The information has been obtained from printed
timetables and other local sources (like taking the bus) and is
given in good faith.
The stopping place for Rede Expressos, Mundial Turismo, RENEX,
Flixbus and other long distance services is the Bus Station in
Rua da Abicada. This is 1.5km from the town centre. All services
to and from Lisbon, Seville etc stop there. This bus station is
also used by the 'Aerobus' to and from Faro and Faro Airport via
Lagoa and Albufeira.
Map here.
Other relevant information is here
All regional buses stop in Avenida Guanaré by the river. Most of
the local Vai e Vem buses stop at Largo do Dique close by.
Portimão is linked with the rest of
the Algarve by the inter-urban and long distance bus routes listed
above.
The railway station is just to the north of the city centre, with
trains along the Algarve route and connections with Lisbon via
Tunes.
Long-distance buses (coaches to UK readers) run to Lisbon and more distant parts
including Seville. These use a
different bus station to the regional buses. See below.
Alameda square in Portimão
The city of Portimão and its suburbs are served by a network of
mini-bus routes under the banner ‘Vai e Vem’. Service starts at
0700 and finishes between 1930 and 2000hrs. On December 24th
service ends at around 1900hrs. In summer there are later buses
between Portimão and Alvor, but not elsewhere. Most of the buses
used are electric. The operator on behalf of Portimão Council is
Sandbus, a subsidiary of the Grupo Barraqueiro, a nationwide
operator of trains and buses. .jpg)
At weekends and public holidays some
routes have very limited service, several have none at all. The
mini-buses used for some journeys are inadequate at busy periods
(school start and finish times) so be prepared for overcrowding
and even for a full-up bus sailing past your stop. They do have
larger buses used at busy times on some routes.
.jpg)
These buses do not go across the river to Ferragudo etc!
The links below are to the official timetables. Timetables and
maps are displayed at bus stops (although when I was there not at
the stop outside the railway station!) and are annotated in
Portuguese and English.
The various routes, their stops and detailed timetables are
available from the bus operator website here.
For as complete network map, click or tap here.
External link - view and save as required.
Most routes serve the Largo do Dique in the City Centre,
by the river. The Alameda, served by routes 14 and 33, is the
large square in the older part of the city about 5 minutes walk
from Largo do Dique.
Inbound buses that stop at the Centro de Saúde (Health Centre)
stop at the city market outbound. The Health Centre is a short
walk from the market.
In Praia da Rocha,
inbound Vai e Vem route 33 buses stop at the Hotel Jupiter, Hotel
Oriental and the Fortaleza. They return via a parallel street
without stopping. VAMUS buses stop outside Clube Praia da Rocha.
The 1P route between Portimão city centre and Alvor via Praia do
Vau has late evening service in July, August and until the second
weekend of September This is now the only route operating after
about 2000hrs.
In Alvor all buses in
all directions call at the bus stop at the large roundabout
junction at the entrance to the village. Some Vai e Vem routes
stop elsewhere. There is a local agent selling Vai e Vem bus
passes called Papelaria d'el Rei nearby at Rua Marquês de Pombal,
nº 3. Open every day in summer, closed on Sundays and Holidays
during winter.
CRUISE LINER SHUTTLE - the port of Portimão operates
shuttle buses as required between the cruise dock and the city
centre at Largo do Dique. The distance is about 1 mile / 1.6km, is
flat and easily walkable.
ON VAI E VEM BUSES SUMMER TIMES
APPLY DURING JULY, AUGUST AND UNTIL THE SECOND SUNDAY OF
SEPTEMBER.
Make sure you are looking at the correct times.
The diagram below shows the main routes likely to be used by
visitors. The official timetables show the Main (long distance)
Bus Station as Gare Rodoviária de Portimão. This is NOT THE SAME
PLACE as used by regional buses. They are 1.5km apart, Look here for more.
Click the diagram to see
it full size. There is no direct Vai e Vem service between Alvor
and the eastern end of Praia da Rocha.
Route 13 is the quickest route between Portimão and Alvor, but does not run at weekends nor on public holidays. At weekends and holidays it is Route 1P that you need - see below.
Route 13 - City (Largo
do Dique) - Tres Bicos - Bemposta - Hospital Particular - Alvor
Roundabout every 30 minutes
WEEKDAYS ONLY. For weekend service on this route, see route 16 below.
Route 14 Alameda
- Portimonense Stadium (outbound only) - Poeta António Meixo
School - Vale França - Praia do Vau - Clube Prainha - Torralta
(Dom Jõao II Hotel) - Alvor Praia (beach) - Alvor Centro. Runs via
Alvor Praia in this direction only. To go from there to Praia do
Vau etc take the inbound bus and go via Alvor Centro (Rotunda /
Roundabout) runs every 30 minutes on WEEKDAYS
ONLY. For weekend and holiday
service see route 1P below.
Route
33 City Centre (Alameda) - Portimonense Stadium
(outbound only) - Largo do Dique (for other local and regional
buses) - Praia da Rocha (Fortaleza) - buses go via the marina only
during summertime.
DAILY /DIAREMENTE/TOUS LES JOURS/TÄGLICH.
Frequent service between Largo do Dique and Praia da Rocha
every 15 - 30 minutes in summer, every 30 minutes in winter
all year from Alameda, less frequent from there in summer.
Timetable in full on the official website here, my summary timetable and
route diagram here.
Route 35 Ladeira do Vau - Hospital - Cardosas - City
(Largo do Dique) - Jardins da Rocha - Praia do Vau runs every 25
minutes at peak times, every 40 minutes otherwise. Runs on weekdays only
OTHER WEEKDAY ROUTES - these DO NOT RUN AT WEEKENDS OR ON PUBLIC
HOLIDAYS.
The Cardosas stop is very near the Aqua Shopping centre.
Route 11 - Penina Church
- Vale das Hortas - Sesmarias - Centro de Saúde - Poeta Ant. Meixo
School - Praia da Rocha (Fortaleza) runs about every 45
minutes, except only goes to Penina and Vale das Hortas eight
times a day. On schooldays, many buses take diversions off the
main route via various schools.
Route 12 - Main Bus
Station (Rua Abicada) - Centro de Saúde - Bemposta - Montes do
Alvor (near the aerodrome) every 30 minutes during peak hours,
every 60 minutes otherwise.
Route 15 - Campanheira -
Hospital - Penina - Montes de Alvor - Alvor Roundabout - Alvor
Praia (beach) runs seven times a day at irregular intervals.
Campanheira is served only twice a day with extra buses when
schools are closed.
Route 21N
- Largo do Dique - Chão das Donas - Penina - Figueira -
Mexilhoeira Grande - Monte Ribeiro - Alcalar - Moinho da
Rocha - Vale das Eiras three buses each way plus extra buses on
schooldays. Routes 21P and 21S
run between other parts of Portimão and those areas, two or three
times each weekday. VERY complicated timetables!
Route 31 - City (Largo do
Dique) - Market - Railway Station - Aqua Shopping - Main Bus
Station
Route 32 - City (Largo do
Dique) - Rua Infante d'Henrique - Railway Station - Main Bus
Station - Hospital every 15 minutes at peak times, every 30
minutes 1000 - 1700.
Route 34 - SCHOOLDAYS ONLY
- Campanheira - Hospital - Cardosas - Centro do Saúde - various
schools - Bemposta eight journeys at irregular intervals.
Route 36 - Poeta Ant.Meixo
School - Centro do Saúde (City Health Centre) - Portimão Retail
Center - Chão das Donas - Alfarrobeiras. Every 45 minutes, except
that Alfarrobeiras is served only eight times a day, one bus about
every 90 minutes.
THESE ROUTES RUN ONLY ON SATURDAYS, SUNDAYS AND
HOLIDAYS
Route 1P - City
Centre (Largo do Dique) - Portimonense Stadium - Jardins da
Rocha - Praia do Vau - Clube Prainha - Torralta Hotel Dom João II
- Alvor Praia - Alvor Centro (Roundabout). (via Alvor Praia
in this direction only. To go to Praia do Vau etc from Alvor
Praia, take the inbound bus and go via Alvor Centro.) Every 30
minutes in summer, every 60 minutes in winter. Late night service
until 2330 from Portimão, midnight from Alvor during July, August
and for the first two weeks of September. Complete timetable on
the official website here.
Route 16 - same as route
13 above but extended to also serve Montes de Alvor near the
aerodrome. Five buses each way. Last bus from Portimão 1700, from
Montes do Alvor at 1730.
Route 37 - Ladeira do Vau - Hospital - Cardosas - Aqua
Shopping - Main Bus Station - Railway Station - Centro do Saúde -
Portimonense - Praça Manuel T. Gomes
(close to Largo do Dique) Runs every 60 minutes between
the Hospital and Praça Manuel T. Gomes, less often at Ladeira do
Vau.
Route 38 - City (Largo do
Dique) - Centro do Saúde (Health Centre) - Sesmarias - Chão das
Donas - Alfarrobeiras. Six buses each way.
Vai e Vem tickets are NOT valid on VAMUS buses, nor vice-versa.
The current official fares leaflet can be downloaded here. Fares below apply until further
notice. Contactless payments are NOT accepted.
Cash fare is €1,65 for any single journey. A pre paid card (costing €3) can be loaded with cash which reduces the fare to €0,90. Card is available at VAMUS points of sale and maybe someday at the website or VAMUS app. There is no discount for seniors or children except for residents. Children under 3 travel free.
Visitor tickets
A 1 day pass costing €3,55 can be bought on the bus. Three day passes at €7 and weekly passes at €14 are available. These can be purchased at ticket offices, via the VAMUS website or using their app. The cost of the card is included. A one month pass is €19,30, loaded onto a rechargeable card which itself costs €5. Perhaps to be made available via the VAMUS website and app.Portimão's old 'bus station' used by VAMUS
regional buses is an open air facility along Avenida Guanaré, near
the Largo de Dique, which is not far from the old bridge over the
river and the main city centre shopping area. The VAI E VEM city
buses stop in Largo do Dique itself.
The bus stops at Avenida Guanaré are numbered 1 to 5, with 5
being the one nearest the Repsol filling station. I have used
these references. To confuse matters, the old bus stop signs were
still in place at the time of my most recent visit. There are two
stops at Largo do Dique, about 50 metres apart.
Check which stop your bus leaves from. The bus stops are fairly
clearly labelled as to the destinations served. There is no
waiting room etc. There is small shop and café attached to the
Repsol Garage (filling station). Inbound local buses from Lagoa
and Ferragudo don't turn immediately towards the Largo do Dique.
They go along the Rua Infante de Henrique as shown, before
embarking on a tour around the city. If it's the city centre shops
you want, get off at the first stop after crossing the bridge.
ALL LONG DISTANCE BUS / COACH
SERVICES AND THE AEROBUS TO AND FROM FARO AIRPORT NOW CALL ONLY
AT THE 'MAIN' BUS STATION which is 1.5km (nearly a mile)
from the town centre. CLICK
FOR MAP. More information here.
Local bus routes 12, 31, 32 (weekdays) also 37 (weekends and
holidays) stop inside the main bus station, stop number 12.
Regional buses eg to / from from Albufeira, Faro and Lagos do not
go there, except for Aerobus, route 56.
PORTIMÃO'S SHOPPING CENTRES BUS CONNECTIONS
Portimão has several retail parks and shopping centres around the
edges of the city. Most of the buses mentioned below DO NOT run at
weekends.
Portimão Retail Centre
and the nearby Vila Marché shopping centre are served by routes
31,32, 34, 36 and 37, also VAMUS bus route 80 from Lagos via
Mexilhoeira Grande.
The Continente Portimão
Cabeço do Mocho hypermarket in Rua das Papoilas is passed by
route 21 and 36, also VAMUS route 80 bus to and from Lagos.
The Center Comercial
Continente on Rua São Lourenço de Barrosa is served only by
route 36.
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
Back to the main page