to the fortress overlooking Praia da Rocha. These gardens offer visitors stunning views of the popular beach and provide a rare green refuge in an otherwise urbanised tourism hotspot. The renovation project is being carried...
Discovering D’Arlete: Portimão’s friendly new eatery caters to gourmets hungry for contemporary cuisine and authentic flavours
Since D’Arlete opened its doors in January, tongues have been wagging for all the right reasons in Portimão – April 15, 2025 | Text Alexandra Stilwell Located at the top of Rua Santa Isabel, the small restaurant is injecting life into what was once the city’s shopping artery, offering a sophisticated yet relaxed culinary experience. The restaurant was founded by German chef Jan Stechemesser, his husband Robson, and their friend Vera...
