“Neglected areas are a priority” – Álvaro Bila
Álvaro Bila, Portimão mayor and Socialist Party (PS) candidate in the upcoming local elections, has shared his vision for the municipality, which includes major investments in new roads, substantial public space revamps, new beach lifts and parking for Praia da Rocha, an electric shuttle linking Portimão and Lagoa, and new tourist developments.
Portimão’s future is looking brighter than it has in over a decade. After years of financial hardship, brought on by massive debt, the western Algarve municipality has exited its Municipal Adjustment Plan – 19 years ahead of schedule – and is looking to the coming years with renewed optimism.
With local elections just around the corner, current mayor Álvaro Bila is seeking to remain in office with the backing of the Socialist Party (PS) – which has won every single local election in Portimão since Portugal embraced democracy following the Carnation Revolution of 1974.
New roads and public space revamps
In an exclusive interview with Barlavento, Bila has revealed his plans for the municipality, which include major investments in new roads, breathing new life into public spaces, developing a new Municipal Master Plan (PDM) to pave the way for the borough’s growth, creating more affordable housing for young people and boosting the municipality’s cultural scene.
Acting quickly to renovate some of the city’s most neglected areas is among the priorities outlined by Bila. “There are areas of the city that cannot continue as they are,” he admits. The sprawling yet rundown Gil Eanes square is set for a facelift, Bila says, with a tender due to be launched soon. The square near the local train station is also due to undergo renovations, and a major revamp is being prepared for Portimão’s Manuel Teixeira Gomes secondary school.
Bila also aims to address Portimão’s traffic woes with the construction of the new V2 avenue which will link the busy Paul Harris and Gil Vicente avenues. A tender for its construction is due to be launched soon after “all the environmental matters are clarified and safeguarded, namely those related to the linaria algarviana” – a species of plant native to the Algarve, belonging to the figwort family and included in the Natura 2020 network.
Meanwhile, contractors have already been assigned to the construction of a new road linking the EN125 national road to the town’s Vale da Arrancada industrial area. “These new roads will divert a lot of traffic away from the Cardosas roundabout, especially heavy vehicles, and the V6 avenue,” Bila says.
Praia da Rocha to gain new parking and beach lifts
Praia da Rocha is arguably Portimão’s biggest tourism asset, attracting scores of holidaymakers every year. To ensure it stays this way, Bila believes the area should have an “annual investment programme for the renovation of public spaces.” As he puts it, “we cannot ruin our crown jewel.”
One of the main projects in the works involves building a multistorey car park on council-owned land to facilitate access to the tourist hotspot. The council is also developing plans to build two beach lifts at Praia da Rocha, one near the former Paquito restaurant (near the main bar strip) and the other near the Santa Catarina fortress – which is finally due for a facelift.
Bila is also committed to strengthening cultural tourism, with plans to establish a museum of sacred art at the former building of the Portimão parish council, featuring assets from the Portimão Matriz church parish. Further plans include the restoration of the historic Casa Manuel Teixeira Gomes and the old customs building, transforming them into vibrant cultural spaces.
Meanwhile, the PS council’s strategy of hosting large-scale events – criticised by opposition parties – will continue, Bila says, defending that financial returns from the events far outweigh the sums invested.
Room for Portimão to grow
Portimão’s new Municipal Master Plan (PDM), due to be ready by the end of the 2025, is set to pave the way for further urban development, says Bila, adding that there is room for the expansion of new urban areas between Portimão and Alvor. “This document will clearly and transparently define the evolution of the municipality in the coming years.
“It is fundamental to attract and keep young people in the centre of the city,” Bila says, stressing that providing them with more affordable housing will be a priority.
While these projects are no longer expected to be funded through Portugal’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) due to recent changes to the scheme, the government has told Portimão council that “alternative sources of funding will be found”.
One project that is certain to bring younger generations to Portimão is the new University of Algarve (UAlg) campus in Barranco do Rodrigo. The construction of the campus is the “first priority”, says Bila, although land is already set aside for university residences, if needed. The council is also ready to collaborate with private developers interested in building residences geared specifically towards university students, he says.
Reinvigorating Alvor aerodrome
Bila is also focused on strengthening Portimão’s civil protection infrastructure. Apart from extending beach surveillance to periods outside the busy summer season, his plans include acquiring a new aerial ladder truck for emergency response and upgrading the Senhora de Verde emergency response unit to enhance its operational capacity.
Simultaneously, improvements at the Alvor aerodrome are in progress. “We want civil protection aircraft to have dignified conditions, allowing us to receive firefighting brigades during the summer,” he says.
Discussions are also underway to restore sports skydiving activities, which had been previously restricted by ANAC (National Civil Aviation Agency), potentially reinvigorating the local aviation tourism industry.
“It’s a process we are working on. I have scheduled a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture (José Manuel Fernandes) to discuss the yielding of a State-owned plot of land to the municipality, which is crucial to ensure skydiving can be performed again without the current restrictions,” Bila says. The issue is that the land has an irrigation channel running through it, preventing the council from using it for skydiving purposes.
“But I will not give up because this is a request from entrepreneurs, and we want this too. It would be good for the population of Montes de Alvor as well because skydiving is a fundamental activity to attenuate seasonality.”
Quinta da Rocha project moves forward
Álvaro Bila also provided insight into some of the major private investments in Portimão, where international hospitality giants such as Hard Rock and Hilton are moving forward with large-scale projects.
Meanwhile, a long-awaited rural tourism initiative at Quinta da Rocha in Alvor is nearing approval, having received favourable assessments from the Algarve regional development commission (CCDR) and the Portuguese Environmental Agency (APA).
The project has been “on hold” since 2019 and will involve “renovating the existing spaces,” as not “one single centimetre more of construction is allowed. We want this to be done in an exemplary way, as it is a very sensitive area.”
“It’s a very interesting project which I also think is important for our neighbouring municipality (Lagos),” Bila says, adding that he has already spoken with mayor Hugo Pereira about classifying the Ria de Alvor as a protected area, much like Loulé has done with Foz do Almargem and Trafal, which is a Local Nature Reserve since August 2024.
More municipal employees needed
With its finances now under control, the municipal council of Portimão is looking to recruit more employees to respond to the borough’s growing needs.
“Between 2009 and today, we have around 100 fewer employees, despite the city’s growth,” Bila says. “For example, our architecture division has just two architects, which is clearly insufficient for the works we want to carry out and what people expect of us”.
Also read: Electric shuttle between Portimão and Lagoa
By BRUNO FILIPE PIRES
