Portimao, Portugal

Portimao is one of the largest towns on the Algarve
and, since pre-Roman times, has survived and grown thanks to its
thriving fishing industry. Sitting on the Rio Arade estuary, it
is a large port and sardine-canning centre, and it's the river-front
gardens with their cafés and open-air restaurants - serving
the famous grilled sardines, or sardinhas - that hold most
charm for visitors. Just a few blocks inland you're in the narrow,
cobbled streets of Portimao's fishing past, and venture just 5 minutes
south of town and you'll be on one of the south coast's most beautiful
beaches, Praia da Rocha. A wide expanse of sand with a backdrop
of jagged sea cliffs and the walls of an old fort make this an ideal
place to relax after a day walking round town.