The circuit's 4.653 km layout follows steeply rolling terrain that provides dramatic gradient changes throughout the lap. Drivers have described it as having big downhill slopes into right-hand turns off the main straight, with a roller coaster character that rewards commitment and confidence. The circuit width enables genuine overtaking opportunities at multiple points. The facility also incorporates a karting track, off-road course, five-star hotel, technology park, sports complex, and residential apartments.
The circuit's first major event was the final round of the 2008 World Superbike Championship on 2 November 2008. In its early years it attracted Formula One testing sessions from McLaren, Honda, Ferrari, and Toyota, and hosted the final round of the 2009 GP2 Series season. From 2010, Portimão was a regular fixture on the FIA World Touring Car Championship calendar.
In 2009, FIA president Max Mosley stated the facility's quality was sufficient to host a Portuguese Grand Prix if a commercial agreement with Formula One Management could be reached, but no deal materialised at that time.
Due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Formula One calendar was extensively revised. In July 2020 it was announced that Portimão would host the Portuguese Grand Prix from 23 to 25 October 2020 — the first Portuguese Grand Prix since the 1996 race at the Autódromo do Estoril, a gap of 24 years.
The 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix was well received by drivers and fans alike, with the undulating layout producing exciting racing. The circuit hosted the race again in 2021 from 30 April to 2 May. After 2021 Portimão stepped back from the F1 calendar, with Monza and other venues retaining their slots, before a new agreement was reached in December 2025 confirming the circuit's return for the 2027 and 2028 Portuguese Grands Prix, replacing Circuit Zandvoort on the calendar.
In August 2020, MotoGP announced that Portimão would host the season-ending Portuguese motorcycle Grand Prix from 20 to 22 November 2020. The circuit subsequently became a regular host of the Portuguese Grand Prix in MotoGP, and also hosted the Algarve Grand Prix as a second MotoGP round in November 2021. The World Superbike and Supersport championships have also maintained a regular presence at the circuit.
In 2022, Portimão hosted DTM rounds for the first time, along with World SBK, European Le Mans Series, and TCR Europe. The circuit returned to the FIA World Endurance Championship calendar in 2023 for the 6 Hours of Portimão.
One corner of the circuit is named after British World Supersport rider Craig Jones, who died from injuries sustained in a crash at Brands Hatch in 2008. A statue depicting Jones on his motorcycle after crossing the finish line forms the centrepiece of a landscape sculpture at the main circuit entrance.
At the 2022 World Supersport 300 Championship round at Portimão, Dutch rider Victor Steeman was fatally injured in an accident during Race 1.
The Algarve International Circuit stands as one of the most technically stimulating modern tracks in Europe. Its elevation changes and flowing layout distinguish it from the flat, purpose-built venues that dominate the contemporary calendar, and its two-year return to Formula One in the pandemic era revived global interest in Portuguese motorsport after a generation's absence from the world championship.