Carnaval de Torres Vedras

At carnival time, Torres Vedras celebrates the festival that calls itself the most Portuguese of Portuguese carnivals. Its parades of satirical floats, its masked figures and the famous matrafonas — men dressed in caricature women — fill the streets of the town north of Lisbon with one of the oldest and liveliest celebrations of its kind in the country.

History and traditions

The carnival of Torres Vedras has more than a century of tradition, and it made its name with satire: the corso floats comment on the year’s events with humour, and the matrafonas and cabeçudos are part of the town’s carnival heritage. The celebration is made by the community, with groups and families working through the year for the days of the festival.

What to expect

• The corso of satirical floats through the town.
• The matrafonas and masked figures of the festival.
• The music, the dances and the children’s carnival.
• The traditions of a carnival made by the community.

Visiting

The carnival is celebrated each year at carnival time, in February or March, with dates that change every year. Confirm the programme of each edition with the municipality before your visit.

Nearby

The town of Torres Vedras lies an hour north of Lisbon, within reach of the coast and the vineyards of the west.

Information: cm-tvedras.pt.

Image credit: Carnaval de Torres Vedras, by Vitor Oliveira, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.