Celebrations to honour the three Santos Populares, São João together with São Pedro and Santo António, are enjoyed throughout Portugal during the month of June.
Local towns celebrate by hosting parties and parades to honour the saints which usually involve street barbecues that often include grilled sardines on bread accompanied by wine or beer (soft drinks are available also).
Throughout the region of the Algarve you will find towns hosting celebrations with Lagos starting today, June 13, and continuing throughout the weekend. There will be events and parades beginning at 7pm from the square, Praça Infante Dom Henrique – the parades will only begin later in the evening, around 9.30pm.
Alcoutim and Castro Marim, in the eastern Algarve, both have single-day events on June 15 and June 23 respectively.
Faro has a series of parades on June 30 at the São Luís stadium and Quarteira, which is considered to have perhaps the best Santos Populares parades in the Algarve, will host two single-day events – one on June 23 and the second on June 28, both starting at 9pm on the seafront.
There are, of course, many more parades and celebrations with bailes (local parties with dancing and food) often being the centre of the occasion.
For more information on the Santos Populares festivities and of course other happenings along the Algarve throughout June download the Visit Algarve events’ guide.