“This is possibly the only garden built in the centre of an Algarve town in the last 50 years,” says mayor Álvaro Bila
A new urban green space was unveiled on Saturday in the centre of Portimão, across the road from the municipal market.
The new green space features a variety of amenities, including a street workout area, a small amphitheatre, and free Wi-Fi access. Additionally, it showcases the historic Manueline stonework of the old Quinta do Morais, along with a restored water wheel and tank that have been integrated into the revitalised space.
The garden also incorporates native vegetation requiring minimal water, in line with efforts to reduce water consumption given the region’s ongoing drought struggle.
Promising to become a new vibrant outdoor area for the town, Jardim Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles is named after “one of the most notable Portuguese landscape architects” and an “emblematic figure in the defence of environmental sustainability and land planning.”
This project was inspired by a petition from philosophy students at local secondary school ESMTG, which was approved by Portuguese Parliament in 2023 and led to the establishment of a National Gardens Day on March 25, the date of Ribeiro Telles’ birth.
At Portimão’s recent Municipal Day celebrations on December 11, Portimão mayor Álvaro Bila spoke of the importance of the new green space.
“This may be the only garden built in the centre of an Algarve city in the last 50 years. The Jardim Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles restores a central space in the town, transforming it into a place of leisure and conviviality and into a source of pride for all Portimão residents,” Bila said.
The mayor also called on the community to care for the garden, ensuring it remains a welcoming refuge.
Jardim Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles was built on a plot of land which had been home to a ‘shanty town’ where a gypsy community lived for over 30 years. After years of promises to relocate the community and revitalise the area, the council finally moved forward with the demolition of the makeshift shacks in 2021, moving their residents into prefabricated homes in Vale da Arrancada, behind the Continente and Intermarché supermarkets in the northern section of town.
