Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 282 405 030;
www.hoteisalgarvesol.pt
;
Rua 5 de Outubro 26; s/d €69/85; )
Rooms here have a
snazzy design, with contemporary fittings and abundant natural light. Each floor has a col-
our scheme, from lilac to green.
Eating & Drinking
The fountain-lined pedestrian street Rua Direita, about 300m west of the river, is a good
destination for restaurant browsing. For open-air seafood grub, head to Largo da Barco - a
strip of restaurants under the arches of the bridge - where for decades, charcoal-grilled
sardines and barbecued fish were enjoyed by hungry fishermen and, in more recent years,
hoards of visitors (OK, tourists).
A Casa da Isabel
(
www.acasadaisabel.com
;
Rua Direita 61; 9am-8pm, to midnight Jul-Aug)
This pleasant little tea room is
housed in a lovely tile-fronted mansion and churns out a mouthwatering array of conven-
tual desserts, plus a range of teas.
PATISSERIE
€
Taska Porta Velha
( 918 053 169; Travessa Manuel Dias Barão; tapas €5-10; 10pm-4am Mon-Sat)
This atmospheric bar is
the kind of place you can kick back and relax in. It's been lovingly restored and decorated;
spread across several rooms are antique knick-knacks and modern artworks. The tables
are made of wood and stone slabs and in one room the ceiling is made entirely of corks.
Petiscos
(snacks) and drinks only. It's near the modern square (an extension of Rua
Direita).
BAR
Information
There are several banks with ATMs around the riverside Praça Manuel Teixeira Gomes.
Municipal turismo
( 282 430 165;
www.cm-portimao.pt
;
Plaza 1 de Dezembro; 10am-7pm Mon-Sat)
Por-
timão's information office is housed in the wonderful Teatro Municipal de Portimão
('TEMPO'). Ask about performances.
Getting There & Around
BUS
Local buses (known as the
rede urbana,
or urban network) shuttle between Praia da
Rocha and Portimão (€1.50) at least hourly.
