São Brás de Alportel Easter Festival
Listed under Religious Festivals in The Algarve, Portugal.
São Brás de Alportel is like many other eastern Algarve towns, but at Easter time it celebrates in its own unique way and draws crowds from the surrounding towns and further afield. São Brás's old town has a church and Episcopal Palace and on Easter day the streets in front of them are laid with flowers and men approach in a procession through the town carrying torches made of flowers, the leader of them crying “Christ is risen”, and the others responding with “Hallelujah”. When the procession reaches the church the torches of flowers are added to the flowers already laid out and the priest walks on them on his way into church.
Written by 
Simon Says.
Comments, reviews and questions by other travellers
Who's been here
Similar Experiences
Festas Juninas
The European festival of Saint John takes on a whole new look and life in Brazil where it's been morphed into a kind of mini ca…
Jamaica Easter Carnival
Over 10,000 party orientated people converge on Jouvert Beach, Kingston in the very early hours of Easter Sunday for the Jamaic…
Cirio de Nazare
A joyous, colourful celebration of the 'Virgen de Nazare' and the miracles she is believed to have performed in taking pity on …
Nearby Experiences
Moinhos Velhos
This is a proper celebrity cult spa, and for a good reason – their seriously strict detox programmes kick-start your metabolism…
Star Gazing in the Algarve
Mention of the Algarve might conjure up images far from the quiet pursuit of uninterrupted stargazing but this southernmost reg…
Grande Real Santa Eulália Resort
Award winning Spa-Thalasso on the beach in the Algarve - Set in lush gardens and situated right above the famous Santa Eulália …
Related links
- The Algarve travel guide
- Portugal travel guide
- Portugal travel specialists
- The best Religious Festivals
- The best Festivals
Easter Sunday in Sao Bras de Alportel is a wonderful experience that I'll be sorry to miss this year.
The work that the community puts into lining the streets with flowers and greenery is incredible. And to see thousands of people walking carefully so that they don't disturb the flowers could teach many of us a few lessons on respect. That's before the procession leaves the church and parades through town, crushing all that hard work as they pass by.
To see the men and boys walking about with their massive floral arrangements before the procession starts is a lot of fun. As is watching the bedspreads that are hung out of the windows for good luck (and I suspect fertility) as they flutter in the breeze.
Next time I'll plan to stay for the day, not just for the parade. The whole town gets involved and has a festival of it with free music, food stalls everywhere, families out, children with balloons and all the trappings of a good time.
This is definitely not an event to be missed if you are in the Algarve over the Easter weekend.