Festa das Fogaceiras
The town of Santa Maria da Feira features one of the prettiest castles in Portugal and also plays host to the Festa das Fogaceiras. On this day young people dressed in white carry breads and cakes on their heads in decorated baskets.

Carnaval
Held during the last few days before Lent, Carnaval livens up the country with outlandish costumes, parades and fun fairs. The biggest celebrations are in Lisbon, Loule, Nazare, Ovar and Viana do Castelo. The highpoint of the carnival, though, is entrudo, the final day. If you only have a day to spare, reserve it for entrudo and head to Lisbon’s Parque Nações (Metro Station Oriente) where there is street theatre, parades and other entertainment. The events are all free, start around 3pm and continue well into the evening. There are other parties along the coast in Estoril and Cascais.

Fantasporto - Oporto International Film Festival
Held annually in Rivoli Teatro Municipal, Porto since 1981, Fantasporto is a competitive film festival which screens around 200 films every year with the bulk of its programming coming from Europe and the USA. The festival is usually well-covered by the local media, and attracts audiences of more than 10,000 people each year. For more information, visit www.fantasporto.com/

Lisbon Half-Marathon
Lisbon now organises half-marathons twice a year, in March and September, at opposite ends of the city. The March race starts in Almada on the south side of the 25 de Abril bridge. The route follows the river Tagus River and ends in Belém at the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos - the beautiful cathedral built by King Manuel I in the 16th century. See September heading for further details.

Hot Air Balloon Race
From the end of March to the beginning of April, Portugal hosts a hot air balloon race, with numerous teams from various continents taking part. The balloons fly from Vila Pouca de Aguiar (25km northeast of Vila Real in Tras Os Montes) to Loulé in the Algarve, stopping at Braga and Guimarães in the Minho, Porto in the Douro, Santarém in the Ribatejo and Estremoz in the Alentejo. They generally take off at 7am each day and travel to the next town by 5pm. On the last day in Loulé, there is usually a big party to celebrate the end of a fabulous flight. If you're in Portugal at this time, look up for the balloons - it's a spectacular sight.

Easter Festival
Easter Sunday is celebrated with great fervour in São Bras de Alportel with the exuberant Easter Festival. The men of this inland town carry decorated torches while running through the streets shouting Hallelujah. When they reach the parish Church, the flowers are carefully laid out on the floor so the priest may walk over them.

Super Bock Super Rock
Named after a well-known beer, Super Bock Super Rock is the first big rock festival in Portugal's music calendar. It takes place in the Parque do Tejo, located in Lisbon's Parque das Nações (National Park) and features a variety of national and international bands. Exact dates vary, but it usually takes place around the end of May to the beginning of June.

Feast of Santa Cruz
This festival in Alvaraes takes place on Ascension Sunday. There are beautiful displays of flowers and locals throw petals onto the pavement as statues of the saints are carried high through the streets.

Pilgrimage to Fátima
Fátima is Roman Catholic Portugal's most powerful symbol of religious devotion. On 13 May 1917 the Virgin Mary reportedly made her first visit to three shepherd children in the fields near to near to the town. Today more than four million people make the pilgrimage here. A candlelight procession takes place through the town to the Sanctuary on 12 May, culminating in the Adeus ("farewell") procession the following day. As the Virgin Mary is carried from the high altar to the Chapel of the Apparitions, the crowd becomes emotional, waving farewell with white handkerchiefs. It is an extraordinary sight.

Feast of Senhor Santo Cristo
On the Island of Sao Miguel, the celebrations of the famous feast of Senhor Santo Christo reach their peak on the fifth Sunday after Easter. Many thousands of people follow a 16th-century image of Jesus through the streets of the city of Ponta Delgada. The streets are strewn with flowers and colourful bedspreads are hung from the buildings as decoration. The solemn rhythm of the procession is accompanied by bands. The pilgrims who follow the parade then fulfil their vows at the Church of the Convent of Hope.

Feast of the Cross
The Feast of the Cross, also known as the Feast of our Lady of the Castle, is held in Monsanto Castle in Guarda on Ascension Thursday. Local people carry dozens of bejewelled crosses through the fields to commemorate an ancient victory. It's a beautiful sight. The main saints' days are for Antonio (12-13 June), John (23-24 June) and Peter (28-29 June). There are parades in each district and everywhere there is music and dancing. No one works, and the partying, music, dancing and eating can go on for up to a week.

National Agricultural Fair
For nine days every June the city of Santarém holds the National Agricultural Fair. As well as agricultural displays, there is bullfighting, bull running in the streets and folk dancing (in particular the fandango). A traditional festival, the fair offers the opportunity to see an alternative Portugal away from the tourist centres.

São João Festival
Nowhere in Portugal is the São João festival celebrated with more passion than in Porto, where the streets are overtaken with dancing and flying vegetables. The party begins on 23 June and ends on the 24th. By the evening of 23 June every part of Porto is celebrating - drinking, eating grilled sardines, hurling vegetables at each other, leaping over bonfires whilst making a wish, waving garlic under each other's noses and banging plastic hammers on tables along to the music. The origin of these strange customs has been forgotten but the tradition still persists. The best place to go is the historic centre and particularly the Ribeira, along the river Douro.

The Feast of Saint Peter
During the Feast of Saint Peter fantastic jousts and cavalcades take place on the streets of Ribeira Grande, on the Island of Sao Miguel. This exciting festival attracts over 100 participants in colourful costumes, evoking ancient tournaments on horseback and medieval combat. There is also a lovely procession, which starts at midday from outside the church.

Sintra Festival
During the months of June and July the Sintra Festival attracts a large number of music lovers. The programme is entirely made up of a piano repertoire from the Romantic period, with the best interpreters of the international music scene. The various concerts (about twelve) usually take place in churches, palaces (Palácio da Vila, Palácio da Pena and Palácio de Queluz), as well as in parks and country estates of the Sintra region.

Bullfighting Season at Santarem
June - September
The season at Santarem Bullring starts in June, with bullfights taking place as part of the National Agricultural Fair, and continues until the end of September. Unlike Spanish bullfighting, in Portuguese bullfighting the bull is not killed.

Festa do Colete Encarnado
Horse and bull rearing form the basis of the local economy in Vila Franca de Xira, and the main event in the town is the Festa do Colete Encarnado, or the Red Waistcoat Festival. For several days there are bullfights and bull runs. This involves letting the bulls loose and trying to dodge them as they charge through the streets - usually only attempted by the mad, the drunk or the incredibly macho. There are many casualties each year. It is worth noting that the Portuguese style of fighting the bull is different to its Spanish counterpart - the bull is wrestled but not killed.

Moorish Nights
During the Moorish Nights, the Algarve village of Cacela Velha recreates the ambience of the Arab presence in the region from the 10th-13th centuries. As well as a traditional souk market with goods from Magreb and the Algarve demonstrating the Moorish heritage, there is folkloric music, dance, discussions and traditional Arabic food.

Vilar de Mouros Summer Festival
The Summer Festival in Vilar de Mouros has been held every year since 1971 (when Elton John and Manfred Mann took the stage) and has continued to attract large crowds to see top international acts. Tickets can be bought in Portugal at any Multibanco ticket dispenser or in Spain from El Corte Inglés department stores.

Estoril Music Festival
July - August
First held in 1975, the Estoril Music Festival greets the summer with five weeks of great music beginning in mid-July. Concerts are held in Estoril, just 15km west of Lisbon, with some of the larger concerts taking place in the capital city.

Festival of the Sea
July - August
Each year the Fishermens' Association in Cascais organises an fun-filled event on S. Joao do Estoril Beach. Young fishermen first strut their stuff in front of the local ladies and then turn their attention to the bulls who are sent running along the beach. Anyone brave or foolhardy enough tries to grab onto the horns for the exciting prize of some dried codfish. The event includes a processions, complete with colourful costumes and music. The nights are filled with fireworks and traditional music. Check the dates with the local tourist office for exact dates.

Tall Ships Race - Lisbon Leg
July - August
The majestic sail boats arrive Lisbon around the end of July. The fleet of 100 vessels from some 20 countries then heads south to beautiful Cádiz at the very tip of Spain, and then back up the Portugal coast to La Coruña on the north-western tip of Spain by the first week of August. By mid-August the fleet races from La Coruña to Antwerp, where a spectacular Gala Awards Ceremony provides a fitting end to the celebrations.
For more information, visit www.sailtraininginternational.org/

Noites Ritual Rock
This annual festival in Porto's Crystal Palace Gardens features some of the best Portuguese bands. It is the place to be seen if you want to make it on the national circuit. All the biggest local bands have played at the festival at one time or another and many have made their name here.

Feast of Nossa Senhora do Monte
Madeira’s capital of Funchal celebrates the Feast of Senhora do Monte with a festival commemorating the deliverance of the people from hunger and plague. Celebrations kick off with a city fair which lasts through the night with all sorts of wonderful Madeiran delicacies to feed the crowds. The next day no one has to get up early as it is a national holiday.

Romaria de Nossa Senhora dos Remedios
August – September
There is an incredible atmosphere in Lamego over these several weeks of pilgrimage. For some this is an intensely emotional and spiritual time, but for others it is a chance to experience a special part of local culture and entertainment such as dances, car races, torchlight parades, a fair and rock concerts featuring some of the country's top bands. This pilgrimage makes its way to the shrine of Nossa Senhora dos Remedios (Our Lady of Cures) at the top of Lamego town. The approach to the shrine is an elaborate Baroque stairway. The most devoted pilgrims climb all 700 steps on their knees and the ascent is dotted with smaller chapels and fountains where people can rest.

Avante Festival
Every year the Portuguese Communist Party newspaper, Avante, organises a free festival at the Quinta da Princesa estate in Atalaia from 1-3 September. With music and dance ranging from classical to Latin, jazz and pop this is a festival for the people, regardless of their political beliefs. Even though the festival is free, the organisers sell a pass, so you can get to see all the shows and concerts you want in the smaller venues.

Lisbon Half-Marathon
Lisbon now organises half-marathons twice a year, in March and September, at opposite ends of the city. The September race starts at kilometre 7 on the Vasco da Gama bridge, in the east of the city in the Parque das Nações.

Bullfighting Season at Santarem
June - September
The season at Santarem Bullring starts in June, with bullfights taking place as part of the National Agricultural Fair, and continues until the end of September. Unlike Spanish bullfighting, in Portuguese bullfighting the bull is not killed.

All Souls' Day (Dia de Finados)
On All Souls' Day (1 November), Portuguese families spend all day and night with those who have departed this world. Flowers are laid at family graves, while local cemeteries are spruced up and sometimes hold special masses or processions. All Soul’s Day is a national holiday.

Christmas and New Year Festivities
Madeira: The weather on Madeira Island remains mild even in winter, and its capital city of Funchal comes alive with lights, fireworks and celebrations. From the beginning of December, the city is beautifully decorated and organises a programme of cultural and artistic events. Parties take place in hotels, restaurants, bars and the streets, so you're sure to be swept up in the festivities somewhere. The celebrations are finally brought to a close on Epiphany (6 January) as the lights are extinguished and taken down for another year. Madeira is fast becoming a popular tourist destination, so book your hotel early to avoid disappointment.

Lisbon: During the Christmas season, there is free street theatre around many of Lisbon’s metro stations and the Torre de Belém celebrations. If you're looking for something special, many hotels offer with packages including room and gala dinner. Alternatively, the Casino Estoril presents several different shows, which vary in price.

New Years Eve Party (Noite Mágica)
Lisbon comes alive on New Year's Eve, with parties in the hotels and on the streets, lit by an elaborate display of lights. The focal point, though, is the Torre de Belém, where there is a musical extravaganza, fireworks and a "mega disco". Celebrations start near the Torre de Belém at around 10pm on New Year's Eve. However, it's advisable to head down to Avenida de Brasilia (close to the tower) early to get a good spot. The natural arena showcases popular Portuguese bands, accompanied by the firework display which lights up the River Tejo. A massive party follows well into the early hours of the morning.

New Year’s Day: 1 January
Carnaval Tuesday: February / March (day before Ash Wednesday)
Good Friday: March / April
Freedom Day: 25 April
Labour Day: 1 May
Corpus Christi: May / June (ninth Tuesday after Easter)
Portugal Day: 10 June
Feast of the Assumption: 15 August
Republic Day: 5 October
All Soul’s Day: 1 November
Independence Day: 1 December
Feast of the Immaculate Conception: 8 December
Christmas Day: 25 December