Things to do in Praia da Rocha

Leisure activities in the Praia da Rocha area

• Hotel Algarve Casino: A daily show, dinner, dancing and maybe try your luck! Tel: 282 402 000
  
  
• Slide and Splash water park near Lagoa operates from the beginning of April to the end of October. It opens daily at 10am and closes between 5pm and 6pm depending on the time of year.
• Aqualand (The Big One): Water park near Alcantarilha. Open from 26th May to 12th September (2008) 10.00h to 18.00h.
• Parque Zoológico de Lagos (Zoo Lagos) - a beautiful zoo, just on the outskirts of Lagos. It is a fantastic day out for all ages, with lots of lovely animals.
  Open all year round, 7 days a week.
  Winter (from the 1st of October to the 31st of March) 10.00am – 5.00pm
  Summer (from the 1st April to the 30th September) 10.00am – 7.00pm
  Quinta Figueiras – Sítio do Medronhal
  Barão de S.João
  8600-013
  Tel: 282 680 100
  
   
• Zoomarine at Guia (10km from Albufeira): It's open all year round and is a great day out for the family with dolphin and sealion shows, birds of prey demonstrations and tropical birds show. It's both educational and fun. There are places to eat and drink, and also some fun rides like the pirate ship and water flume and pools to cool off in!
  Opening hours are 10.00h to 17.00h in the winter (closed Mondays in January and February); 10.00h to 18.00h mid March to end of June and 10.00h to 19.30h during the summer.
  
  
• Dolphin watching:
  Sea Life, Tel: 919 919 200
  Seafaris, Tel: 282 799 209
• Diving:
  Sub Nauta in Praia da Rocha
  Blue Ocean Divers in Lagos
  Dive Time in Lagos
  Divers cove at Praia do Carvoeiro
  Tivoli Almansor Dive Centre at Praia do Carvoeiro
• Golf: 'Alto', 'Morgado' and 'Penina' are the nearest courses
• Boat trips up the Arade river from Portimão river front to Silves, with a stop over of just over an hour to make the return journey while the tide is high enough. 
  
  
• Santa Bernarda pirate ship trips to the caves from Portimão river front.
   Tel: 282 422 791
  
  
• Wine tasting tours:
  Adega Cooperativa de Lagoa 
  09:00 – 12:00 and 14:00 – 18:00.
  Contact details : E.N. 125, Lagoa 8400-901.
  Tel. +351 282 342 181
  Fax +351 282 342 369

Areas of interest in and around Praia da Rocha

• Shopping in Portimão town centre

  Portimão is excellent for shopping, lots of boutiques and bag and shoe shops, some lovely perfumery shops and a variety of cafés for the non-shoppers to rest at!
  
  

   

Churches in the Praia da Rocha area

• Chapel in the Fortress of Santa Catarina de Ribamar at the eastern end of the Tomás Cabreira avenue
  
  

• Portimão church (right) originally 14th century but as with so many buildings in the Algarve it had to be rebuilt after the earthquake in 1755
  
  

• 16th century church in Alvor which overlooks the harbour (the doorway is Manueline)
  
  

• Mexilhoeira Grande parish church - 16th century

Galleries and Museums in the Praia da Rocha area

• Municipal museum: Antiga Fábrica Feu, Rua D. Carlos I, Portimão.
  Casa - Museu Manuel Teixeira Gomes, Rua Júdice Biker, Portimão. Now converted to a museum it is the former home of Portimão's most famous son - he was president of Portugal in 1923.
  Opening hours: 11.00h to 13.00h and 15.00h to 19.00h

• Núcleo Etnográfico: At the old railway station in Mexilhoeira Grande - with exhibits showing the rural way of life around the Alvor estuary.

• EMARP gallery: Rua José António Marques, 17, Portimão.
  Opening hours: Monday to Friday 08.30h to 17.00h. (closed weekends and holidays)

• Museu Digo Gonçalves: Avenida São João de Deus, Portimão. - exhibitions of paintings and sculptures. The museum is in the old Jesuit College building.
  Opening hours: Monday to Friday 09.30h to 12.30h and 14.00h to 17.30h. (Closed weekends and holidays)

• Information centre at Alcalar: Information about the pre-historic megaliths at Alcalar.(signposted from the EN125 on the way to Lagos) 
  Opening hours: 09.30h to 12.30h and 14.00h to 18.00h (April to September), 14.00h to 17.00h (October to March). Closed Mondays and Good Friday, Easter Sunday, 1st May and Christmas Day 

Historical remains in the Praia da Rocha area

• Fortaleza de Santa Catarina at the eastern end of Tomás Cabreira avenue: Built in the early 17th century and overlooking the mouth of the river Arade. It is a fantastic  viewpoint as you can see across to Ferragudo in one direction, all along Praia da Rocha in the other direction and the modern Portimão marina just below it.
  
  

• Neolithic burial site at Alcalar: Signposted from EN125 towards Lagos.

• Roman villa remains - Quinta da Abicada: It is signposted from the EN 125 in Figueira (between Portimão and Lagos)