Portimão, located on the River Arade estuary, is a port town and is relatively big for the Algarve. Known for its fishing and canning industry, Portimão is not really considered a tourist destination by most people although it is quite lovely, offering a good selection of restaurants and shops, places of historical interest, gorgeous vistas from the high ground, and a very large, sandy beach.
In the center of town, it is easy to while away hours wandering the narrow streets, perusing quaint stores (lojas) purveying myriad goods, many produced by local artisans. One such loja is Atelier 1+1, owned by a married couple who create pieces of art for the home. Jennifer has become one of their best customers!
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Located on a hill with a commanding view of the town center and estuary is the 15th century Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Conceição (Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception) and a couple of hundred kilometers away is the Praça da República featuring the Convento do Colégio dos Jesuitas (Convent of the Jesuit College). And close by, an old disused chimney provides the perfect location for a stork's nest.
The boardwalk is spacious and offers a lovely walk alongside the estuary, although it affords little shade in the summer. Its decorative pavement, or calçada, consists of individually-laid stones and is ubiquitous in Portugal. A pedestrian precinct or boardwalk is called a calçadão.
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The 15th century Forteza da Santa Catarina de Ribamar, built to defend the port and town from pirates, and its adjacent viewing area or belvedere (miradour) provide a panoramic vista over the estuary and Praia da Rocha to the Atlantic.
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