Portugal Festivals: Algarve Events
Local Markets, Festa de Cidade, Santa Iria, Marisco & Rallye Biker
Travel south for dodgems at the fairground and Harley Davidsons in Faro, free sardines, drinking and dancing in Tavira or shellfish and seafood in Olhão.
The Algarve region of southern Portugal is home to some of Portugal’s best festivals and events, including the Feira de Santa Iria and Rallye Biker in Faro, the Festival do Marisco in Olhão, the Festa de Cidade in Tavira and local markets in many towns.
Portugal Festivals: Algarve Events – Local Markets, Algarve, Portugal
Some of the best Algarve events happen regularly. There is a good tradition of local markets in Southern Portugal, some weekly and some monthly. Amongst the best are the market in Lagos on the first Saturday of every month, the market in Monchique on the second Friday of every month and the market in Albufeira on the third Tuesday of every month. There are weekly markets every Saturday in Loulé and São Brás de Alportel and every Wednesday in Quarteira.
Portugal Festivals: Algarve Events - Feira de Santa Iria in Faro, Algarve, Portugal
Faro honours its favourite saint, Santa Iria or Saint Irene, in startlingly traditional form – by erecting a huge temporary fairground. Whether chasing around on dodgems, screaming on rollercoasters, eating candyfloss and throwing balls on sideshows is a correct way of displaying religious fervour is a moot point, but it’s all good fun, and it’s a perfect time to go to the Algarve for children. The Feira de Santa Iria takes place in October every year.
Portugal Festivals: Algarve Events - Festival do Marisco (Festival of Shellfish), Olhão, Algarve, Portugal
As could be expected from the name, the Festival do Marisco is all about seafood, and shellfish in particular. It takes place in the second week of August, and visitors can expect plenty of delicious fish, oysters and mussels straight from the sea. There is also an emphasis on folk music, with plenty of performances from top artists in the Jardim Patrao Joaquim Lopes.
Portugal Festivals: Algarve Events - Festa de Cidade, Tavira, Algarve, Portugal
The somewhat ramshackle but lovely old town of Tavira lets its hair down on June 23rd and 24th every year for the Festa de Cidade. The streets are decorated lavishly with paper flowers, whilst there is plenty of drinking and dancing to be witnesses. And, more bizarrely, free sardines for all.
Portugal Festivals: Algarve Events - Rallye Biker in Faro, Algarve, Portugal
A lot of hair enters Faro on the third week of July, with one of Europe’s biggest biker gatherings in town. A rather noisy 25,000 plus men and women in leather, straddling Harley Davisons and other machines with serious grunt, descend on the Algarve’s biggest city. There’s quite an atmosphere at Rallye Biker, and the pubs do a roaring trade while the festival is on.
