The incident happened on Saturday morning, when the glider, identified locally as Eduardo Ferreira, crashed near the football stadium located on Alvor beach.
The Portimão-based instructor, who was 49, received treatment shortly after crashing, but was declared dead at the scene.
Tributes have since been pouring in from all over the world on Ferreira’s Facebook page, many of them expressing gratitude for the flying experiences they shared with him.