You cross into a new world when you take the bridge that spans the wide Arade River and head from Portimão to Ferragudo. Here in the western Algarve—about half an hour east of better-known Lagos—these two towns are effectively connected, but they couldn’t be more distant in spirit.

Behind you, Portimão’s high rise apartments stand watch over the wide beaches and busy roundabouts below. Ahead, fishing boats bob in the Ferragudo harbor while locals linger over coffee at the waterfront cafés. Modern Portimão is all about the hustle. But in low-lying, historic Ferragudo, nobody seems particularly concerned about what time it is.

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