Events in Portugal - Olá Daniela

Photo Diary: Guide to the traditional costumes of Viana do Castelo & Minho

Daniela Sunde-Brown — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 16:10:05 +0000

One of my favourite experiences in Portugal was witnessing the Mordomia Parade where more than 900 women proudly marched by wearing the ornate traditional costumes from their village. While the poster of the festival of d’Agonia, which falls every August, usually features a beautiful young woman wearing the most famous traditional red dress from Viana do Castelo, there are actually many variations and styles of traditional dress found across the Minho region.

I took so many photos of the parade, and I wanted to find a way to share them with you here. There was a great exhibition at the festival that explained the different traditional costumes and their purpose, so I’ll do my best to share some details here along with photographs.

I’m in no way an expert on this matter, so I’ve done my best to relay and translate information from official sources on the subject. If you have more information for me to share, or if I have attributed something incorrectly – please let me know.

Two ways to see traditional costumes if you visit Viana do Castelo

The first is simple. Visit the Museum do Traje or Costume Museum in Viana do Castelo. Houses in a grand 1950s building that was once a bank, the museum opened in 1997 and displays a great range of traditional dress for both men and women. It’s only a couple of euros to get in, and I go every time I’m in Viana. A must visit!

The other way to visit in August during the incredible Romaria de Nossa Senhora d’Agonia when there is a program of events that brings women out onto the streets in their beautiful hand-made outfits. There are a few parades, folk dancing, and more that means you’ll see women in their “Sunday best” traditional dress across the nine-day event.

Traditional costumes of Minho (Trajes do Minho)

Trajes de Festa de Ribeira – Viana do Castelo’s Fisherman’s Quarter Costume

The traditional Minho costume least like the other traje was from Viana do Castelo. Women from Ribeira, the fisherman’s quarter of the town, paraded down the street in what seemed like shorter, cotton fabrics (not wool or linen). They wore shorter checked skirts with aprons, whose details were “Richelieu” cut-outs fined carved into the fabric. Overall the look was more basic and they have shorter skirts with no socks, which may reflect the fact they would work by the sea or at the docks getting wet.

Trajes de Lavradeira – Farmer’s Costume

The famous red Portuguese costumes were used by farmers on Sundays or when they went to the Friday market in Viana do Castelo to sell produce. These costumes were used between the late 19th century and mid 20th century by agricultural families in this fairly self-sufficient region.

The lavradeira costumes generally included:

An apron (avental) – adorned with embroidered floral motifs and leaves
Scarves (lenços) – colourful scarves often draped over the shoulders and head
A vest (colete) – a cropped vest that is often a work of art, embroidered with ornate floral scenes and folkloric motifs.
A pocket (algibeira) – an external pocket on a long strong that would be tied around the waist. This is often the shape of a heart with very detailed embroidery and beads.
Slippers (chinelas) – slip-on hand-made black clogs sometimes with embroidery, worn with cotton socks.
Gold jewellery – heirloom pieces gifted to the women or passed down through the family. I’ll touch more on the gold pieces at the bottom.

Below I’ll mostly share some pictures, but I’ll also highlight some small differences (where possible!) in the lavradeira (farmer) costumes from different villages or towns.

Trajes à Vianesa das Terras de Geraz (green costume)

While most of the traditional costumes in the parade are red, one region steps out in green. It’s the villages from around Terras de Geraz such as Geraz de Lima, who also don’t use a little side pocket. It’s thought the color came around after a royal visit from Dona Maria II in the early 19th century.

Trajes à Vianesa de Afife

The women from Afife mostly wear the red lavradeira costume, but distinguish themselves with a yellow headscarf and an orange scarf draped on the shoulders. Their red skirts have thin black and white vertical stripes with a red apron, shirts with white embroidery, and a red waistcoat.

Trajes à Vianesa da Ribeira Lima

While there is a huge variety from village to village, this costume is generally characterised by striped skirts with a black bottom that is hand embroidered. It’s common to have floral aprons and shirts with blue embroidery.

Traje de Dó – Pity Costume

Yes, curiously enough when the lavradeira costume appears in dark colours – blacks, dark purple, deep blue – it’s the “traje de dó” which translates to pity dress. This one doesn’t seem to be specific to a certain region, and there are variations on it. It’s mostly a difference of colour, with a black skirt and apron with deep blues, greens, toasted yellow, and purples.

Trajes à Mordoma

The Mordomas were a young women chosen in each village to help raise funds for the church. They would help prepare for the festivities and pilgrimage, sweeping the churchyard and raising money for religious fairs. They would receive cash or goods – such as salted pork, rabbits, beans, corn, rye or linen, which would be auctioned off after Sunday mass.

For whatever reason, wearing this costume was mandatory so the girl (or her family) had to have the money to afford all the details of the dress. The traditional Mordoma dress includes a jacket or vest worn over an embroidered linen shirt. The jacket of vest is embroidered with glass beads and sequins.

Apparently sometimes instead of black the costume could be a rich navy blue. Because the black dress doubled as a traditional wedding outfit, having this Mordoma costume in blue signaled that your family had the means to afford both. The difference between the Mordoma and the bride is the silk headscarf and the use of a palm or decorated candle instead of a veil and bouquet.

During the Romaria d’Agonia you’ll see the Mordomas in the ethnographic parade, the folk performances, and the Mordomia parade.

Traje À Noiva – Bride’s Costume

Curiously, the traditional wedding dress of the Minho region is just the Mordoma’s costume adapted for a bride’s wedding day. I read that from the end of the 19th-century until around 1905 that brides would wear a linen shirt with white embroidery and a black vest or waistcoat embroidered with glass beads.

The skirts sometimes had between seven and nine metres of cloth, with multiple underskirts and a woolen peticoat. The outer skirt was often velvet with glass beads sewn with silk thread, or decorated with silk ribbons embroidered with glass beads. Then there is a black apron with floral motifs and sometimes the Protuguese royal coat of arms in the centre.

Brides also wore white cotton stockings with black leather mules, and a richly embroidered pockets that was tied at the waist known as an algibeira.

And, of course, brides wore an elaborately embroidered veil. The Mordoma costume is almost the same, and apparently some villages would have silk or muslin headscarves for brides too – something now only associated with the Mordoma.

You can see brides parading down the stress in the ethnographic parade, where the spectators yell “beijinhos” (kiss!), and at traditional costume show.

Trajes à Morgada – Heiress Costume

And finally, the Morgada. This costume I find a little confusing as it seems to be worn by elder women who would be the head of the household. The direct translation is heiress, so I guess you could say matriach of the house. I’ve also read it’s an outfit the eldest daughter would wear, who might be the heir is there is no male descendent. I’m working on getting some confirmation on this, but I wanted to publish this traje run down before the festival!

Whatever the reason behind the outfit, the Morgada traditional costume is less flashy than the Mordoma. It’s always black and lightly decorated, which makes the traditional gold filigree jewellery pop against the dark colour. This was a way to display their household’s economic power.

I noticed many women in the parade carried a richly patterned large silk shawl too.

The story and styles of Portuguese gold filigree jewellery

In the pictures you’ll see some women are dripping with gold. It’s said that girls would receive filigree gold pieces when they were born and for their birthdays or special occasions. Filigree gold balls, known as contas de Viana were commonly gifted, symbolising protection and good luck. It started with godmothers gifting girls these beads. One story I hear is that by the time a woman is ready to marry she would have had enough Viana beads to string on a necklace, the other is that a full strand is expensive so I woman would buy herself these beads one by one. I’m not sure if the Minho tradition from the 19th century is still as popular today, but I love both stories.

Filigree has existed on the Iberian Peninsula for thousands of years, but it really took hold in Portugal in the 17th century. Most traditional shapes represent religion, love and nature. Lots of women also wear the Heart of Viana, a wonky tear-drop-like heart. It was a symbol of dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, but now it more generally symbolises life, love, fraternity, and friendship. The heart would be gifted to brides for good luck, who would pass it on to their daughters.

You’ll also see a lot of religious crosses, and sometimes widows will have a tiny picture of their late husband. You might see filigree gold angels, flowers, fish, boats and religious figures. For earrings, you’ll see a style called arrecadas, and another called rainha or Queen earrings.

If you fall in love witt the gold filigree artform, you can find 19ct gold, silver and gold-plated silver filigree jewellery at any jeweller in Portugal. Naturally, there are plenty of jewellery stores in Viana do Castelo, but also in the big cities. Most of it is manufactured in the north around Gondomar and Póvoa do Lanhoso.

That’s my wrap of all the gorgeous traditional traje costumes in the Desfile de Mordomia, which is part of the Romaria d’Agonia – an amazing festival that falls each August.

If you know more about some of the specific lavradeira costumes or have acorrection for me, leave a comment or reach out…

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Romaria d’Agonia: The most beautiful traditional festival in Portugal

Daniela Sunde-Brown — Mon, 05 Aug 2024 08:54:32 +0000

If Mattel was to make a Portugal Barbie, the traje de Viana would be the costume.

After the train passes Porto the hills turn green and we pass vineyards that line the tracks and corn fields at their peak. Stone towns and cabbage patches zip by as we chug north towards Viana do Castelo, the capital of the Costa Verde – the well-named green coast.

When I arrive in Viana do Castelo on a sunny mid-August day, the town is in the midst of its biggest annual festival, the Romaria de Nossa Senhora d’Agonia. It’s mid-week so the locals are still warming up for the festivities and fun to come. I’ve travelled five hours from Lisbon by train for one particular event during the nine-day festival – the Mordomia Parade, or Desfile da Mordomia.

Watching 900+ Minho women pass by in the Mordomia Parade

After sitting in anticipation for some time, almost 1000 Minho women start to pass by, each walking tall and proud in perfect rows, with their hands on their hips and a beaming smile. They’re immaculately dressed from head to toe in the beautiful traditional folklore costumes from their area or village.

Beaming with pride, they trot along in uncomfortable slides, thick woollen skirts, embroidered white blouses and intricately designed colourful aprons. Many wear a hand-embroidered pocket on the right hip and a colete (vest) covered in bright floral embroidery. A vibrant tasselled scarf of eastern European origin covers the shoulders and the head.

Read more…. 15 best things to do in Viana do Castelo

The largest outdoor showcase of gold in the world

Finally, the family jewels hang around their necks. Each woman is dripping with great quantities of gold, with some family heirlooms dating back centuries. Necklaces are pinned to fan out across the chest so many appear to be wearing a plate of gold across their chests, with the intricate and traditional filigree jewels catching the light.

It’s said that collectively this parade of mordomas is the largest outdoor showcase of gold in the world. In Viana do Castelo I shared a hostel room with a jeweller, and she said the tradition used to be that women would receive these filigree gold balls at birth, birthdays and Christmas. The idea was that once they were a woman they’d have a whole strand to wear.

The strong and beautiful tradition is something that unites the women of this region. It’s incredible to witness several generations of the same family parade together and show off the beauty of their costumes and stunning gold pieces, which are often only seen in public on these days.

What is the Romaria de Nossa Senhora d’Agonia?

The Mordoma Parade is part of a much bigger festival. As with most fairs or festivals in Portugal, Viana do Castelo’s annual romaria is linked to religion and takes place each August. This festival in particular centres on Senhora d’Agonia, the patron saint of fishermen.

Over the nine-day festival there are dozens of events celebrating the local folk culture, including a religious sea procession with decorated boats, ethnographic parades and craft markets. Personally I think it’s one of the best festivals you can attend in Portugal as it is a real show of culture, pride, tradition, and celebration.

When is the Romaria de Nossa Senhora d’Agonia?

The festival always falls around the day of Nossa Senhora d’Agonia – August 20. In 2025, the festival dates are from August 12 to 20.

Other notable events at the Festas d’Agonia

There are four more main events during the Romaria in Viana do Castelo but you can expect concerts, folk dancing, fireworks and markets too.

Giants & Big-Headed Puppets Performance (Revista de “Gigantones e Cabeçudos”)

The deafening march of dozens of drums will ring out from Praça da República a few times across the festival. Gather around the central fountain to see the Gigantones (the giants) and Cabeçudos (big-headed puppets) put on a show to the rhythm of drumming troupes.

This tradition seems to be unique to the north of the Minho region of Portugal. The drummers and bagpipers put on an athletic show, giving it their all as different groups battle off against one another. Meanwhile the giants and puppets dance (in a clumsy way) to the beat. The giants are made with an iron frame stretching up to 4 metres high and weighing about 30 kilograms!

Heritage Parade (Cortejo Histórico/Etnográfico)

The heritage parade features more than 3,000 participants, huge floats, and plenty of drama. Apparently it’s like a living museum passing by, with locals showing off traditions and historic ways of life. This parade includes a bit of everything from avós (grandmas) showing off traditional crafts, to the drummers and Cabeçudo puppets.

Along the way, floats will hand out bowls of wine and pieces of cornbread and the crowd will yell at the bride and groom to kiss – yelling “beijinho”.

Flower Carpets (Tapetes Floridos)

From about midday until dawn on the evening of August 19, the residents of the Ribeira neighbourhood cover the streets with coloured salt carpets. Neighbours, friends, and even onlookers help cover the streets with 30 tonnes of colourful salts for the religious processions to walk over.

On the same evening, fishermen are decorating their boats with floral arrangements, decorations, and fishing gear, ready to take the saints out to sea on August 20.

The Procession Out to Sea (Procissão ao Mar)

On August 20, the day of Nossa Senhora d’Agonia, local fishermen give thanks to their patron saint, who protects them in their times of need at sea. After mass at the Santuário de Nossa Senhora d’Agonia, Vianese fishermen dressed in their best plaid shirts carry religious floats – weighing about 600 kilograms – out to the port.

Here the fishing vessels are blessed and loaded with the figures of Nossa Senhora d’Agonia, Nossa Senhora de Monserrate, Nossa Senhora dos Mares (Our Lady of the Sea) and St Peter. Thousands of people line the Lima River to watch more than 100 decorated boats float by and out to sea. When they return, the procession continues on land along the colourful salt carpets to the church.

Read more… Where to eat in Viana do Castelo

Where to stay in Viana do Castelo

I recommend booking ahead for the festival, and you can find plenty of great hotels and small guesthouses downtown.

For me, a bucket-list stay is the 4-star Pousada de Viana do Castelo, which is a heritage hotel with amazing views over the town, famous sanctuary and coast. Up the hill there is also a highly-rated hostel called Albergue de Santa Luzia.

Close to town, the 4-star AP Dona Aninhas is well located. For something different, I’ve heard good things about the 4-star FeelViana Sport Hotel, which is on the other side of the Lima River near Cabedelo Beach.

Find out more about the timing of different events on the official website for the Romaria.

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Cork masks, a burning effigy and plenty of wine: the traditional Schist Villages carnival

Daniela Sunde-Brown — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 23:13:50 +0000

The sound of a gaita (bagpipe), drums, accordions and chatter emanates from the centre of Aigra Nova, a tiny one-resident schist village near Coimbra, in central Portugal. It’s 8.30am on a sunny winter Sunday and the usually quiet streets are a hive of activity. A stream of villagers starts rolling down a steep cobbled street towards us. Men dressed in women’s clothing, women dressed as men. Many have underwear on the outside, or bras stuffed with oranges. All are wearing homemade masks made of raw cork bark, embellished with horns, moss and other natural features.

Invisible, my friends and I quietly follow a haphazard procession down the only road into the village to where a trio of mini buses awaits. A few dozen cork-masked foliões are too engrossed in the moment to see us. A group of young men, one in a wedding dress, are already three-quarters of the way through what might be their second bottle of wine, dancing to the tunes of an accordion. Another more serious group with three loud gaitas and two drummers are standing in a circle tuning up for a big day. Some foliões are snapping photos of themselves all dressed up, others are making last-minute adjustments to their thick cork mask with a pocket knife.

At this point there are more masked villagers than spectators and it honestly feels like we’ve crashed a private party. The engines start and it’s time to crawl between five villages. Bora!

Where on earth are we?

About 2.5 hours north of Lisbon lies a handful of quaint Schist Villages (Aldeias de Xisto) of Góis. There’s a problem with these remote, hard-to-reach stone villages – they’ve been slowly depopulating. Almost two decades ago the area restarted old carnival traditions based on interviews with elderly residents to bring back some of the magic, chaos and charm of the old days.

What happens during the traditional carnival in the Aldeias do Xisto?

Starting early in Aigra Nova, we piled into a mini bus and followed about 40 cork-masked villagers on a “rally” to four other schist villages before returning to Aigra Nova for lunch, dancing and to burn a pagan effigy. Hell yes!

Read about other traditional carnivals in Portugal: Devil on the loose: 7 traditional pagan carnivals to attend in Portugal

The second village: Pena

The road soon gave way to a dirt track as we reached what might be the most remote village I’ve ever been to in Portugal. In the dewy morning light Pena looked absolutely magical. We piled out of the buses and joined a procession toward the centre of the village. The noisy, cheeky, masked foliões had pockets filled with conkers and started throwing them at each other and the growing mass of bystanders. At some other traditional carnivals in Portugal the villagers act like the devil but these characters are just cheeky. They run amuck moving pot plants and bins – harmless, naughty fun.

The leader stood up on a wall and started shouting into an oversized tin funnel. Even if I was a native Portuguese speaker I would have struggled to understand him through the battered metal cone. The gist was that he was throwing insults and spreading gossip about all the bad things the local villagers did over the past 12 months.

The fun continues, we moved through the village and down alongside a verdant bubbling creek to where the foliões climbed into an oversized cork tree for a dramatic photo moment. Then it was back in the buses, which is easier said than done.

Villages three, four and five: Cerdeira, Esporão and Ponte do Sótão

The rest of the morning was a blur – we pulled up in three more villages, piling out to run amuck, have a laugh and cause some chaos. At village three there was a long table loaded with cheese, prosciutto, homemade fried doughnuts and snacks. We drank the village bar dry of its 70-cent beers at 10am before moving onto the next one.

Village four had another long table of help-yourself snacks prepared by the locals, plus free-flowing wine. Yippee! We entered the town hall, ate and danced before piling back into the vans.

At the final village some of the foliões started to become braver, grabbing at the door handles of cars passing by, flicking up windscreen wipers and moving wheelie bins onto the roads. At each village our procession picked up more and more spectators, growing in size as we reached lunch.

Back in Aigra Nova for lunch

Finally, we returned to the first village – Aigra Nova – for lunch at about 1.30pm. We’d prepaid for lunch and the bus, a total of €11 in 2023. When we arrived the village was surprisingly full. Two big tents filled with wooden pop-up benches and tables were heaving with Portuguese families and friends tucking into a feast of roast pork sandwiches and a hearty stew.

The small, stone village square was the centre of the universe that afternoon. Just when you thought the tired foliões would drop dead after a huge morning, a back-up band arrived with six (yes, six) accordions to keep the jovial vibe and dancing going until dusk.

The cod and ham challenge

In the centre of the village, an entire salted cod (bacalhau) and whole leg of prosciutto were hanging from the top of a tall wooden pole. In the mid-afternoon, people start cheering as some athletic young men try their hand at reaching the riches at the top. It’s meant to be a great challenge, but the man who won made it look easy.

Burning of the effigy

The best part of a traditional pagan carnival experience in Portugal? About 5pm the tired, quite drunk cork-masked foliões piled into the nearby field where a tall, very rustic effigy stood – with its own oversized cork mask and vintage floral bedsheets for clothing – ready to burn.

I didn’t see them light the anthropomorphised stack of hay and bed sheets as I was too busy watching one of the volunteer organisers try to pull away some of the more inebriated masked locals who were rolling on the grass all too close to the rapidly-burning pole.

In the end, all that’s left is a burnt cork mask.

How to attend

It seems you could just show up to Aigra Nova for lunch if that’s your vibe, but if you’re committed to the village rally I’ve discussed here then you’ll need to email to secure a place on the bus. You can find out more on the Aldeias de Xisto website.

The Entrudo Tradicional das Aldeias do Xisto de Góis always falls in February during carnival (or carnaval) weekend. In 2024, it will be on Sunday February 11.

Devil on the loose: 7 traditional pagan carnivals to attend in Portugal

Where to stay

We stayed at a small and humble guesthouse, Casa D’Avó Mila, in the village of Vila Nova do Ceira, which was close enough to the action. We only stayed one night and drove home on the Sunday back to Lisbon.

What else to do nearby

The largest nearby village we saw was Góis. It has a supermarket, shops, bars, a beautiful riverfront, and everything you could need.

The day we arrived we stopped for lunch in Lousã, and then walked the beautiful Passadiços do Cerro da Candosa (Cerro da Candosa Walkways) as the light changed at sunset.

If you’re eager to visit this traditional pagan festival in Portugal or have been to another one I should know about… leave me a comment!

Keep reading…

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Festa dos Tabuleiros: Tomar’s colourful Festival of Trays

Jorge Branco — Sun, 12 Mar 2023 20:05:23 +0000

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 of strong local ladies. The bearers range in age from 20-something to their 80s. Some look relaxed and joyful, while others are clearly struggling under the weight of their awkward 16-kilogram-plus burden. It’s a never-ending tide of bread, flowers, colourful-sashes and applause as the ladies in white dresses parade for five kilometres around Tomar, making this spectacle more like a marathon and physical feat.

This isn’t your average small town Portuguese festival. The Festa dos Tabuleiros happens just once every four years, with the next event in July 2027. It’s a special occasion that transforms the town into a sea of colour. Locals decorate every balcony with drapes, every street with intricate crepe paper designs and, of course, the classic festival vibes that Portugal does so well.

What is Tomar’s Festa dos Tabuleiros (Festival of Trays)?

The Festa dos Tabuleiros is believed to be one of the oldest and largest festivals in Portugal, nowadays seeing over half a million attendees each year. From what I can gather, its roots date back to pagan traditions celebrating the harvest, hence all the bread and flowers. But as with all old things, it’s a lot more complicated than that.

Over time the festival has become wrapped in with the Catholic cult of the Holy Spirit and in particular Saint Isabel and the miracle of the roses. Legend has it that Queen Isabel was helping the poor behind her husband’s back, and one night snuck out with bread in her dress when her husband followed and confronted her. Miraculously, she lifted her dress and revealed only flowers – “they’re roses, senhor!”. In line with the Catholic cult influences, the bread represents the 30 coins over which Judah is said to have betrayed Jesus.

What’s a tabuleiro?

The tabuleiro (usually translated as tray) is a wicker basket draped in white cloth, that holds a giant bread and flower tower made from five canes and topped off with a crown. The tabuleiro tower is made up of 30 loaves of bread, weighing 400 grams each and is supposed to be the same height as the carrier. The top of the structure is generally decked out with a cross or pigeon (yes, that’s right) of the Holy Spirit.

When we visited on the biggest day – the Sunday – in July 2019, there were 748 women carrying the tabuleiros, which are made by hand in the months leading up to the procession. Interestingly, the bread is just normal bread and the people making the tabuleiros generally eat a few that “accidentally” break with cheese and presunto (prosciutto) when they finish working. This article is in Portuguese but it has a tonne of beautiful pictures and video of the preparations.

Preparations start almost a year out and the celebrations begin just after Easter, stretching all the way until early July, which is when the real party happens.

The main parade of the Festa dos Tabuleiros

There are a few parades as part of the 10-day Festival of Trays in Tomar, but the main one you want to see is on the Sunday. The parade begins in the town’s central square with a blessing of the Cortejo dos Tabuleiros (the main procession). The women then all rise as one (this is meant to be magical to see, but sadly we couldn’t see it from where we were standing!) and proceed to weave their way through the town, covering upwards of 5km.

Picture this: hours of walking around balancing a 1.5-metre (or more) tower weighing anywhere between 16 and 18kg….you’d want to have done some decent training in preparation.

We were there for the main procession, but there are so many other events as part of the festival, including the exceedingly cute children’s procession – which is just the same thing but scaled down for kids as young as three. If you arrive on the Saturday before the main parade on Sunday, in the afternoon there are traditional games including a donkey race, wood cutting, quoits, a cart race and more.

A vida é uma festa (life is a party) in Tomar during the Festa dos Tabuleiros

Outside of the procession itself, the whole town is decked out in a breathtaking display of crepe paper flowers, leaves and intricate decorations. Whole streets transform from residential alleyways to Alice in Wonderland-like colourful floral paper landscapes. Being a Portuguese cultural festival, there’s also music and marching bands, plus beer, wine and food spilling from every alleyway, corner and doorway all day and night.

Related Blog: Sardines and pimba: Everything You Need To Know About Lisbon’s Santos Populares Festival

Getting to Tomar

It’s a two-hour train ride north from Lisbon to Tomar’s Festa dos Tabuleiros. Regular trains run from Santa Apolonia station to Tomar and take approximately two hours. Since it is outside the greater Lisbon region you’ll need a ticket from CP and it’s cheaper if you purchase online a few weeks in advance.

By car, Tomar is just a 90-minute drive from Lisbon or just under two-hours from Porto.

We almost didn’t make the trip when we went in 2019 as I had a work shift that day. In hindsight, I’m so thankful we made the effort as otherwise we would have missed out on one of the most visually overwhelming cultural festivals I’ve ever seen.

Read next… Best day trips from Tomar

Where to stay in Tomar

Tomar is a beautiful town that is most famous for its Templar history, with a practically intact castle and church. To squeeze in festival fun and sightseeing, you might like to stay overnight or for a couple of days. If there are still rooms available, Hotel República is gorgeous and on the central square, or try Casa dos Oficios nearby. Arcos 61 rents cute little apartments in town, as does Flattered to be in Tomar. Find more Tomar accommodation here.

The next Festa dos Tabuleiros will fall in July 2027. Find out more information on the official website.

Keep reading…

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Sardines & pimba: Your 2025 guide to Lisbon’s Santo António Festival

Daniela Sunde-Brown — Wed, 08 Jun 2022 13:39:52 +0000

Every June the smell of sardines and sound of pimba music ricochets through the narrow cobbled streets of Lisbon‘s most traditional neighbourhoods. The start of summer is a wild and wonderful time to be in the Portuguese capital.

In late May locals start constructing temporary bars and barbecues, and hang colourful streamers and decorations ahead of the month-long party that brings Lisboetas out dancing and drinking on the streets.

The Santos Populares Festival, sometimes called the Festival of Sardines, peaks with the so-called longest night of the year in Lisbon on June 12. That night we celebrate Santo António with an all-night street party – think drinking, dancing and grilled sardines.

Here’s everything you need to know if you find yourself in Lisbon in June during the Santos Populares or Santo António Festival.

Who is St. Anthony and why celebrate him?

Why celebrate a saint with sardines and sangria-fueled street festas? St Anthony was a 12th-century Catholic priest and friar born to a wealthy Lisbon family. He’s known as the patron saint of lost things, love and marriage, plus he’s associated with being a matchmaker. It’s likely that you’ll become the lost thing on Santo António night (June 12).

Funnily enough, Lisbon doesn’t celebrate the city’s patron saint, St Vincent, with a big party.

What’s fun about Santo António (or Santos Populares) festival in Lisbon?

Decorations strung across every street, people dancing, epic sing-a-longs, cheap street food and cheap drinks, good vibes everywhere… Santos Populares is a blast.

Locals and visitors pack into the oldest neighbourhoods like sardines in a tin where make-shift stages, pop-up bars and improvised grills keep the masses happy. These street parties are called arraiais and they run across the city all month.

Read next: How to spend 48 hours in Lisbon

What it’s like on June 12 in Lisbon?

On the night of June 12 the fun kicks off after the sun sets. Around 9pm you can head to Avenida da Liberdade to watch the Marchas Populares parade (more details below) before venturing up to one of the party neighbourhoods for a night of silly chaos, drinking and dancing.

If you struggle with crowds, especially post-pandemic, then consider this a warning. My first Santo António festival we spent June 12 in Alfama and I’ve never been in thicker crowds. There was a point where, while holding hands with friends to avoid losing them, I was lifted from the ground for a few metres by the crowd.

I was in the Alfama neighbourhood again in 2024 and it was the same story. I’d avoid it after 9pm on that night, but other nights or early on you will be fine. If you’re looking for a more relaxed experience, go early to feast on sardines and listen to pimba, or go elsewhere (I’ll list options below).

Considered Lisbon’s longest night of the year, the festivities kick on until dawn. It can be hard to find a taxi, so it may be worth going somewhere within walking distance. The next day is a public holiday, for obvious reasons.

Where to find the best arraiais (parties), especially on June 12

Arrive at an arraial party with an open mind, comfortable shoes, cash and a willingness to be silly. The corny pimba music played at an arraial will have the Portuguese crowd singing and dancing like their lives depend on it. Almost every family-friendly pimba lyric is filled with innuendo (and kids probably do think this song is only about parking your car in the neighbour’s garage).

If you’re interested in learning the chorus to a few songs, start with the undisputed King of Pimba, Quim Barreiros. Across June the 77-year-old singer is the hottest live act to catch, drawing huge crowds with his giant moustache, accordion, cowboy hat and naughty lyrics. A hoot!

The best Lisbon neighbourhoods for Santos Populares

The best and most popular neighbourhoods to find Lisbon’s Santo António festivities are areas like Alfama, Castelo, Mouraria, Graça, Bica, Madragoa and Bairro Alto. You don’t need to know exactly where the party will be as many of them stretch for blocks and blocks, from square to plaza through the skinny streets. You should be able to find great vibes, sardine barbecues and dancing all through these neighbourhoods.

If in doubt, follow your nose or the music or consult this list of arraials from TimeOut (2024 list, in Portuguese – 2025 will be similar).

Seek out a specific arraial in Lisbon

An arraial (party) is sometimes hidden away in a local park, square or cultural centre. If just winging it seems too hard, you can look up the locations of one of the below in Google Maps. Note that some will run for just a few weekends, not the whole month.

Arraiais da Bica: Largo de Santo Antoninho (big party)
Arraiais de São Vicente (Graça): Largo da Graça (big party)
Arraial da Misericórdia (Principe Real): Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara (big party)
Arraial da Mouraria: Largo da Severa, Rua da Guia, Rua Marquês Ponde de Lima, Rua da Mouraria e Rua do Capelão (big party)
Arraial de São Miguel (Alfama): Largo de São Miguel (big party)
Arraial do Magalhães (Alfama): Largo do Salvador (big party)
Arraial do Marquês (Ajuda): Largo do Paz (medium party)
Arraial da Vila Berta (Graça): Vila Berta (hidden party)
Arraial da Praça da Alegria (Avenida Liberdade): Praça da Alegria (smaller party)
Arraial da Academia de Santo Amaro: Rua Academia Recreativa de Santo Amaro 9 (small neighbourhood party)

Tip: If you go out on the night of June 12, it will be crazy with crowds. But you can go out any day in June – Fridays and Saturdays will have the best vibe without the lines.

Events to seek out during Lisbon’s Sardine Festival

Desfile de Marchas Populares

On the night of June 12 venture to Avenida da Liberdade, one of Lisbon’s grandest avenues, to witness a parade of floats, costumes, dancers and bands. It’s a competitive battle between neighbourhoods with each area of Lisbon in it to win it. Note that this goes for hours – and it takes some time for each neighbourhood to pass through. Last year my neighbourhood won and the TV crews were doing interviews at 8am.

Mass wedding (Santo Casamenteiro)

Matchmaker, matchmaker make us a match. Apparently back in 1958 the old Diário Popular newspaper sponsored 26 marriages to help couples facing financial difficulties get married. Fast forward to today and every June 12 the Santo António marriages continue. Each year Lisbon council chooses 16 couples to wed – they get the ring, dress and honeymoon all paid for – and it’s all broadcast on TV.

What to eat at Santo António Festival

Across the city huge plumes of smoke rise from the streets, carrying the salty, unmistakeable stench of grilling sardines and more. It’s said that St. Anthony took a vow of poverty, and since sardines are associated with the poor they are also a symbol of the saint – not just a delicious grilled snack.

Below find half a dozen things you’ll see on the streets.

Sardines on bread

This is so simple. You get a grilled sardine or three served atop a slice of bread. No seasoning, no sauce. Knock the white flesh off one side, flip it and repeat then tuck into the sardine-soaked slice.

Caldo verde

The Portuguese love to eat soup and you’ll spot this traditional potato and cabbage soup about the streets. There’s always a slice or two of chorizo floating on top.

Bifanas (pork sandwich)

Hate sardines? No problem. At any street grill you’ll also find bifanas, a thin pork steak sandwiched into a fresh bun. Just add mustard or piri piri sauce. You may also see entremeada (pork belly) or prego (beef version).

Farturas (donuts)

Any street festival in Portugal has a fartura and churro van parked out the front. Watch them pour a spiral of dough into hot oil, then slice the doughnut into pieces. Farturas are cheap, coated in cinnamon sugar and the thicker size means crispy outside, soft inside.

Salgados (savoury pastries)

Pastéis de bacalhau, croquetes, rissóis… these salty fried snacks are like air or water in Lisbon. You’ll find them in the counter at any bakery or traditional café-bar, and you’ll see them on the streets during Santos. A cheap and tasty snack.

Caracóis (snails)

A summertime favourite, a plate of stewed snails with a beer is a delight. If you’re eager to try them ask for a meia dose or small serve as they servings are usually huge.

Pão com chouriço (chorizo bread)

Slices of chorizo baked into a bread bun = delicious, carby goodness. Extra excellent late at night after a few beers.

Extra cultural tips for surviving the month

Carry cash – it’s unlikely stalls will take card, though this increases with every year. Arrive to the party with cash as often ATMs run out of money, especially on Sundays.
Expect no bathrooms – good luck finding a bathroom on the streets. Most restaurants will block their door as they pop bars out onto the street. Sadly this means many laneways or parked cars become bathrooms, or some entrepreneurial locals open their homes for a fee.
Wear comfortable shoes – you’ll likely be standing, walking or dancing so dress accordingly. On the night of June 12 hailing a taxi home may be difficult.
Take a light jacket – when the sun goes down, Lisbon gets chilly. Unless the day was above 30°C (86°F), you need a layer.

Other unique Santo António traditions

The Manjerico Plant

You’ll see cute little shrub-like plants with a message for sale across the city and at pop-up stalls usually run by old ladies. This is a small, sweet basil plant and the tradition is to gift them to loved ones on June 13th, the official Santo António day. They symbolise newly sprouted love.

Shrines to Santo António

Look in shop windows and you might see a stepped alter with Saint António at the top. It’s fun to see some independent shops make their own themed alters for the saint.

Where to stay in Lisbon in June during the sardine festival

If you like to sleep, choose your accommodation and where to stay during Lisbon’s Santo António festival very carefully. The whole suburbs of Alfama, Bairro Alto, Madragoa, Santos and Mouraria turn into one big party during the fun – so it could be noisy.

So, that’s Santo António festival in a nutshell. If I’ve missed anything or if you found this useful, please drop me a comment!

Looking for more local tips for Lisbon? Read my guide on where to eat in Lisbon and what to do with 48 hours in the city.

Keep reading about Lisbon….

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