A complete guide to the best festivals in Portugal in 2023
Portugal knows how to throw a brilliant party, and in 2023 these will be the biggest and best festivals and events to attend. Each year cities, towns and villages across Portugal play host to traditional celebrations, food-focused events and huge
Best food festivals and events in Portugal in 2023
From celebrating sausages and sweet potatoes to Michelin-starred chefs cooking with fire, Portugal honours its rich gastronomic heritage with dozens of food festivals, wine fairs and events. Food is closely intertwined with culture in Portugal so it’s no surprise the small
19 best medieval and historic events in Portugal in 2023
Colourful banners flutter above cheering crowds as knights on horseback clash in a tournament for the ages. The air is thick with the scents of roasting meat and red wine, and music from another era fills your ears. Vendors hawk
Best music festivals in Portugal in 2023
Each year, especially in summer, Portugal’s music festival calendar is packed with big-name artists, major festival line-ups and smaller boutique events. Expect to find music festivals in Portugal's big cities of Lisbon and Porto, plus down south on the beaches
Festa dos Tabuleiros: Tomar’s colourful Festival of Trays
Thirty 400-gram bread rolls are weaved into a human-size, paper flower-covered tower balanced precariously atop the 748 women marching by. Hundreds of these flowery 1.5-metre high piles bob through the enchanting Central Portuguese riverside town of Tomar on the shoulders
Local’s guide to Feira da Ladra, Lisbon’s famous flea market
If I have a free Saturday morning in Lisbon I love to venture over to Alfama and kick around the Feira da Ladra market. You never know what you’ll find at Lisbon’s oldest flea market – it’s been in existence
Sardines and pimba: Everything You Need To Know About Lisbon’s Santos Populares Festival
Every June the smell of sardines and sound of pimba music ricochets through the narrow cobbled streets of the city’s most traditional neighbourhoods. The start of summer is a wild and wonderful time to be in Lisbon. In late May locals
10 things to do and see in Caldas da Rainha
Caldas da Rainha, a small city about one-hour drive north of Lisbon, is known for two things: hot springs and ceramics. Sometime in the 15th century, Portugal’s Queen Leonor established a hospital and church here, hence the name, which means “Queen’s
25 traditional dishes to order in Portugal
There’s a lot more to Portuguese food than piri piri chicken and custard tarts. In this article I’ve rounded up two dozen or so traditional Portuguese dishes you can easily order throughout the country. When it comes to eating in Portugal, I’m
13 best day trips from Lisbon
From castles to the coastline and vineyards to villages, here are the best day trips from Lisbon.