Algarve, Portimão, Portugal

Nestled in the beautiful setting of Portugal’s Algarve, the 100,000 capacity Autodromo Internacional do Algarve – known more colloquially as Portimao, after the port city it sits half an hour outside of – was opened on the 2nd of November, 2008. The circuit was inaugurated by WorldSBK when they headed to Portugal for their final round of that season – but it’s not just a racetrack. The Algarve Motorsports Park is a state-of-the-art complex which boasts the stunning race track, a go-kart track, an off-road park, a hotel, an apartment complex, a technology park and a sports complex – it really is the bee’s knees.

In terms of the actual circuit layout, the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve has 15 corners – nine right, six left. The undulation in Portimao is incredible and the front straight will allow the MotoGP™ riders to really stretch the legs of their machines, before a unique downhill descend into Turn 1. There's a reason it gets called a high-speed rollercoaster, it's a thrill for riders and fans alike.
Algarve, Portimão, Portugal

Official Programme

Grab your Official Programme! It's over 70 pages of jam-packed, must-have content brought to you from inside the MotoGP™ paddock. Along with a series of spectacular photos and updated graphics, each publication includes the Grand Prix timetable, a circuit map, all the information you need about your favourite teams and riders, plus an 'Inside MotoGP™' feature with up-to-date stories from this week in the Paddock. 

There are guides to all three Grand Prix classes - MotoGP™, Moto2™ and Moto3™ - as well as a Riders Guide, which will help you match names and faces, and riders with their new 2021 colours! The Official Programme is the perfect guide to the events that will unfold over a race weekend! 

Download the Official Programme here.

Why we love Portugal and Portimão

On the west of the Iberian Peninsula, the borders of Portugal have changed little since it first became an independent nation in the 12th century. The country is framed by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east, with mountain ranges and the Minho and Guadiana rivers marking the frontier with Portugal’s Spanish neighbours.

People in Portugal are typically a laid-back and friendly bunch, whilst the diversity of the country, with its forests and mountains inland and coastline of fantastic beaches and colourful cities, provides plenty of adventures and lasting memories for visitors.

Indeed, Portugal’s two main cities - Lisbon and Porto - reflect the former prestige and power which the country achieved as a sea-fairing superpower in the 14th to 18th centuries, with expansion to South America and parts of Africa and Asia making this small nation once very rich. The diversity and multiculturalism in Portugal’s big cities are sensed in the Angolan, Brazilian and Mozambican influences of contemporary Portuguese culture.

In the south of the country is the Algarve International Circuit close to Portimão, in the Algarve, Portugal’s most popular region for holidaymakers, with fantastic beaches and a superb climate all year round.
Why we love Portugal and Portimão

Useful Information

Full name: Algarve International Circuit, Portimao, Portugal 
Capital City: Lisbon 
Time zone: GMT 
Currency: Euro (symbol: €, code: EUR) 
Electric plug type: C & F

Important telephone numbers:

  • Emergency services: 112
  • Algarve International Circuit: +351 282 405 600
  • Faro Airport: +351 289 800 800
Weather: When MotoGP visits Portimão in April average daily highs are around 19°C and nightly lows drop to 12°C.

Finding the right accommodation

The central coast of the Algarve between Lagos and Faro, which includes Albufeira and Portimão, all within comfortable driving distances from the circuit, is lined with guesthouses, villas, hotels and campsites.

Really you are spoiled for choice here and there is accommodation to suit all budgets, with well-organised and clean campsites, rental apartments, luxury hotels and all inclusive resorts, in addition to plush private villas all easy to find.

Albufeira (a 40 min drive) and Lagos (a 30 min drive) are both pleasant places to stay, little coastal towns such as Alvor, Carvoeiro and Armação de Pêra are good options and Portimão itself has plenty to offer.

Tips for visiting Portimão and the Algarve

Away from some of the main tourist traps on the coast, where prices are often hiked, keep an eye out for bars, cafes and restaurants catering more for the locals than for visitors and you will be amazed by the quality of the affordable food and wine in the Algarve and throughout other regions of Portugal.

When it comes to local dishes, fresh seafood from the Atlantic is the order of the day, with clams, oysters and cockles served in a variety of manners including stews, casseroles and rice dishes. The fresh fish is first class in this region and cooked over charcoal grills it tastes sublime – try the mackerel or in Portimão go for grilled sardines, which are a local favourite.

Most of Portugal is easy to get around in just a few days and if you fancy a road trip from the Algarve head three hours drive north to Portugal’s trendy and evolving capital city Lisbon, where classic and contemporary architecture and culture will blow you away.