The 2023 edition of this popular festival took place in Alcoutim and its sister town of Sanlúcar de Guadiana in Spain on 24, 25 and 26 March.
It was all the more eagerly awaited, being the first edition of the festival to be held post-Covid. It had to be fully funded by the twin municipalities now it no longer receives anything from the 365 Algarve cultural programme.
The Festival is a celebration of the town’s history of smuggling. Alcoutim used to be a strategic point for smugglers who transported goods, especially salt, across the Guadiana River, which separates Portugal from Spain.
The town was also a key location during the Portuguese Civil War and played a significant role in smuggling ammunition and weapons.
A temporary floating bridge is laid across the river to re-enact the smugglers’ crossing, with enthusiastic locals dressed as smugglers and customs officers.
Many of my new expat acquaintances had been talking about making the one hour trek from Tavira to Alcoutim, so I decided to go and see what all the fuss was about.
As I drove towards Alcoutim, passing some gorgeous vegetation on the way, it became clear that people were abandoning their cars to walk the last few hundred metres to the town. I did the same and it took me about 30 minutes to reach the action.
The famous floating bridge was in place. There was a long queue for tickets and Lottie wasn’t keen on the crowds, so I decided to stay on the Portuguese side.
The same thing was happening on the Spanish side, with people freely flocking across the bridge in both directions to enjoy the stalls selling handicrafts, food and drink on both river banks.
Alcoutim itself is a gem of a white town with church, castle and inviting eateries.
Everyone, young and old, was having a great time.
I regretted not going earlier in the day. Parking was at a premium and I had an unnerving walk along the pavement-less main road before getting to the town. I could see coaches arriving, so maybe it’s best to seek public transport or make a weekend of it and get accommodation in town.
Taking Lottie was another mistake. She didn’t enjoy it and cramped my style when her nervous tummy betrayed her as it usually does on such occasions. As a passing Spanish marauder remarked, “ese perro tiene diarrea”.
Roll on next year and I’ll do things differently!
