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The best way to make a holiday really memorable is to immerse yourself in the local culture. Faro is renowned for playing host to some of the most prominent festivals and fiestas in the whole of the Algarve - and the low cost and convenience of flights to Faro makes them easily accessible all year round. Whether you're interested in sporting events, religious festivals or cultural celebrations, Faro is the Portuguese HQ for a range of vibrant and spectacular parties.

Continue reading... Festivals in Faro

There is a vast amount of different festivals and events that take place within Lanzarote. One of the popular events within this area is Teguise Carnival and this event is popular with both locals and tourists alike. A lot of the tourists that enjoy taking part in this carnival use the regular flights to Lanzarote. This carnival normally takes place during February. This carnival usually starts with birth of the sardine and it finishes with either the burial or burning of the sardine. This carnival is actually very similar to the harvest festival. On the evening prior to the carnival parade there tends to be a band that are based on the back of an open lorry and they play to the crowds that gather to celebrate the start of the festivities. The start of these festivities is also marked by a torch light procession and this is normally held by German people although a wide range of people tend to take part in it.

Continue reading... Teguise Carnival in Lanzarote

Preveza is located in Greece and is known for its beautiful beaches on the coast of the Ionian Sea. Apart from the beaches the city boasts of the Byzantine monasteries, wetlands of Amvrakikos Gulf and Venetian castles. Preveza has the Aegean Airlines and Olympic Airways that operate about three to four flights to Preveza every day. The Aktion Airport also offers several flights from some of the major cities of Europe. The monument of Zalogo also has historical importance and is known as a place of love of freedom and sacrifice.

Continue reading... The Aheron Delta and the Amvrakikos Gulf in Preveza

The date of celebrating the festival is decided by the Coptic calendar. The festival celebrates the beginning of the harvesting season. Shemu stands for revival of life and onset of the harvesting season. The festival is marked by a great feast in which certain things have to be consumed. The offerings during the feast also hold great significance.

Continue reading... Sharm el Sheikh Sham el Nessim

Festivals are a constant feature throughout the year with many small local feast days celebrated in towns and villages, the fabulous Sardine Festival at Benitses and the acclaimed Varkarola Music Festival at Paleokastritsa, both held around mid-August. But this year sees a new attraction added - surely unique among the Ionian islands - The Corfu Cricket Festival.

Continue reading... Corfu welcomes a new festival

The Algarve is famous for its excellent seafood cuisine. This remarkable attraction can be tied to the long stretches of seashore and harbours dotting the whole region, which contribute to the richness and beauty of Algarve. The area shows off its qualities during the Sardine festival in Faro. Every year, there is an influx of visitors and flights to Faro because of this summer festival, which takes place in the month of August on the Riverside zone in Portimao. Thousands of sardine enthusiasts return to Faro during this event to participate in the fun and challenging competitions which this festival offers.

Continue reading... Sardine festival in Faro

While most travellers book their flights to Preveza because of the beautiful sun drenched beaches, this destination hosts some unique and lively festivals during the summer months, including the Sardine and Choral festival. The most greatly anticipated of these events is the Nikopolia Festival, which takes place from late June to early September. Covering all art forms, the festival has been running for over 45 years, and is a cherished favourite of the locals.

Continue reading... The Nikopolia Festival in Preveza

Ria Formosa festival is a major celebration in Faro coming up at the end of July to last till the beginning of August. For lovers of seafood and all sorts of other exotic traditional menus, this is the best place to be this summer as there will be vast numbers of these foods from all over Portugal.

Continue reading... Algarve seafood and wine festival

In Santa Cruz every Sunday morning there's a flea market at Mercado de Nuestra Senora de Africa, Calle San Sebastian. Some of Tenerife's other main markets are located in the Costa Adeje, the Los Cristianos area and in Santa Cruz, including a notable open-air flea market along the Avenida Jose Manuel Guimera, which takes place every Sunday morning. You can find inexpensive items to bring back home plus lots of local produce and handicrafts. Some of the items to look for are hand-crafted lace tablecloths, pottery and ceramics, and local wines.

Continue reading... A Taste of Tenerife

Tenerife is an island known for its spectacular events. Santa Cruz de Tenerife carnival is one of such events. This carnival attracts millions of people from everywhere being one of the best celebrated events in Spain. If you are looking for lively entertainment and the time of your life, now is not the time to miss this carnival. Since this is a very popular event, it might be a good idea to book flights to Santa Cruz de Tenerife in advance. This time of the year is a ideal for getting great deals on flights and cheap hotels.

Continue reading... Don't be left out of the parade in Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival

Situated at the point where the river Tagus flows into the Atlantic Ocean, it is hardly surprising that Lisbon has always had a special relationship with the sea. This sentiment is celebrated in the Oceans Festival, which takes place in the city from 31st July to 14th August.

Continue reading... Ocean Festival Lisbon

As it is situated on the Atlantic, the Algarve region has a bounty of fresh fish on its doorstep. Portugal on a whole is among Europe's highest fish consuming nations. Cod is a hugely popular fish and it is reputed that the Portuguese have 365 different ways to prepare it - one dish for each day of the year! Also popular are grilled sardines, octopus, squid, crabs, shrimp, sea bass, lobster, and shellfish. Expect to see the fish and shellfish here prepared in a multitude of ways. Additional dishes to try are the rich bean stews and presunto, which is a wafer thin smoked ham and bread served with pate and olives. Speaking of bread, you may want to sample the acorda which is a thick bread-based casserole made with garlic, coriander and seafood. Potatoes and rice dishes are also mainstays of the menus here.

Continue reading... The Fantastic Food of Faro

Whatever your preferred hobby or pastime, a stay on the Algarve during April is likely to provide something to tempt you to leave the beaches and explore this fascinating region.

Continue reading... Algarve April Excitement

Everyone is asking when the severe winter weather in the UK, the harshest for the past 30 years, is finally going to let up. But the UK shouldn't feel too bad, because there are plenty of other European countries that have experienced equally poor weather. Countries like Belgium and Germany have also been suffering under very cold, wet and snowy conditions for several weeks now.

Continue reading... Storms Force Tenerife Events To Be Postponed

Many of the larger carnivals like the famous one in Rio de Janeiro and the carnival in Santa Cruz de Tenerife were held on the official carnival weekend of 13th and 14th February. Santa Cruz claims to host one of the biggest carnivals after Rio and this year the capital city of Tenerife had four live stages, an 84,000 Watt sound system and lighting rigs totaling almost 140,000 of power.

Continue reading... Maspalomas Carnival Details

Forgive us for mentioning carnival events yet again, but for our travellers to Lanzarote, here is a review of the island's carnival events which kicked off on Saturday the 13th of February. There were also some events in the period leading up to this date including a children's fiesta and a series of plays.

Continue reading... Lanzarote Prepares To Celebrate

Colourful costumes, street parades, plenty of parties and of course great food and drink are the ingredients for most carnival events and things are not too different on Ibiza. For five days during February the main towns on the island seem to stop work and get down to the serious business of letting their hair down. If you can't quite imagine what goes on there, then think back to the best fancy dress party you ever went to and multiply it by a factor of ten. Everyone, whether part of an organised group in the parade or just watching from the pavements, is encouraged to dress as brightly, even as outrageously, as possible.

Continue reading... Ibiza Celebrations

When you fly to Lanzarote the aircraft will arrive at the island's main airport in Arrecife. The airport is conveniently situated midway along the east coast making transfers to most of the island's main tourist hotspots relatively short, in fact as the whole island is only around 35 miles long, transfer distances are rarely more than 20 miles.

Continue reading... Arrecife Carnival on Lanzarote

Visitors to Crete during September will not only have the fabulous autumn weather to enjoy. A selection of cultural events continues throughout the month.

Continue reading... Crete During September

Travel half an hour East from Faro on the Algarve and you will arrive at the old town of Tavira, a place that ranks alongside Lagos in architectural significance on this stretch of the Portuguese coast.

Continue reading... Festival in the Old Town of Tavira