International Chocolate Festival
Óbidos, Portugal | March + April
Each year around 200,000 visitors gather in this medieval Portuguese town to indulge their sweet tooth with chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate. During the International Chocolate Festival, Óbidos is transformed into a real-life Hansel and Gretel fantasy land where cakes glisten in shop windows, chocolate sculptures are displayed like works of art, cooking classes always feature cocoa as the main ingredient, and even the streets are paved with chocolate. Every year there is a different theme, and chocolate artisans are tasked with putting forth their finest confectionery creations. Check out the Festival Video from 2016 here.
EXPERIENCE BEFORE OR AFTER YOUR TOUR! Kick off (or cap off) a March or April Alentejo Bike Tour with a scrumptious and sugar-coated visit to Óbidos.
Semana Santa (Holy Week)
Spain + Portugal | Week leading up to Easter Sunday
Semana Santa is a weeklong celebration ending on Easter Sunday. It’s filled with pageantry, art, and religious devotion as processions make their way from parishes and churches to the cathedral and back again. Seville is host to one of the best Holy Week jubilees in Spain, with nearly 70 cofradias (church brotherhoods, many dating from the 16th century) taking part—each with their own statues of the Virgin Mary and Jesus and colorful misterios (Biblical tableaux) on elaborately decorated pasos (floats). If you’re traveling to Portugal, you’ll find Holy Week celebrations in Óbidos and Oporto as well.
EXPERIENCE BEFORE OR AFTER YOUR TOUR! Celebrate Semana Santa in Portugal’s capital city before or after your Alentejo Bike Tour.
Feria de Abril
Seville, Spain | April
The April Fair celebrates the arrival of spring in Seville and is one of the most anticipated celebrations in Andalucía—and all of Spain. With the scent of jasmine and orange blossoms in the air, it’s a fine way to encounter what many consider the typical marks of Andalusian culture: sherry, Sevillanas, toros, flamenco dresses, and horses. Visit during the day to see bullfights, try your hand at driving a horse-drawn carriage, and take in the scene with an all-ages crowd. At night, Fino and manzanilla are consumed in large quantities, and young Sevillanas arrive after midnight from nearby bars. Enter through the main gate, or puerta, at least once after dark to take in the sparkling lights.
EXPERIENCE BEFORE OR AFTER YOUR TOUR! Combine this festival with your Costa Brava Bike Tour.
IndieLisboa Film Festival
Lisbon, Portugal | May
IndieLisboa International Independent Film Festival is Portugal’s answer to Cannes and Sundance. Portuguese and foreign films of all genres that aren’t widely released in Portugal the rest of the year are screened for the general public. There’s even a special portion of the festival dedicated to children’s and family movies. In addition to stimulating the national interest in film production, IndieLisboa provides a tremendous networking opportunity for spectators as well as filmmakers, programmers, distributors, critics, and other professionals, with opportunities for dialogue in debates, seminars, talks, meetings, parties, and concerts.
EXPERIENCE BEFORE OR AFTER YOUR TOUR! Explore the IndieLisboa Film Festival before or after your Alentejo Bike Tour.
Sintra Festival
Sintra, Portugal | May + June
This internationally recognized classical music festival celebrates its 52nd year in 2017. Marrying music and history, works of classical music and opera are performed in some of Portugal’s prettiest venues, from auditoriums and arenas to coliseums and palaces. Pianists from all over the world showcase their skill during recitals of Bach, Tchaikovsky, Chopin, and Bartók, plus fadosand tangos unique to Portuguese pianism.
EXPERIENCE BEFORE OR AFTER YOUR TOUR! Sintra’s events span several weeks, giving you various options to attend in conjunction with your Alentejo Bike Tour.
Fiestas San Isidro
Madrid, Spain | May
In May, the capital of Spain welcomes visitors to the Festival San Isidro to celebrate Madrid’s patron saint, San Isidro, while showcasing the city’s special affinity for hospitality. Over five days, more than 50 concerts, theater performances, and dance presentations honor Madrid’s traditions, with one of the main attractions being the San Isidro Bullfighting Festival. Emblematic places, such as the Plaza Mayor, Las Vistillas Park, or the Pradera de San Isidro play host to parades and unforgettable nights of Zarzuela and comic opera, among many other activities. Fireworks on the Pradera de San Isidro conclude the festivities.
EXPERIENCE BEFORE OR AFTER YOUR TOUR! Head to Madrid to join the festivities before or after your Mallorca Bike Tour.
Festas de Lisboa
Lisbon, Portugal | June
The Festival of Lisbon is a month-long calendar of activities that attracts thousands of people to one of Lisbon’s oldest neighborhoods. The celebration is centered around Santo António, the highly respected and worshiped patron saint of the city. Follow the tantalizing scent of roasted sardines and sweet basil wafting through streets strung with colored globes and garlands. By day, there are processions, performances, art installations, dancing fountains—even weddings. Evenings come alive with parades and music and dance to the rhythm of popular songs. And while June is the main month of these festivities, the reasons to celebrate extend well into the summer with jazz performances, cinema screenings, sporting events, exhibitions and Fado in the city’s trams.
EXPERIENCE BEFORE OR AFTER YOUR TOUR! Celebrate in Lisbon alongside your Douro Valley Bike Tour or Alentejo Bike Tour.
Wine Battle
Haro, Spain | June
This wild event celebrates St. Peter’s Feast Day, though you’d be lucky to find a local who could tell you so. It’s better known around these parts as La Batalla de Vino de Haro, or the Wine Fight of Haro. On the first night of the feast, the town erupts with a party in the streets, squares, and bars. After a few hours of sleep (or none at all), the thirsty troops head five kilometers up a mountain to drench each other in wine via water pistols, mounted spraying devices, and buckets. Wear white for a wine-soaked souvenir, and open wide for a taste!
EXPERIENCE ON TOUR! Jump right in with the locals and drench yourself in the local vino tinto on a Rioja Bike Tour.
Running of the Bulls
Pamplona, Spain | July
Written about in Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises and known throughout the world, this epic eight-day bull run attracts daredevils from far and wide. After opening ceremonies, each day unleashes six bulls on locals and visitors as they run down the historic streets of Pamplona with the toro brava in pursuit. After the adrenaline settles down, spend the evenings in the safety of the audience as professional bullfighters test their mettle, then eat, drink, and dance in the streets. Since this event appears on many people’s bucket lists, it’s imperative to make your travel plans well in advance.
EXPERIENCE BEFORE OR AFTER YOUR TOUR! Watch the running of the bulls firsthand before or after your Rioja Bike Tour.
San Sebastián International Film Festival
San Sebastián, Spain | September
Now in its 65th year, this film festival in the Basque capital has earned its prestige in the international film world. It was here that Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo premiered and where Star Wars was first screened in Europe. Its major clout attracts A-list actors and directors as well as emerging talents, and sections of the festival range from made-in-Spain films to action sports movies and short pieces produced by film students around the world.
EXPERIENCE BEFORE OR AFTER YOUR TOUR! Combine this festival with your Rioja Bike Tour.
