The space was created in 2014 by Associação Cultural Ideias do Levante, as part of a partnership with Sonarsis and an agreement with Geolar.

Espaço Portas do Sol was a singular space in Portimão, which hosted and promoted countless activities linked to culture, art and wellbeing, and which allowed many people to run and enjoy those very activities — from singing, music, dance and theatre classes, to yoga, pilates and therapy sessions, workshops, courses, concerts and exhibitions, among many others.

It was a space built on a great deal of goodwill, generosity, dedication and passion from several people who dreamed up and brought to life a project that was far more than a physical space: it was a meeting point, a safe harbour, and a catalyst for ideas, projects, sharing, friendships and achievements. Its creation, development and continued existence were also made possible thanks to private financial investment, with the project's management model resting on its own self-sustainability.

Over the years, Espaço Portas do Sol was also home to two projects that became a fundamental part of its identity: Surya, a vegetarian space born in 2018, and Balance, the plant-based restaurant that succeeded it from 2019 and which closed its operations on site on 30th August 2026.

The closure follows the owner's communication, in February 2026, of his intention to give the building a different purpose. Everyone who ran activities there had to leave the premises by the end of August.

Some of the activities associated with Espaço Portas do Sol will continue to run in other locations, in Lagoa and in Portimão, with further information to be announced soon on the association's website and Facebook page. Part of the space's equipment is also currently for sale — namely stainless-steel industrial worktops, wooden doors, laminated-glass doors and panels, and an industrial fume extractor — with the proceeds also going towards raising funds to help adapt and relocate the activities to their new venues.

For more details about Espaço Portas do Sol, the website www.portasdosol.info will remain available, with some news to be announced there soon.

"A chapter has closed, but the story continues. We carry with us twelve years of learning, sharing and community, and we want to believe that this spirit will continue to find a way to express itself," says Roberto Estorninho, President of Associação Cultural Ideias do Levante.