Praia da Rocha means Rock Beach in Portuguese. The hottest place in Portugal is a quick fifty-minute drive from Faro and is located between Portimao and Alvor. What was initially a quiet peaceful town became a boomtown resort in the early 1960s with the opening of the Faro International Airport and the popularity of the Algarve’s beachfront climate. The development of Praia da Rocha went full swing in the 1970s with the real estate development in the area. The beachfront was also extended when the nearby estuary was dredged up and the sand was pumped out and transferred to the beachfront area to create the best beaches in the region. (more…)