Praia da Rocha (

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

: "Rock Beach") is a beach and built up area on the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

in the southern section of the

concelho Concelho () is the Portuguese-language term for municipality, referring to the territorial subdivision in local government. In comparison, the word ''município'' () refers to the organs of State. This differentiation is still in use in Portugal ...

Portimão Portimão () is a city and a municipality in the district of Faro, in the Algarve region of southern Portugal. The population in 2011 was 55,614, in an area of 182.06 km2. It was formerly known as Vila Nova de Portimão (). In 1924, it was ...

Algarve The Algarve (, , ; from ) is the southernmost NUTS II region of continental Portugal. It has an area of with 467,495 permanent inhabitants and incorporates 16 municipalities ( ''concelhos'' or ''municípios'' in Portuguese). The region has it ...

, southern

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

. On the eastern edge of the beach stands the

Fort of Santa Catarina (Portimão) The Fort of Santa Catarina (also known as the ''Fort of Santa Catarina de Ribamar'') is a medieval fort situated in the civil parish of Portimão, in the municipality of Portimão in Portuguese Algarve. The structure was considered one of the las ...

. A 17th century fortress built to defend the mouth of the Arade River. Now a popular tourist attraction accessible directly from the beach or the road above. Nearby Praia dos Três Castelos beach is well known for the bizarre and dramatic limestone rock formations that stand along the water. In some places, the cliffs are sheer and drop straight down to the beach, but in others, erosion has left fanciful shapes likened to castles or pyramids. The beach soccer tournament, Mundialito de Futebol de Praia, which hosts some of the world's best national teams, took place here annually from 2005 to 2012. Algarve Tourism lists a number of attractions in the region (including marine and waterparks), as well as the area's restaurants and bars, nightlife and marina complex. In July 2022, the beach will be the host of the large hip-hop music festival Rolling Loud. Headliners include American rappers J. Cole, A$AP Rocky, and Future.

References

Rocha {{Faro-geo-stub

See also

References