Portimão Council Launches Summer Holiday Programme for Local Children and Young People
Registrations open at 10am on 16 June for Portimão’s much-anticipated Summer Holidays initiative, offering over 2,500 places for children and young people across the municipality. The programme promises a wide range of activities designed to spark curiosity and provide enriching experiences through sport, culture, and environmental education.
Running from 30 June to 14 August, this municipal programme targets children and young people aged between 6 and 15, helping them make the most of their school break with structured, meaningful activities. The initiative includes sports, recreational outings, cultural enrichment, and civic and environmental awareness sessions, taking place across several key facilities including the Portimão Museum, the Manuel Teixeira Gomes Municipal Library, the Quinta Pedagógica de Portimão, and the TEMPO – Portimão Municipal Theatre.
Registrations will be available via the municipal platform at https://desporto.cm-portimao.pt/, with full details on activities, schedules and additional information published under Férias de Verão 2025. To streamline the registration process, the Municipality advises parents and guardians to review all relevant materials in advance, including the available registration tutorial.
Ensuring the wellbeing and safety of participants is a key priority. Activities are supervised by experienced municipal coordinators, supported by a team of 155 young monitors aged between 17 and 25, trained to guide and assist children in age-appropriate sessions throughout the summer.
The “Férias de Verão” programme is organised in partnership with local school clusters — Bemposta, Eng.º Nuno Mergulhão, Manuel Teixeira Gomes, Poeta António Aleixo and Júdice Fialho — as well as the borough’s parish councils. Principal sponsors for 2025 include EMARP and Zoomarine.
Sports Holidays
Aimed at children aged 6 to 15, the Férias Desportivas (Sports Holidays) programme offers a mix of individual and team sports, outdoor and aquatic activities, as well as exciting outings to water parks and inflatable play zones.
The sessions are divided into three periods:
- 30 June to 11 July
- 14 to 25 July
- 28 July to 14 August
Daily activities run from 9am to 5pm, with a lunch break between 12pm and 2:30pm.
The fee for each sports holiday slot is €30 and includes personal accident insurance, municipal transport (where necessary), and complimentary meals, a t-shirt, backpack, and cap.
Numerous local partners are involved in delivering the programme, including:
- Portimão Volunteer Fire Brigade
- Public Security Police (PSP)
- Portimão Tennis and Padel Club
- D. João II Naval Club – Alvor
- Portimão Naval Club
- Portimão Surf Club
- Portimonense Sporting Clube
- Portinado Swimming Association
- Portimão Hockey Club
- GEJUPCE – Gil Eanes Youth Association
- AlgarveGym Sports Club
- Portimão Judo Club
- Shotokan Karate School – Portimão Association
- Navibordo
- Portimão Marina
- Tic Tac – Mexilhoeira Sports Association
- Alvor Bowling
- Lagos Zoo
- Slide & Splash
The traditional closing celebration is scheduled for 6pm on 14 August at Portimão Arena, where participants, their families and the dedicated team of monitors will come together to mark the end of a memorable summer.
Cultural and Environmental Holidays
Running in parallel with the sports activities, the Férias Culturais e Ambientais (Cultural and Environmental Holidays) cater to children aged 6 to 12. These weekly themed sessions take place at the Portimão Museum, the Manuel Teixeira Gomes Library, the Quinta Pedagógica, and TEMPO theatre.
Each institution develops its own educational theme, which is explored through interactive and creative activities throughout the week. Sessions operate from 9am to 5pm, with a lunch break from 12pm to 2:30pm.
The cost is €20 per weekly slot, which includes accident insurance, lunch, and the standard programme kit (t-shirt, backpack, and cap).
Summer Holidays in Municipal Neighbourhoods
Reflecting the city’s multicultural character, Portimão Council also extends its summer programme to local social housing communities. Community centres in Coca Maravilhas, Cruz da Parteira, Mira Cabo and Pontal will host a range of activities tailored to the needs and interests of their young residents.
These initiatives, led by the municipality’s socio-community animation teams, include beach trips, swimming, nature walks and various games — designed to engage around 100 children and young people on a daily basis.
This community-based response plays a vital role during the school holidays, supporting working families and helping to reduce social risk by providing a safe and structured environment for young residents.
