Ferragudo

A beautiful village, tipped to be one of the Algarve’s new hot spots

Many of the houses in Ferragudo are traditional fisherman’s homes and it is a really picturesque scene when you arrive to see the whitewashed houses on the hillside and people sitting outside the cafés around the village square having a drink and relaxing in the sun.

Ferragudo runs along the side of the Rio Arade, on the opposite side to Portimão. There is a narrow riverlet which leads up to the main cobbled square, Praça Rainha Dona Leonor. This is a lovely spot to enjoy your morning coffee, lunch or some live music in the evening. There are lots of café’s lining the square and little shops, larger restaurants, bars and a hairdressers leading off from the centre.

As you move away from the town centre there are beautiful villas higher up and a lighthouse down a one-way track towards the coast on Ponta do Altar. From the point beside the lighthouse there is a fantastic view of Portimão, the Monchique hills and the sea stretching into the distance.

There are some lovely beaches in Ferragudo but it is worth exploring to find some lesser known ones – you’ll find signposts for the beaches and several beach bars and restaurants as you travel around.