It’s hard to believe that November is upon us already, but now that it’s cooler, the clocks have been put back and the evenings are drawing in, I realise that ‘winter’ is upon us. The citrus groves are bursting with colour, the fields are turning into a lush green and the firewood is being readied for the cool evenings.
So, has the Algarve gone into hibernation? Certainly not! There’s a huge variety of events being laid on for our entertainment this month - but before you read on......
Sports fans will be pleased to know that they are being taken care of. As well as all the usual activities such as horse riding, football, bowls and walking etc. here are some ‘specials’ just for you.
From 25th October to 30th November tryouts are being held for the exciting rough and tumble of American Football which is currently the latest craze in the Algarve. The Algarve Pirates, the only American-style football team in the Algarve which plays in the Portuguese League, are resuming their practices on Tuesday and Thursday evenings as well as Saturday mornings in Mexilhoeira Grande, just west of Portimão.
The team is seeking players aged 16 years and over. All comers are invited to join in and see if they can make it into the team. So, if you feel like some fancy footwork, pop along to the Complexo Desportivo (sports complex) at Mexilhoeira Grande and get kitted out. Find out more about the Algarve Pirates.
All Saints Day is on Friday 1st November and the Silves All Saints Fair opens on 31st October and runs until 3rd November. Popular with both visitors and locals, the fair is held in the car park behind Silves Castle and the surrounding streets. Visitors and locals are promised a diverse range of stalls, a fairground and plenty of places to eat and drink. This fair has a long tradition in the city of Silves, dating back as far as 1492, when Silves was honoured with the ‘Charter of Fair’ by King João II.
On the 8th & 9th November the Rallye Casinos do Algarvetakes to the roads in the Monchique Mountains. The Hotel Algarve Casino in Praia da Rocha in Portimão is the base for this exciting car rally, and if you would like to participate or know more, you can check out the Clube Automovel Algarve.
On 16th & 17th November the 24th Portimão Open Tennis Tournament will be taking place for all the tennis fans out there. Held in the Portimão Municipal Tennis Complex, this promises to be an exciting event for tennis fans. Click here for more information and to see the map on how to get there.
Of course we can’t miss out golf, the most famous sport of all in the Algarve! From 21st to the 24th November the 1st British-Irish-Iberian Golf Classic will betaking place in Vilamoura. This is a golf package promotion with two rounds of golf at the Vila Sol course in Vilamoura and the Pinheiros Altos course at Quinta do Lago, and includes 5 star accommodation at the Dom Pedro Golf Hotel. Find out more about this fabulous golfing package.
ENTERTAINMENT
A Grand Variety Show will be presented at Lagoa Auditorium on 2nd November. The event is in aid of Algarve Oncology Association. Read more on our blog.
On the 2nd and 3rd of November the famous Algarve Angels will appear in 'A Night at the Ritz'. We all know the ‘Angels’ work tirelessly for charities in the Algarve and these performances will no doubt be unforgettable. Shows start at 8pm on 2nd and at 3pm on 3rd November at the Teatro Lethes in Faro. The price of a ticket is 15€. Find out more about the Angels.
Also in Faro the 6th Organ Festival is taking place each Saturday in November. If you thought this might be about anything other than music, you would be wrong. (!) This is where you can enjoy the magnificent tones of the church organs. The Regional Administration of Culture of Algarve is the organiser, and here are the dates and venus for the concerts. All concerts start at 9pm.
Nov 2nd: Sérgio Silva at Sé Church.
Nov 9th: Isabel Albergaria at Sé Church.
Nov 16th: Roberto Fresco at Sé Church.
Nov 23rd: David Paccetti Correira at the Carmo Church
Nov 30th: Nuno Alexandrino with Paulo Margaça on trumpet at Carmo Church.
We’re still in Faro and still being entertained!
On the 9th November at 9.30pm is a Grand Accordion Gala - a tribute to António Madeirinha. This is a must-see for all fans of the accordion. The show is being held at Teatro das Figuras in Faro and tickets cost €10 per person.
On 15 November,the magic show ‘Out of the Deck’ is presented in the Pedro Ruivo Auditorium in Faro. Starring Mário Daniel, a Portuguese magician with a different approach to creating illusions...The show starts at 9.30pm and will transport you into the world of magic. Tickets costs €10 and €12.50 each. Click here for more details.
The 9th of November sees a Gala Concert in Silves. The popular fadista Cremilde is giving a charity concert for IPSS Castle of Dreams (Silves) and CRACEP (Portimão) with 50% of the revenue being donated to these two worthy local causes. The Mascarenhas Theatre, Rua Cândido dos Reis, in Silves is playing host for the evening and the concert starts at 9pm.
On the 16th November at the Teatro Municipal (Main Auditorium) in Portimão, enjoy the dance show ‘Something Still Uncaptured’, which has been designed, choreographed and directed by the famous Portuguese ballerina Maria Ramos. The performance starts at 9.30pm and lasts for 40 minutes. Tickets cost €5 and €8 each.
Rounding off this month’s entertainment:
For three nights only: on 21st, 22nd and 23rd November, you can see ‘How the Other Half Lives', an hilarious play by Alan Acykbourn, presented by The Algarveans Experimental Theatre Group. On stage at the Lagoa Auditorium, this play tells the story of three couples and how their lives becoming hilariously entangled in a web of intrigue over the course of a few days. Performances start at 8pm and tickets cost €10.
SOMETHING FOR THE FOODIES
From the 7th to 17th November you can enjoy the International Gourmet Festival 2013 at Portimao. This is one of the greatest culinary events of the year, bringing together 37 Master Chefs, 60 Michelin Stars and 1001 Magic Dishes; Vila Joya Restaurant Hotel is playing host to this truly unforgettable dining experience. Early reservations are recommended! Prices for these gourmet events are as follows:
If you’re looking for a fun day out that is a little easier on the pocket, head down to the St. Martin's Fair in Portimão from 8th to 17th November. The highlight of the colourful autumn season, this festival dates back 350 years, making it the oldest event of all. The mouth watering aroma of roasting chestnuts fills the air and you will find plenty of stalls selling all the traditional produce and crafts as well as jewellery and much more. The fair will be held at the Parque de Feiras e Exposições, this is a not to miss place to visit.
29th November – 1st December sees the Sweet Potato Festival held annually in Aljezur, and is one of the most famous food festivals to be held south of the river Tejo. This festival demonstrates the wide variety of ways the sweet potato can be used, with special emphasis on confectionary, and where some unique recipes can be sampled.
Visitors will be invited to learn these arts from some of the top chefs, all based on sweet potatoes from Aljezur. Local businesses will exhibit their crafts as will the agro-food sector and of course there will be music, dancing and feasting galore – it’s what happens at festivals in the Algarve. The place to be is Espaço Multiusos (multipurpose facility) in Aljezur from noon until midnight.
Living in the Algarve offers so much choice that sometimes it is just too difficult to fit everything in. As a retiree, I often wonder (as do my friends), how on earth I had time to work in my previous life!
Brought to you by Meravista – the place where smart people search for Algarve property for sale.
Things to do in the Algarve for November 2013
by Sun's Dragon
It’s hard to believe that November is upon us already, but now that it’s cooler, the clocks have been put back and the evenings are drawing in, I realise that ‘winter’ is upon us. The citrus groves are bursting with colour, the fields are turning into a lush green and the firewood is being readied for the cool evenings.
So, has the Algarve gone into hibernation? Certainly not! There’s a huge variety of events being laid on for our entertainment this month - but before you read on......
PLEASE TAKE THE MERAVISTA EXPAT LIFESTYLE SURVEY!!!
SPORTS
Sports fans will be pleased to know that they are being taken care of. As well as all the usual activities such as horse riding, football, bowls and walking etc. here are some ‘specials’ just for you.
From 25th October to 30th November tryouts are being held for the exciting rough and tumble of American Football which is currently the latest craze in the Algarve. The Algarve Pirates, the only American-style football team in the Algarve which plays in the Portuguese League, are resuming their practices on Tuesday and Thursday evenings as well as Saturday mornings in Mexilhoeira Grande, just west of Portimão.
The team is seeking players aged 16 years and over. All comers are invited to join in and see if they can make it into the team. So, if you feel like some fancy footwork, pop along to the Complexo Desportivo (sports complex) at Mexilhoeira Grande and get kitted out. Find out more about the Algarve Pirates.
All Saints Day is on Friday 1st November and the Silves All Saints Fair opens on 31st October and runs until 3rd November. Popular with both visitors and locals, the fair is held in the car park behind Silves Castle and the surrounding streets. Visitors and locals are promised a diverse range of stalls, a fairground and plenty of places to eat and drink. This fair has a long tradition in the city of Silves, dating back as far as 1492, when Silves was honoured with the ‘Charter of Fair’ by King João II.
On the 8th & 9th November the Rallye Casinos do Algarve takes to the roads in the Monchique Mountains. The Hotel Algarve Casino in Praia da Rocha in Portimão is the base for this exciting car rally, and if you would like to participate or know more, you can check out the Clube Automovel Algarve.
On 16th & 17th November the 24th Portimão Open Tennis Tournament will be taking place for all the tennis fans out there. Held in the Portimão Municipal Tennis Complex, this promises to be an exciting event for tennis fans. Click here for more information and to see the map on how to get there.
Of course we can’t miss out golf, the most famous sport of all in the Algarve! From 21st to the 24th November the 1st British-Irish-Iberian Golf Classic will betaking place in Vilamoura. This is a golf package promotion with two rounds of golf at the Vila Sol course in Vilamoura and the Pinheiros Altos course at Quinta do Lago, and includes 5 star accommodation at the Dom Pedro Golf Hotel. Find out more about this fabulous golfing package.
ENTERTAINMENT
A Grand Variety Show will be presented at Lagoa Auditorium on 2nd November. The event is in aid of Algarve Oncology Association. Read more on our blog.
On the 2nd and 3rd of November the famous Algarve Angels will appear in 'A Night at the Ritz'. We all know the ‘Angels’ work tirelessly for charities in the Algarve and these performances will no doubt be unforgettable. Shows start at 8pm on 2nd and at 3pm on 3rd November at the Teatro Lethes in Faro. The price of a ticket is 15€. Find out more about the Angels.
Nov 2nd: Sérgio Silva at Sé Church.
Nov 9th: Isabel Albergaria at Sé Church.
Nov 16th: Roberto Fresco at Sé Church.
Nov 23rd: David Paccetti Correira at the Carmo Church
Nov 30th: Nuno Alexandrino with Paulo Margaça on trumpet at Carmo Church.
We’re still in Faro and still being entertained!
On the 9th November at 9.30pm is a Grand Accordion Gala - a tribute to António Madeirinha. This is a must-see for all fans of the accordion. The show is being held at Teatro das Figuras in Faro and tickets cost €10 per person.
On 15 November,the magic show ‘Out of the Deck’ is presented in the Pedro Ruivo Auditorium in Faro. Starring Mário Daniel, a Portuguese magician with a different approach to creating illusions...The show starts at 9.30pm and will transport you into the world of magic. Tickets costs €10 and €12.50 each. Click here for more details.
The 9th of November sees a Gala Concert in Silves. The popular fadista Cremilde is giving a charity concert for IPSS Castle of Dreams (Silves) and CRACEP (Portimão) with 50% of the revenue being donated to these two worthy local causes. The Mascarenhas Theatre, Rua Cândido dos Reis, in Silves is playing host for the evening and the concert starts at 9pm.
On the 16th November at the Teatro Municipal (Main Auditorium) in Portimão, enjoy the dance show ‘Something Still Uncaptured’, which has been designed, choreographed and directed by the famous Portuguese ballerina Maria Ramos. The performance starts at 9.30pm and lasts for 40 minutes. Tickets cost €5 and €8 each.
Rounding off this month’s entertainment:
For three nights only: on 21st, 22nd and 23rd November, you can see ‘How the Other Half Lives', an hilarious play by Alan Acykbourn, presented by The Algarveans Experimental Theatre Group. On stage at the Lagoa Auditorium, this play tells the story of three couples and how their lives becoming hilariously entangled in a web of intrigue over the course of a few days. Performances start at 8pm and tickets cost €10.
SOMETHING FOR THE FOODIES
From the 7th to 17th November you can enjoy the International Gourmet Festival 2013 at Portimao. This is one of the greatest culinary events of the year, bringing together 37 Master Chefs, 60 Michelin Stars and 1001 Magic Dishes; Vila Joya Restaurant Hotel is playing host to this truly unforgettable dining experience. Early reservations are recommended! Prices for these gourmet events are as follows:
Portuguese Michelin Stars: Regular table €400.
Chef's table €600
Koschina & Friends: Regular table €400.
Chef's table €600
All other dates: Regular table €350.
Chef's table €400
All dinners commence at 7 pm with a cocktail.
See more information about the International Gourmet Festival.
If you’re looking for a fun day out that is a little easier on the pocket, head down to the St. Martin's Fair in Portimão from 8th to 17th November. The highlight of the colourful autumn season, this festival dates back 350 years, making it the oldest event of all. The mouth watering aroma of roasting chestnuts fills the air and you will find plenty of stalls selling all the traditional produce and crafts as well as jewellery and much more. The fair will be held at the Parque de Feiras e Exposições, this is a not to miss place to visit.
Visitors will be invited to learn these arts from some of the top chefs, all based on sweet potatoes from Aljezur. Local businesses will exhibit their crafts as will the agro-food sector and of course there will be music, dancing and feasting galore – it’s what happens at festivals in the Algarve. The place to be is Espaço Multiusos (multipurpose facility) in Aljezur from noon until midnight.
Living in the Algarve offers so much choice that sometimes it is just too difficult to fit everything in. As a retiree, I often wonder (as do my friends), how on earth I had time to work in my previous life!
Brought to you by Meravista – the place where smart people search for Algarve property for sale.