The circuit is distinguished by its constantly undulating character, which drew early comparisons to classic venues such as the old Nürburgring and Spa-Francorchamps. Significant downhill slopes, right-hand turns after the main straight, and wide racing lines that encourage overtaking give the layout an old-school personality rarely found in circuits built in the 2000s. The broader Algarve International Circuit development includes a karting track, an off-road facility, a technology park, a five-star hotel, a sports complex, and residential apartments.
The circuit opened for racing with the final round of the 2008 World Superbike Championship on 2 November 2008, just weeks after construction was completed. A1 Grand Prix racing followed in April 2009, and the Le Mans Series announced a 1000 km night race for August 2009. The FIA GT Championship and GP2 Series also visited the circuit in its first full season. Formula One teams including McLaren, Honda, Ferrari, and Toyota conducted winter test sessions at the circuit in late 2008 and early 2009.
In 2010, the circuit joined the FIA World Touring Car Championship calendar, hosting the WTCC Race of Portugal that year and again in 2012. The World Superbike Championship became a regular fixture, and the venue also appeared on the European Le Mans Series schedule.
The circuit's highest-profile period came as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced a comprehensive revision of the 2020 Formula One calendar. In July 2020, Portimão was confirmed to host the Portuguese Grand Prix in October, marking the first Formula One race in Portugal since the 1996 event at Estoril. The 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix took place from 23 to 25 October. The circuit returned as an F1 venue for the 2021 Portuguese Grand Prix, held from 30 April to 2 May.
The circuit also hosted MotoGP for the first time under pandemic-driven scheduling, staging the 2020 Portuguese motorcycle Grand Prix in November. In 2021, the circuit hosted both the Portuguese Grand Prix in April and a second event, the Algarve Grand Prix, in November.
In December 2025, it was announced that the circuit would return to the Formula One calendar in 2027 and 2028 to host the Portuguese Grand Prix, replacing the Dutch Grand Prix at Circuit Zandvoort.
A corner at the circuit bears the name of British World Supersport rider Craig Jones, who was killed in a motorcycle racing accident at Brands Hatch in 2008. A statue of Jones on his motorbike was installed at the circuit as the centrepiece of a larger memorial, which incorporates the landscaping of the main access roundabout. The monument is designed as a landscape sculpture representing the main straight of a racing circuit, extending toward the main grandstand car park.
The Algarve International Circuit established itself rapidly as one of Europe's most admired modern tracks, valued for the elevation changes and overtaking opportunities that set it apart from many purpose-built facilities of its era. Its role in reopening Portugal to Formula One after a 24-year absence, and its confirmed return to the F1 calendar for 2027 and 2028, cement its place among the significant circuits of the contemporary motorsport landscape.