Portimão advice request

[daydreamer62]

We have a 9 hour stop in Portimão on our June Oceania cruise. I have booked a half day excursion to Lagos and Caevoiero as both look delightful but I'm second guessing myself as I have booked more ship excursions on this cruise than I ever have before.We are a group of 6 . My husband and I are very experienced independent travellers but the other 4 people have not been to Europe before so they are relying on me as the ' camp mother '.  Would we find it just as  to spend the whole day in Portimão on our own maybe getting the ferry to Ferrugado or spend a couple of hours in Portimão and then the afternoon on the excursion to Lagos and Caevoiero 

[edinburgher]

On 1/16/2024 at 6:27 AM, daydreamer62 said:

Would we find it just as  to spend the whole day in Portimão on our own maybe getting the ferry to Ferrugado or spend a couple of hours in Portimão and then the afternoon on the excursion to Lagos and Caevoiero 

We didn't find Portimao itself very interesting although it is a good starting point for exploring the area.

 

We opted for Alvor, a really pretty historic fishing village only 10 or 15 minutes max by taxi from where cruise ships dock. It is touristy, yes, but not to the extent that it is spoiled if you were to go there in the morning as we did when it was relatively quiet.  It was a beautiful weather day and we  really enjoyed our time there.  The cruise line had offered a shorex of something like "pretty fishing villages" and we saw the coaches arrive at Alvor as we were leaving.  There will be lots to find about Alvor if you internet search Alvor Tourist Information, also check Tripadvisor, You Tube  and others for descriptions and images.

 

Here are some past threads about Portimao, some of which  you might find interesting to read.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=portimao&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=149

 

 

We explored Portimao itself for a couple of hours after returning from Alvor and were happy not to have spoent the entire day there.

 

Before deciding on a plan, you should internet search the usual tourist info websites, also tripadvisor, YouTube and others for Portimao to help you decide if there would be anything there of interest to you.

Edited January 17 by edinburgher

[daydreamer62]

Thanks. Yes I do a lot of research before travelling especially in YouTube but haven't found a great deal pertinent to shore excursions in this area per se

[edinburgher]

4 hours ago, daydreamer62 said:

but haven't found a great deal pertinent to shore excursions in this area per se

Possibly because it can be quite straightforward to visit some (although not all) locations independently? taxis and public buses and trains are options if a car rental isn't for you. Cruise passengers are only a very small percentage of the overall number of visitors to the area, the majority of whom will be land based in hotels and/or villas.

 

Perhaps also that during the pandemic, to have an income, many in the tourism sector left to take alternative work and have not returned, so the number of tour operators may be fewer than previously, (this is a common theme on the N. Europe/Baltic forum).and in common with air fares and hotels, prices have risen. 

Edited January 17 by edinburgher