March wakes up: the good weather is more than ready to embrace Portugal. It’s time for Europe’s most original and surprising spring break. It’s certainly not the classic spring break of the Americas, with its fast-paced parties. It’s instead a time for renewing flavors and traditions – all planned in detail, with friends or family. (The kids will love it, we guarantee it!)
But February though! A winter month with spring at heart. Why not have an early spring break? With the very peculiar Portuguese carnivals, between the 10th and 13th. From the north – in the town of Ovar, for example, very close to Porto – to the south, in Loulé, in the heart of the Algarve.
It’s all a fantastic combination of good national humor and music. Or try the incredible centuries old celebrations in the villages near Lamego, by the Douro Valley. Not to be missed.
Easter is remarkable and extends beyond religious celebration. Just consider the Holy Week in Braga – the city elected in 2023 as the World’s Leading Emerging Tourism Destination by the World Travel Awards –, an event rich in art, music and gastronomy.
The stunning landscapes herald flavors. You can’t miss the roads in the Algarve and Douro regions framed by the almond trees in bloom, or the cherry trees also in bloom on the rural roads of the center, both true spectacles offered by nature.
The big gastronomic festivals are back. Villages, towns and cities, including on the Azores and Madeira islands, are buzzing with very specific events, celebrating local dishes and foods – all overflowing with properly curated experiences, if you so wish.
And that’s not all: the beaches start to warm up, the sea calms down. It’s the right time to start enjoying the ocean again.
So, welcome to the most peaceful and delightful of spring break edens!
