Portugal’s Wonderfully Weird Side

Portugal has the holiday favourites locked down, but if you’ve already ticked off the tram rides in Lisbon and the beach bars of the Algarve, it might be time to explore Portugal’s wonderfully weird side - one full of folklore, festivals, food oddities, and offbeat shops.

Up North - Masked Devils and Alien Hunters

Start your journey in the north, where the village of Podence hosts the riotously colourful Caretos, masked figures that leap and dance through the streets during Carnival in a tradition recognised by UNESCO. Celebrating fertility, mischief and the end of winter, it’s a brilliantly bonkers way to ring in spring.

Nearby in Alfena, things take a turn for the extraterrestrial. Portugal’s only UFO observatory draws sky-watchers and sci-fi fans alike. Locals gather to share stories of strange sightings and celebrate the unexplained at an annual festival.

Centre Stage - Upside-Down Homes and Rural Arts

In central Portugal, Pombal is home to a house built entirely upside-down. Tables, chairs, even toilets cling to the ceiling in this topsy-turvy attraction that makes for a fun, offbeat photo stop.

Further inland, the schist village of Cerdeira has reinvented itself as a rural arts hub. Once abandoned, it's now full of basket-weaving, bread-baking, and cork-harvesting - often with the help of donkeys.

Lisbon - Tile and Tin Fish Hunting

Lisbon is filled with little quirks if you know where to look. Set off on a 'tile safari' through the city's oldest quarters to track down rare and decorative azulejos.

Pop into Conserveira de Lisboa, a charming tinned fish shop that feels more like a design boutique than a grocer. Or head to the tiny Luvaria Ulisses, Portugal’s last remaining glove shop, where only one customer fits at a time.

Perhaps most charming of all is Lisbon’s Doll Hospital - a tiny repair shop on Praça da Figueira where well-loved teddies and porcelain dolls get a second life.

Alentejo - Bones and Wine

In Évora, the Chapel of Bones is both chilling and oddly beautiful, with its walls lined with human skulls and bones. Nearby, you can sample Talha Wine, made using techniques passed down from Roman times. Fermented in large clay amphorae, it’s rich with flavour.

Algarve - Sardines Festival

In Portimão, the Festival da Sardinha is a tribute to Portugal’s favourite fish, celebrated each summer with grills, music, and sardine-themed everything.

Inland, the Medronho Museum in Monchique honours the fiery local spirit made from strawberry tree berries. You can learn how it’s made, and taste the results. And in Lagos, a seaside vending machine dispenses poetry and short stories for €1. Unexpected? Absolutely.

Madeira - Volcanic Swims

In Madeira, the volcanic pools at Porto Moniz invite you to bathe where lava once flowed!

At Mercado dos Lavradores in Funchal, explore a rainbow of fruits you’ve likely never heard of, including banana-passionfruit hybrids and pitanga. The explosion of flavour is as surprising as it is delicious.

Azores - Stew by Steam and Tea That Turns Purple

In Furnas, on São Miguel island, locals bury pots of traditional stew in the volcanic soil, letting the earth slowly cook them over hours. It’s a unique, smoky feast known as cozido.

Nearby, at Terra Nostra Park, you can soak in orange-tinted geothermal pools, then sample green tea turned purple by the island’s mineral-rich waters. The Azores serve up nature with a surreal twist.

Portugal’s quirks are what make it unforgettable!