Vila Real de Santo Antonio is a small town on the most Eastern part of the Algarve, right before the Spanish border. It is a small town, but what they lack in size, they make up in culture. There are many events that take place in Vila Real throughout the year. You can read about the Christmas Market here. And you can learn more about the area here. 

The Setecentista Festival Histórico is an annual festival that celebrates the history of the town in the 18th century. It is held in May and runs for 3 days. Even though there is history in the area dating back to the 1200’s or even further, the town itself was founded in 1774 by the Marquis of Pombal who designed it in a grid, similar to the way Lisbon was laid out.  

The festival is a recreation of life back in the 18th century and it all takes place around the town square. There is a market where one can purchase goods similar to what you could buy back then. There are plenty of food, beer and mead stands where you can eat and drink just like you would have in the 1700s, you can even buy cool mugs to drink out of! (I kind of started collecting them lol)  There are also many performers who walk around and stands with actors reenacting life as it was in the 18th century. For instance, there was a stand with a hairdresser who was doing a young girl’s hair in large poufs. There was also an artist who would paint portraits of you as a member of the court. There is also a parade that goes through town with all the actors together. 

I think this is supposed to be the Marquis of Pombal in the parade
Hairdresser
Artist sketching live portraits

One of my favorite parts of the festival was getting my runes read! Runes are similar to tarot cards and can give insight into your future or maybe even your past life. My reading was really interesting and surprised me in many ways. It brought some insight into my current life situation and also gave me hope and helped to relieve some of my fears. 

Candles and incense where I got my runes read

The Setecentista Festival is a really fun festival. This was our 2nd year attending and we had a great time. We had some good food and lots of mead and managed to pick up a few cool items to take home. If you happen to be in the Algarve around this time, I definitely recommend checking it out. 

Cheers!

Make sure to follow me on Instagram @vegas.to.portugal for more videos and pics pf the festival and to see more of my daily life. 💙