Attractions and Places To See around Pombares - Top 16

The Podence Carnival Festival is held by the community of Podence, which belongs to the municipality of Macedo de Cavaleiros, in the district of Bragança. This is a social practice related to the end of winter and the beginning of spring. It takes place between Sunday and Shrove Tuesday in the most colourful village in Portugal, Podence. In the heart of the Northeast of Trás-os-Montes, the much-acclaimed Podence Carnival – Entrudo Chocalheiro – is celebrated during the carnival week, where the Podence Caretos (a pagan performance) bring colour to the village and to the many tourists who pass through with their costumes. This ritual event, which originated in the so-called “long time”, when life was organised according to the rhythms of the agricultural cycle, refers to the festivities celebrating the end of the winter cycle and the beginning of the spring production cycle. Unique in relation to other Carnival festivities held in other parts of the country and adapting to a post-rural socio-economic context, the Podence Caretos Carnival festival today takes on its own particularities, through its elements – the mask and the costume, the behaviours that characterise the ritual and the protagonists of the festival, the masked people, known as “caretos”, and its current social function, assuming a distinctive and unique format.

Caretos Museum, entrance fee. There is a small restaurant in the space next door. The Caretos of Podence are a distinctive feature of the Trás os Montes region. The event Entrudo Chocalheiro Carnaval dos Caretos is a national and international attraction. The tradition is lost in time, a tradition that was on the verge of disappearing in the sixties and seventies, due to emigration and the Colonial War of the last century. The Careto of Podence is known for its performative behaviour, the “coalhalhadas” (the shaking of the hands) mainly performed by women, a symbolic act that harks back to a remote origin and a possible connection to ancient agrarian and fertility rituals. Today, these masked people visit the homes of neighbours and relatives in a convivial ritual, emigrants returning to their homeland. The Chocalheiro Carnival is therefore an essential moment in the lives of the descendants of Podence, who return during Carnival to continue the practice they inherited from their parents and grandparents. The Caretos thus gain even more importance for the Transmontana region, attracting more and more visitors every year. The Caretos, together with the seal of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, thus characterise a new way of looking at the tradition of a region prone to depopulation, but which manages to move thousands when, through effort and commitment, it achieves feats that are thus recognised throughout the world.

This is undoubtedly a fantastic water sports area. It has an aqua park and go-kart bike services. For lovers of non-motorised water sports, sailing, windsurfing, rowing and canoeing are permitted. If you are looking for something more down-to-earth, you can go cycling in the surrounding area. Explore more of the local flora and fauna by following the walking trails. The Azibo Reservoir, classified as a Protected Landscape, is located in the municipality of Macedo de Cavaleiros. This magnificent body of water, combined with the sands and the vast diversity of fauna and flora, is home to two beautiful river beaches: Praia Fluvial da Ribeira and Praia Fluvial da Fraga da Pegada. Both beaches are very popular throughout the bathing season, not only because of the quality of the water but also because of the quality of the infrastructure...

If you decide to explore this route, you will be surrounded by nature and breathtaking views. Enjoy your hike! 🏞️🚶‍♂️🥾🚵🌞

Albufeira do Azibo is an impressive body of water located in the municipality of Macedo de Cavaleiros, in Portugal. This place, assessed as a Protected Landscape, is home to two beautiful river beaches: Praia Fluvial da Ribeira and Praia Fluvial da Fraga da Pegada.

Albufeira do Azibo is an impressive body of water located in the municipality of Macedo de Cavaleiros, in Portugal. This place, assessed as a Protected Landscape, is home to two beautiful river beaches: Praia Fluvial da Ribeira and Praia Fluvial da Fraga da Pegada.

The Albufeira do Azibo is an impressive body of water located in the municipality of Macedo de Cavaleiros, in Portugal. This place, evaluated as a Protected Landscape, is home to two beautiful river beaches: Praia Fluvial da Ribeira and Praia Fluvial da Fraga da Pegada.

Beautiful views