Visit Silves & Explore the Arade River | Eco-Friendly Solar Boat

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خط السير

1. We will departure from the Pier A, at Marina de Portimão.

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2. In Ferragudo, located in a strategic location on the bank of the River Arade, is the fort of São João, whose origin dates back to the 17th century. This fort cooperated with the Fort of Santa Catarina, which was in front of it in Portimão, in defense of the river estuary. Rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake, this military construction continued to be used until the end of the 19th century, when it was sold at public auction, and acquired by the poet Coelho Carvalho who transformed it into a private residence. The fort is well maintained and in addition to a wall that connects Angrinha beach to Praia Grande, it also has several guardhouses and a garden.

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3. The Convent of São Francisco is an architectural complex from the 16th century, developed from a set of houses that were donated by Simão Correia, captain of Azamor, who had also built a small Chapel in honor of Nossa Senhora da Esperança, as a thank you for protection of God in wars. The buildings are harmoniously interconnected. The convent was built later, in 1541. Currently, in Portimão it is a property of public interest, but it is owned by private individuals, with no access to visits and in an advanced state of degradation.

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4. Portimão Museum is located in the century-old fish canning factory Feu Hermanos, located on the city's riverside area.

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5. This is the oldest bridge of Portimão that establishes the road connection between Portimão and Parchal (municipality of Lagoa). In the last quarter of the 19th century, the riverside area saw its landscape transformed with the construction of a river embankment started in 1863, with a view to the introduction of the road bridge, built by the French company Five Lille, under the direction of engineer Bonnet. Started in January 1875 and completed in April 1876, its construction together with the neighboring railway bridge is a good example of iron architecture in the Algarve.

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6. The metallic railway bridge was built between 1915 and 1919, by the Empresa Industrial Portuguesa, measuring 300 m in length and consisting of 6 spans with iron arch beams, based on stonework pillars. Its inauguration on July 30, 1922, allowed the extension of the railway line, from Tunes to Lagos.

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7. It is one of the structures that crosses the Arade River, located between Calvário and Companheira. It was completed in 1999 and is the main point of connection for the Portimão and Lagoa councils, forming part of the EN 125.

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الإلغاء

إلغاء مجاني حتى 24 ساعة قبل بدء التجربة، مع استرداد كامل.

المراجعات

التقييمات مبنية على 215 مراجعة جمعها شريك الحجز لدينا. وهي كلمات المسافرين أنفسهم بالترتيب الذي كُتبت به، ولا يُعاد ترتيبها لتجميل التجربة.

نعرض المراجعات المكتوبة بالإنجليزية.

• 5Solar Powered Boat makes for a great tour

  One of the best tours I’ve been on. It wasn’t exciting, it was relaxing with an immersion in the nature of the Arade River. We spotted various birds, including flamingos, egrets and herons. Silves is a lovely little village that in itself would be worth a 1/2 day trip. Our captain and guide, Marcelo was terrific, he shared a lot about the history of the area, as well as the current challenges of the fishing industry. He was entertaining, has a great sense of humor and showed interest and attention to each of the participants. Another bonus was that because the boat is solar powered, it was quiet and no gas fumes. The company’s commitment to the environment is clear.

  Z5982CMcarolaسبتمبر 2026عبر Tripadvisor

• 5Fabulous trip

  My wife and I have been on this trip previously and enjoy taking friends again. Lovely listening to the local knowledge of the area as you proceed to and from Silves During this trip we had a particularly good skipper-Marcelo. Very knowledgeable, very good humoured, very conscious of the environment and wildlife. Whilst the previous skippers were very good, Marcelo was excellent. Enough time in Silves for a great lunch at the local chicken piri piri restaurant- only €50 for 4 including drinks, Olives, Bread, chicken, fries and tomato salad👏👏👏👏. Fabulous trip.

  A1D1G1سبتمبر 2026عبر Tripadvisor

• 5Fantastic day out and fantastic guide

  This was a fantastic trip, Marcelo our tour guide/driver was amazing, so friendly and shared lots of info about Portuguese culture, including places to eat and drinks to try. Would 100 percent recommend it 🤩

  Sara_dسبتمبر 2026عبر Viator

• 5Do not miss this excursion.

  Do not miss this excursion!. We booked through Viator and although there was an amendment to the day of the trip everything went perfectly. Easy to book and very clear instructions as to the pick up point, we were met by Pedro, our Captain who was the ultimate professional all day. The 90 minute journey to Silves was excellent with detailed local and historical information by Pedro, and no engine noise as this was a solar powered Eco boat which was completely silent. There were eight passengers on board, and we were given clear safety instructions before leaving Portimao. As we were familiar with Silves and the castle and cathedral, my wife and I went for lunch and returned 90 minutes later for the return in order to catch the tide back, which is crucial to this trip. On board Pedro served us a glass of wine and even detoured to the harbour at Ferragudo to show us this nearby town across the Arade. All in all, a fantastic day spent with friendly passengers and Pedro, an exceptional captain and great guy! Book now.

  C2171SEalanlسبتمبر 2026عبر Tripadvisor

• 5Brilliant afternoon trip!

  Brilliant afternoon trip. Marcel the guide was incredible. He was so knowledgeable throughout the whole journey. Great to be sustainable too. Trip was a whole hour longer than specified but it didn’t bother us as we had a great time.

  KatharineWeسبتمبر 2026عبر Tripadvisor

• 5Great trip

  Wonderful relaxing experience. Sunday is quiet in Silves but there is enough open to keep you occupied. The boat was very comfortable and our guide Marcelo was excellent. He was warm, funny and very knowledgeable. A wonderful afternoon and we would highly recommend it

  Jacqui_mسبتمبر 2026عبر Viator

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How it compares in Portimão

• Its from-price is 23% below the median of the 314 experiences we list in Portimão.
• It is longer than most of them.
• By number of reviews it ranks 30 of 314.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Portimão

Portimão is a river port and fishing town on the western Algarve, with sardine grills by the quay and the sandy bays and red cliffs of Praia da Rocha.

Portimão sits at the mouth of the Arade River, and its long history of fishing and fish canning shaped the town. The old cannery now houses the town's museum, which records that trade, and the riverfront quay has rows of grills where sardines are cooked in the open air. Across the water is Ferragudo, a village of white houses with the Santa Catarina fortress at the river mouth.

Top-ranked sights in Portimão: Museu de Portimao, Autódromo Internacional do Algarve.

See all 314 experiences in Portimão