Enjoying life in Algarve, Portugal - great fun, festivals and events!

In February each year there is a carnival being celebrated in most parts of the Algarve, but none has such a deeply rooted tradition as the Loulé Carnival.

The city fills up with colour as visitors and locals gather to watch the vibrant parade. This procession of colourful floats with over-sized puppets, samba groups and lots of music is a huge festivity in the region.

For five days, the Med Festival brings life and excitement to the streets of Loulé’s historic centre at the beginning of the summer (June). World music originating from Morocco and various southern European countries such as Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal as well as other forms of art, including handicraft exhibitions, dance performances and street theatre will keep any visitor enthralled.

A paradise for seafood lovers, the annual Festival do Marisco is held in August each year in the Jardim do Pescador Olhanense in the town of Olhão just five kilometres east of Faro and the gateway to the Ria Formosa Natural Park.

One of the most important gastronomic events in the Algarve calendar, the Festival do Marisco, is an opportunity for local fishermen to proudly display their catch on one of the hundreds of stalls that line the fishing port. Offering visitors the chance to sample some of the local delicacies, a wide range of seafood is available ranging from grilled sardines to fried shrimps and of course the traditional cataplana, a much-loved Portuguese dish. Music and folk dancing accompany the festival with performers encouraging both locals and visitors to eat, drink and enjoy the superb atmosphere.

At the end of August, Castro Marim and Silves return to the Middle Ages in a historical re-enactment.

During four days and nights the castle of Castro Marim once again plays host to kings and queens, knights in shining armour, jesters, buffoons, noblemen and ladies as the entire court takes part in a procession.

Jousting tournaments – on foot and on horseback – street theatre performances, banquets accompanied by medieval music and a handicrafts and merchandise fair complement the entertainment enabling visitors to relive the magic and mystery of times gone by.

by turismoportugal