The Biker’s Festival

This festival usually takes place during the month of July, and it is in fact, the largest bike rally in Europe. Literally thousands of bikers from all across the continent travel to Faro to join the Moto Clube de Faro in this celebration of their two-wheeled machines.

Besides the obvious attraction of the thousands of bikes and peculiar characters, the festival always has a few solid live acts performing, from various places around the European continent, it’s a very mutli-national event.

Besides these you can of course find all sorts of trade stands, refreshment areas and other smaller entertainment shows.

The Al-Buhera Festival

Also in July, the town of Albufeira hosts a festival focused on local crafts, live music, gastronomy, many things that make up the wealth of culture from the Algarve.

The majority of activities will take place in the town’s Fisherman’s Square, which is also the place that you’d want to head to if you want to experience a real taste of Portugal.

The Silves Medieval Fair

This Fair usually starts towards the end of July and continues throughout the start of August. This Festival is held in the town of Silves, located in central Algarve and it is by far one of the biggest cultural events that take place every year in the region. It never fails to attract a large number of visitors from both Portugal, Europe and beyond, and it seems to be attracting an increasing number of visitors each year, as awareness of it grows.

For those who are medieval enthusiasts, whether it’s the culture, the costumes, the sword fighting, the food, or the sheer joy of the gathering, the Silves Medieval Fair is the place for you.

You can attend these and many more events with the help of Algarve car hire services.

The overarching goal of this Fair is to offer to modern eyes, a view of what the city had been and how the world was those many centuries ago. Young and old, residents and tourists are all welcomed to this event which also plans to promote the country and the city to the world at large. And in the Algarve, you need to set yourself apart from the plethora of coastal resorts or quaint villages, by any means necessary, and a medieval fair will surely shine a bright light on Silves.

The Fair has grown quite a bit since its first edition in the 1996 when it was organized by the local School and the students, teachers and local school community were the driving engine behind the whole thing. Even by 2005 when the first official Silves Medieval Fair took place, it only attracted a relatively small number of visitors, but from that point onward it has garnered an increasing level of popularity.

This year the Fair will be reenacting the conquest of Silves by the Christians and this will surely prove to be quite the experience to all those involved as well as to those spectating.

MAP and event program for the Silves Medieval Fair

Besides all the activities and the medieval-style food that will populate the old town, the atmosphere will be further enhanced by the presence of a variety of artist groups around the city.

Much like the troubadours and jugglers or old, you’ll see groups of people dressed in medieval appropriate garb, singing, jumping, and engaging in all manner of medieval entertainment. This will only add to the layers of medieval charm that the city offers through its merchants, craftsmen and the like.

Events of Silves Medieval Fair start at 18:00 and finish around 01.00 AM and in case you want to have more information, visit the Silves Medieval Fair Facebook Page.

Make no mistake about it, you will love this even if you’re not into the Medieval Era, but honestly now, who isn’t?

DAILY EVENTS of Silves Medieval Fair:

» 18:00 Opening of the Medieval Fair and Parade and Broad Streets in Medina
» 18.30 Dramatization of the episode daily – Medina Square
»19.00 Reading Notice – City Gates
» 20:00 Arms Tournament Horse in silica (Evidence brave and valiant fighting prowess of the knights of Allah for the honor of exhibiting their loyalty to Isa Ibn Abi Hafs Ibn Alli, governor of Silves) – Al-Square Muthamid
» 20.30 Ceremonial of Ramadan -” Iftar “call to prayer – City Gates
» 21:00 Banquet at the Palace of Balconies – Castle
»22.00 Dramatization – Conquest of the City by the Christians in 1189 – Taking the Alcazaba – Castle
»22.30 Tournament Horse Arms in silica (Knights Crusaders and knights of King Sancho I will fight among themselves by looting the castle, making bets and claiming rights) – Al-Square Muthamid
» 24.00 Final Judgment – Largo’s Souq
» 1:00 AM - Closing of the Fair

You can enjoy the festival if you reach Silves where the main events are at:

Castelo de Silves
Rua do Castelo
Silves, Western Algarve