LONG DISTANCE BUS (COACH) STATION IN PORTIMÃO - INFORMATION
The information has been obtained from printed
timetables and other local sources (like taking the bus) and is
given in good faith.
Regional and local buses use the stops in Avenida Guanaré by the river, close to Largo do Dique. Map here
A different bus station in Portimão, to the north of the city centre, is used by all LONG DISTANCE buses (coaches) to and from Lisbon, Seville etc also the Aerobus route 56 to and from the airport.
This outdoor facility is located in Rua da Abicada near the Portimão Arena. Map here. NB there is no 'shortcut' between the railway station and long distance bus station. it is about 500 metres walk. Four local 'Vai e Vem' bus routes stop at this out of town bus
station. Separate ticket is needed.Timetables and route
maps in detail here. They use
stop numbers 8, 10 or 12 inside the bus station. These are next
to each other.
Route 12 to Bemposta and Montes do Alvor (nb not Alvor itself) weekdays only, every 30 minutes at peak times, once an hour otherwise.
Route 37 to and from city centre (stops at Praça Manuel T. Gomes, very close to Largo do Dique) weekends and holidays only, once each hour. Fourteen minutes journey.
The stops are set out thus : Stops 1, 3, 5 and 7 Rede Expressos. Across on the other 'platform' ALSA at stop 2, Aerobus (VAMUS route 56) at stops 4 and 6, local Vai e Vem city buses at stops 8, 10 and 12 with Flixbus at stop 14. There is no information to tell you exactly where your bus will stop and no announcements, so keep your eyes open
Walking between the main bus station and Avenida Guanaré for regional buses.
There is NO signposted walking route to or from
this location. The walking route on my map is about 12 minutes
walk, flat and alongside the river. Checked and everything is OK
except that the way is closed between 2200 and 0700hrs in
winter. There is
now another way to walk. it goes over a new bridge, is a
little shorter but is not flat. That way is shown on Google
map here.
If
you don't want to pay for a taxi to travel 1.5km (a bit less
than a mile) and don't mind a walk, here's how to do it from the
place where local buses stop and most of the city centre. It is
flat and not unpleasant while you go alongside the river.First
head towards the two bridges, following the obvious marked paths
by the river. Go under the first (road) bridge then under the
second (railway) bridge. You will see a vast almost deserted car
park just to the left of you. Walk up the short ramp. Aim for
the left hand end of the big shiny building of the Portimão
arena.
You
will see buses in front of you, but that is not it. That's
the bus maintenance depôt. Follow the red brick road and you
will see a gate. It is open! Go through the gate and the bus
station entrance is directly in front of you. Inside is a ticket
office and small waiting area, toilets and 18 bus stops with a
roof.
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| If you get
off at Portimão's long distance bus station, here's how to
find the way to the centre once you have finished
wondering 'where on earth am I'? Some city buses stop
there - click or tap here. You can take a taxi, there is a taxi stand outside the gate. Or walk - read on! There are two ways to do this. Option 1 - Come out of the bus station, look to your left across the road and spot the green gate. Go through the gate and follow the red brick road towards the trees. - picture bottom right - and head towards the river when you get there. Once at the other end you will see the way of the path around by the river and under the bridges. Follow that down by the river and you will come out at the Largo Do Dique for the city centre and a short distance beyond In Avenida Guanaré (past the petrol / gas station) the stops buses for places like Monchique, Lagos, Ferragudo etc Option 2 - come out of the bus station and walk directly across the new bridge. When you get across, follow the road around to the left. As you go along, you will see the footpath in option 1 a little way off. You can either follow that down by the river, or stay on the road (Rua de São Josè) which becomes narrow and cobbled. It passes through a short tunnel and will bring you out by the river after that. This map shows the two ways. |
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RAILWAY STATION - if for any reason you need to
go to or from the railway station, this is a pain. It is
quite a walk because of the railway line and industrial
area in between. Come out of the bus station, turn left
towards the industrial area and follow the road to the
end, turn left and go over the railway level (grade)
crossing, then turn left again and keep going. It's
about a 10 minute walk and flat all the way. Coming from the railway station, turn right and follow the road to the end, turn right again, go over the crossing and turn right again. Walk past the industrial units and the bus company maintenance depôt. The bus station facility is ahead as you reach the end of the road. There is a signpost just past the railway line to
'Terminal Rodoviário'. Alternatively, you can turn left out of the railway
station, walk about 325 metres to the ne bridge, cross
the bridge and on the other side the long distance bus
station is in front of you. It is a fairly steep incline
up and over the bridge. Buses 30 runs every 30 minutes on weekdays only between
the railway station and the main bus station. Bus
37 runs once an hour in both directions between the two
on Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays. |
For a list of all the timetables on the site,
click here
For an alphabetical list of places in the Algarve, click here
For some important general notes about buses in the Algarve,
click here
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