Praia da Rocha is small enough to cover on foot — the clifftop promenade and the seafront are a 20-minute walk end to end. Portimão town is 25 minutes on foot or a quick bus or taxi away.
Local Vamus buses link Praia da Rocha to Portimão centre and to neighbouring beaches several times an hour in summer. Car hire is the obvious choice for exploring the wider Algarve — the A22 motorway is the fast east-west route, the EN125 the slower scenic alternative.
The Algarve regional train runs from Portimão station to Faro, Albufeira, and Lagos, useful for a day in any of those towns without driving.