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From São Marcos da Serra it is never far to all the different places of interest in the Algarve. It is an ideal start to discover this region by car. Within a limit of 35 minutes you can reach the beautiful beaches, interesting towns like Silves or Loulé, villages like Alte or Lagoa, the nightlife in Albufeira and a whole lot more.
Of course it is also worth while to go for a walk or biking tour through the mountainside, enjoying the beautiful nature and the great biodiversity. You can also visit the west coast (a beautiful 1 hour drive), or have a look across the border into the Alentejo.
There is a very nice route through the mountains from the village of São Marcos da Serra to the town of Silves and another one leading to the Monchique. There, on top of the Fóia (902 m), you have a wonderful wide view over villages and woods.
Below you will find a selection of things to do when you are in the Algarve.
Feira do Folar and day of São MarcosThe Feira do Folar (Easter cake fair) takes place in São Marcos da Serra in the Easter weekend. Near the church square all the local specialities, such as the special Easter cake of S. Marcos, sausages or medronho, can be tasted and bought and in the afternoon and evening there will be folklore, dance and music. For in impression of the feira have a look a this video http://videos.sapo.pt/vfVocjYDOzW4iRSbdEGC
On the 25th of April, there is another celebration with entertainment, music and dance to honour the Saint patron of the village: São Marcos.
Local marketsOne of the things you should not miss, is visiting a local market (only open in the morning). In S. Marcos da Serra there is a small market on the first Saturday of each month. There is a bigger market held in the neighbouring village of S.B. de Messines on the 4th monday of every month. A listing of all the markets in the area can be found in the topic useful information.
You can buy a variety of goods, such as clothes, vegetables, cheese, chicken (grilled or alive), plants, pots and pans etc. Some markets also have livestock.
the "Fatima" of S. Marcos da SerraYou don't have to travel far to visit a sacred place. We have one right here in this freguesia! It all started in 1998. A man working on the construction of the IC1 discovered a cork oak tree (sobreiro) that smelled like roses, right next to the road. He spoke about it in the village and soon more and more people went to the tree to experience this strange phenomenon. People started to take a stone laying next to the tree or a piece of its cork home as a souvenir and soon the tree was getting in trouble. Other people tried to protect it, but one night a man went there with his saw and cut the tree. On the spot where the tree used to be, you can now see a statue of Our Lady of Kindness (nossa senhora de bondage) with the text: "Our lady of kindness showed herself here on the 16th of February 1999. You should come here on every first Sunday of the month at 12.00 hours to pray. " Some people still experience the smell of roses here.
CarnivalIf you happen to be in the neighbourhood in February you should not miss the Carnival celebrations. Enjoy the colourful parades in places like Loulé (the oldest parade of Portugal) or Alte. The best thing to do is to dress-up yourself and join the merriment and celebrations.
Feira EnchidosEvery first weekend in March the Feira Enchidos (sausage festival) is held in Monchique. Here you can try and buy the famous sausages made of the meat of the black pigs (porco preto), but you can also find other regional specialties like medronho, presunto, sweets and honey here. Enjoy the festivities with live entertainment in this typical village of the serra.
Feira Medieval
Every year in August (in 2012 from 28 July till 5 August) there is a Feira Medieval in the town of Silves.
It is a great experience to see how the historical centre of this old little town is transformed into medieval times. Everything is in style and you really can imagine how life must have been a couple of hundred years ago. There are many performances to see, there is no entrance fee, the food is great and there are many nice things to buy. You can even participate yourself by renting (for a symbolic price) a costume and walk around dressed up as a knight or a lady or a beggar. The market starts at 6 in the evening and ends at 1 in the night.
Fatacil
Each year during the last 10 days of August, you can visit the Fatacil in Lagoa. The 32nd Fatacil is held from 19 to 28 August 2011.
It is a big fair with about 300 stallholders about art, tourism, agriculture, commerce, industry and handicraft. Every day there are live shows on stage. Opening hours are from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Entrance fee: €5 per adult, €15 for 4 adults, free entrance for children up to 12.
http://fatacil.blogspot.com/2010/10/fatacil-2011-18-29-de-agosto.html
Museum of traditions
In the neighbouring town of São Bartolomeu de Messines a brandnew museum opened its doors: Museu do traje e das tradições (museum of costumes and traditions).
For the time being there is no entrance fee. The museum is situated at the entrance to the village (next to the car wash) and is open every working day from 10 - 13.00 and from 14 - 18.00 hours.
Barragem de Odelouca
The Odelouca dam (barragem) is now realized and there is an artificial lake developing that reaches São Marcos da Serra in 2012.
Since the dam was closed in the summer of 2009, it is now ready to store water and will become the main water supplier for the western Algarve, with a capacity of storing 134.000.000 m3 of water. It will take over 3 years to fill up with water. At the moment (January 2011) the barragem is filled for 29%.
Once fully filled the barragem will be another place for recreation in this region.
SilvesPay a visit to the sleepy town of Silves and walk around the the old Moorish castle walls. From there you have a wonderful view over the area. Also worth seeing are the Archaeological Museum and the Cathedral, both near the castle. On Sunday afternoons there is live music at Café Inglès, also near the castle.
FIESA - sand sculpture festivalThe 9th Sand sculpture festival in Pêra will take place from 15 April till 22 October 2011. 50 artists from all over the world will transform 40.000 tons of sand into sculptures at the beach of Pêra. This year´s FIESA (Festival Internacional de Escultura em Areia) will have the motto "Animal World" (Animalândia). There will also be new activities for visitors to see and do. At night the sculptures will be flooded in light and there will be workshops, music and entertainment. Opening hours: daily between 10.00 and 23.00 hours. For more information: www.fiesa.org
Parque da MinaIn Caldas de Monchique, the Parque da Mina is worth a visit. In this theme park you get some insight in the habits and customs of the people of the serra. Amongst other things you can see an old mine, a distillery for Medronho, the making of bread and a furnished old farm house. There is a play ground for the small ones, picnic area and a small cafeteria. Open from 10 a.m. till 7 p.m. (5 p.m. in the winter season) Entrance fee: € 5 for kids, € 8 for adults.
Krazy World ZooIf you have children, Krazy World Zoo in Algoz could be a nice day out for the family. There are not only animals, but they also have a swimming pool, live shows, carting, mini-golf and a restaurant. For more information www.krazyworld.com
According to the Camara of Silves, S. Marcos da Serra will be the centre of a tourism project to attract visitors to the council´s interior.
The council bought a factory and old olive plant which are currently being refurbished. These will be transformed into a guest house and tourist centre with information about bird watching and other nature-based activities. There will also be a museum for azeite (olive oil) situated here.
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