In this way, the companies intend to guarantee the necessary depth for cruise ships to operate safely, the administration announced.

The work began on 1 March, and the company said in a statement on 3 March that the dredging “will benefit the operational capacity of the port of Portimão, providing the infrastructure with depths of around -8m ZH [Hydrographic Zero]”.

The administration of Portos de Sines e do Algarve said that the dredging will carry out “maintenance in the access channel and turning basin”, ensuring that vessels have at least a depth of eight meters from the minimum height recorded at low tide.

"Under the responsibility of APS – Administração dos Portos de Sines e do Algarve, SA, this intervention aims to improve the operational efficiency of the infrastructure, ensuring the necessary safety conditions for the access and operation of cruise ships that call at the port of Portimão," the company explained.

With this intervention, the company takes a step towards "implementing the Ports 5+ Strategy, which foresees growth in the cruise segment of around 30%", and demonstrates its "commitment" to the development of the port of Portimão, an infrastructure that it considers to be "fundamental in boosting and promoting the Algarve region."

The Algarve has "potential" for "Mediterranean traffic" in the cruise sector, and the port of Portimão had an "excellent performance" in 2025, the port administration highlighted.

Between January and December 2025, the port of Portimão recorded a total of 56 port calls and 23,996 passengers, figures that represent growth of 40% and 70%, respectively, compared to the previous year, according to the administration of Portos de Sines e do Algarve.