Portimão town sits next to a sheltered natural harbour, just inside the mouth of the river, and is the biggest port in the Algarve. Phoenicians rowed their galleys up the river in search of minerals in ancient times. Crusaders sailed up to Silves to do battle in the Middle Ages.

Just downstream and outside the river estuary is Praia da Rocha, a prosperous area devoted solely to tourism. It has tall holiday apartment blocks which certainly give the place character, but the overwhelming feature of Praia da Rocha is the beach. The beach here is enormous, starting at a new marina and the remnants of 16 th century fortress which guarded the harbour.

A smaller beach called Praia do Vau is situated just beyond the far end of the larger one. Beyond that are rocky coves and then the coastline opens wide again with a vast expanse of sand in front of the ever-expanding village of Alvor.

Alvor has adapted from a fishing village to accommodate tourism. The village itself is situated slightly back from the beach and boasts a new, very attractive, wide esplanade in front of the fishing boats.

Laying back inland, the Serra de Monchique range takes its name from the same town, Monchique. Most of Monchique´s inhabitants make a living from processing or marketing local natural products. If you would like to sample the famous chicken piri-piri at one of the many restaurants in Monchique, it is well worth the drive to the top, perhaps stopping off for a drink on the way. The leafy little spa village of Caldas de Monchique is a popular stopping off place. It appears to be locked in a Victorian time-warp. The only places devoid of trees in this hilly area are the windswept summits around Fóia. At 902 metres, it is the highest peak of all the Algarve, almost as high as Mount Snowdon in Wales. You will encounter some magnificent scenery and fantastic views from the drive.