Portugal’s a gorgeous holiday destination throughout the year with a great heritage too, there’s no better time to visit than during festival season. The cobbled streets of the Algarve and traditional buildings combined with the uplifting mood of the people will transport you back in time away from the stress of work and emails!

Podence

This small village follows the tradition of celebrating Carnival with the Caretos; for this the young men of the village dress in brightly coloured layers with masks and wave large sticks as they run through the town to scare the other locals. It is up to the ladies feign horror at seeing this barrage of men before the revelry begins. The light-hearted fun of this celebration is renowned in Portugal and still popular among the locals.

Carnival in Portugal

Loule

Loule doesn’t do things by halves so when carnival time comes around they shut the roads through the centre of town, charging a small fee for entrance to enjoy a whole day of music and dancing in the days leading up to lent. The location of Loule makes it perfect for a visit, conveniently close to Faro Airport with beautiful beaches for when you want to escape the party and just watch the waves.

See carnival in Portugal

Torres Vedras

If you want to experience one of the most traditional takes on the Portuguese celebration of Carnival; it takes on the theme of political satire with over-sized paper-Mache heads and men cross-dressing for the fun of the celebrations. Nearer to Lisbon it is not in the main holiday region of the Algarve but worth the trip off the beaten track to enjoy the festival.

GETTING THERE

Isn’t it about time you made it to the Algarve?

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Algarve Holidays
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