Porches still has a rural, sleepy feel about it, even though the village is alive with restaurants, cafés and the odd festival.
Whether you are planning to live and work in the Algarve, retire or invest, the region has something for all.
Porches is well placed in central Algarve, being close to an International School, Faro airport, public and private hospitals, and also a motorway network connecting the Algarve to the rest of Portugal and Spain. There are a few local shops in the village with various supermarkets nearby that cater to all tastes and diets. Markets offering fresh local products can be found in Lagoa and Armação de Pera.
Whilst infrastructure is important, so too is lifestyle and in the Algarve, you can enjoy whatever pace of life you prefer. The region offers year-round cultural events, an international racetrack, major golfing tournaments and much more for visitors and residents alike. With many of the Algarve’s beaches winning the Blue Flag the coast is an important asset for residents and a major tourist attraction.
The village of Porches is known for its pottery and in days gone by also for wine. Tennis clubs, various golf courses, cycling routes, diving centres, dance groups, various gyms and centres to enjoy yoga, tai chi etc are a short drive away plus great local areas for bird watching and the opportunity to enjoy walking trails. For those who prefer less energetic activities there are local choirs, amateur dramatic groups, bands and much more to keep you busy.
Most faiths are represented in the region offering the opportunity to worship locally.
Restaurants and bars
Porches has quite a few places to eat and drink with a far selection of bars, restaurants and cafés.
To download a guide to the Algarve’s wine, click here
For a Cataplana recipe book click here
For traditional Portuguese recipes download here
Shopping
There are a few local shops and a chemist in the village with various supermarkets close by in both Lagoa and Armação de Pera. With shopping malls in Portimão to the west and Algarve Shopping in Guia (near Albufeira) to the east shoppers will find all their favourite stores close by. With plenty of seats in the sun, restaurants and cafés and a multi-screen cinema located in Algarve Shopping, the late-night shopping means you can work or relax throughout the day.
Events
Throughout the year there are many fairs, festivals and shows, too many to list however, for up-to-date information on current events click here
History
An old Roman and medieval settlement known as Porches Velhos is thought to be the origin of what is now known as Porches, although there is evidence that there has been continuous occupation dating back to the Neolithic Age. With its narrow streets, friendly community and a sleepy nod to the past, the village is a haven of peace.
The parish church, Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Encarnação, was built in the 19th century on the site of an earlier building which was razed by the 1755 earthquake. The stations of the cross were designed by Patrick Swift, one of the founders of Olaria Algarve (Porches Pottery).
Built on a narrow promontory on the coast but still part of the Porches parish, the chapel of Our Lady of the Rock forms part of the now non-existant fort, Forte de Nossa Senhora da Rocha. The chapel has a large rectangular narthex (antechamber), open to the exterior, through a triple arcade of columns and two Corinthian capitals (chapiters) dating to the 3rd/4th century, an octagonal cupola and it also incorporates stones from Roman and medieval buildings found locally.
If you are feeling in need of an active history lesson, an interesting trail to follow in the Algarve is the Umayyad Route, the path which the Arabs travelled throughout the Iberian Peninsula and Europe starting in the 8th century through to the 13th.
For more information on the area click here