Portimão

Sister cities

• Buba
• Guanare
• São Vicente
• Vila Real
• Villemomble

History

The area was settled during the prehistoric epoch: the Cynetes, influenced by the Celts and Tartessos lived in the Algarve for many centuries. In the area of Alcalar there are several remnants of Neolithic funerary sites of which only one, Alcalar monument number seven, comprising a circular chamber composed of schist stone and long corridor, remains. Comparable to western European and Irish monuments, the funeral crypt, with two lateral ritual niches, was protected by a tumulus: a similar site exists in Monte Canelas. The mouth of the Arade River proved an important natural shelter that soon became a small commercial port for the Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians. The Carthaginians founded two settlements nearby in the mid-6th centuryBC, known by their Roman names and ("Hannibal's Port"). The former was the nucleus of present-day Portimão. Obvious vestiges of the Roman occupation are situated near Figueira, at Quinta da Abicada, in the confluence of two rivers, where the remains of various rooms were unearthed. Also, in the area of Coca Maravilhas was discovered a well-preserved period cistern, while along the Arade River there have been identified gold coins. In the 5th century, the Algarve was ruled by the Visigoths until the arrival of the Moors. It was during the Moorish occupation that the settlement changed to . The river and its ocean access to the ancient city of Shilb (Silves), then capital of the Arabian Algarve. Along with Silves and Alvor, the small fishing centre in Portimão was reconquered in 1249 from the Arabs by Knights of the Order of Santiago and forcibly integrated into the fledgling Kingdom of Portugal, during the reign of Afonso III of Portugal. Due to the constant raids of pirates, the coastal area of Portimão was considered unsafe to…

Geography

The municipality is located on the western southern coast of the Algarve, bordering the municipalities of Lagos, Lagoa, Monchique and Silves. The geographical distribution of the altitude and relief of the municipality of Portimão generically follow the three types of territory present in the Barlavento: the coastal region, the Barrocal (a region between the coastal region and the mountains) and the mountains up north. Each one with their own geological, morphological and pedagogical characteristics. The badlands of Ponta João D'Arens host several species of birds and the Ria de Alvor dunes allow the existence of a marshland and estuary, on which a great diversity of species depend, both fauna and flora, as well as the communities of fishermen and local shellfishers. Portimão is crossed by the Arade River. Portimão has a hot-summer mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa) with hot dry summers and mild wet winters moderated by the Atlantic Ocean. The lowest temperature the city has ever experienced was in January 1976. Along with other municipalities in the Algarve, Portimão is very sunny, averaging over 3,000 hours of sunshine a year. The average sea temperature is around in winter and in the summer. Portimão receives approximately 300 to 350 mm of precipitation yearly. The wettest months are November, December, and January, while the driest months are June, July, and August. The city has an average of 8 to 11 rainy days per month during the wet season. * Alvor (6,154 inhabitants, 2011) * Mexilhoeira Grande (4,029 inhabitants, 2011) * Portimão (45,431 inhabitants, 2011) The municipality is primarily serviced by the A22 motorway (the Via do Infante), and the E.N.125 roadway that links it directly to the communities of Alvor (), Mexilhoeira Grande () and Praia da…