Everything you need to know about Festival do Marisco

Seafood, music and connection; three of life’s greatest pleasures, and three things that the Algarve’s Festival do Marisco has in spades. 

This major event in the Algarve’s summer social calendar is one that any foodie does not want to miss. Hosted annually in Olhão, the biggest fishing town in the Algarve, this foodie festival literally means “Seafood Festival”, and it’s been bringing the freshest shellfish and seafood along with live music and entertainment to tourists and locals for over 30 years. 

Here’s everything you need to know about Festival do Marisco to make your visit truly delicious.

 

A vibrant seafood festival in historic Olhão

The historic city of Olhão is the perfect place to host a celebration of seafood. This authentic Portuguese fishing port centres the sea and its bounty around everyday life, and this undeniably makes the town the best place to eat seafood in the Algarve.

 

Why is Olhão a fish-lover’s fantasy?

Fishermen began to settle in Olhão in the 17th century, drawn by the Ria Formosa, a stunning coastal lagoon system home to rich biodiversity and seafood such as oysters, clams and sardines.

The 19th Century saw the city become a centre for canned fish. Multiple factories opened and supplied the world with canned mackerel, tuna and sardines.

Today, Olhão is still a working fishing hub with a busy port that accommodates a variety of vessels from traditional wooden fishing boats to colossal trawlers. While the canning industry is now a thing of the past, the influence of the sea remains, and Festival do Marisco reflects this.

The factories may have disappeared, but you can still find the Mercado Municiple, the most important wholesale fish market in the Algarve, in Olhão. Housed within a large red brick building on the waterfront, this seafood haven is especially lively on Saturdays, and supplies the Algarve’s best restaurants and aspiring chefs with the freshest fish and shellfish.

 

An established celebration of seafood in the Algarve

The Festival do Marisco is the highlight of the contemporary culinary calendar in the Algarve and has been for over 30 years. 

This well-established celebration takes place over several days in August, the peak of the summer season, and it’s well worth arranging your holiday to the Algarve around this fantastic event if you’re a lover of fresh, authentic food and live music.

Olhão is known as being a little grittier compared to its neighbouring Algarve areas of Vilamoura, Loule and Vale do Lobo, with its deeply authentic vibes as a bustling working fishing port. It’s less polished compared to the resorts of the region, but this lends itself to the seafood festival.

 

Live music at Festival do Marisco

Festival do Marisco has a line-up of vibrant live music offerings each year. The 2025 line-up included Lisbon-based pop band, D.A.M.A, Portuguese-Angolan R&B musician, Ivandro, and Portuguese legend, Richie Campbell. The acts for 2026 are yet to be released, but are sure to celebrate the very best that the diverse Portuguese music scene has to offer. 

 

Authentic Portuguese seafood dishes 

Alongside live music, guests to the Olhão seafood festival can delight in a wide variety of the very best seafood. 

An abundance of vendors have pitches at Festival do Marisco, all offering something slightly different. Communal seating encourages guests to connect and converse while enjoying delicious Portuguese cuisine, including local specialities such as…

• Arroz de marisco: this seafood rice is a real highlight of Portuguese cuisine. It’s a juicy rice stew with deep, rich flavours of fresh shellfish and smoked paprika, often enjoyed communally with loved ones.
• Cataplana: this dish is named after the clam-shaped hinged pot that it’s cooked in. It’s a flavourful slow-cooked seafood stew with fresh clams, fish and vegetables – ideal with crusty bread.
• Açorda de Marisco: this traditional Portuguese dish hails from Alentejo, but tastes incredible with the fresh seafood of the Algarve. It transforms stale bread into a delicious soup with plenty of mussels, prawns and sometimes a perfectly poached egg.

Seafood lovers will be spoiled for choice at the festival, it’s no wonder that many visitors attend on multiple days so that they can try as many delicious seafood dishes as possible!

 

Where is the Olhão seafood festival located?

Olhão is in a convenient location, approximately 6 miles from Faro, the capital of the Algarve. The journey takes around 20 minutes by car or 10 minutes by train. 

The towns and resorts of the Algarve are well connected by public transport, with key locations such as Olhão, Faro, Albufeira and Portimão having train stations, and a large bus network that covers the whole Algarve region.

Festival do Marisco takes place within Jardim Pescador Olhanebse, a public garden located alongside the Ria Formosa – a fitting location, seeing as the seafood that the festival celebrates hails from this unique lagoon system. 

 

What time does the event take place?

Normally a suntrap, festival goers can be sure of comfortable conditions as the event takes place between 7:30pm and 1:30am daily, usually for around 5 days, giving foodies ample opportunity to experience the freshest seafood dishes that the stunning Algarve offers.

 

How to get tickets for Festival do Marisco

Tickets for the seafood festival don’t go on sale until a few weeks before the event. They can be pre-booked online or purchased at the entrance in person. Keep a close eye on the Festival do Marisco website for news and ticket release dates.

 

Explore Olhão and Ria Formosa Natural Park

It’s well worth spending some time to enjoy Olhão’s unique offerings while you’re in the area for the festival; if you’re after an authentic experience of the Algarve, this is where you’ll get it. There’s both the maze of winding narrow streets of densely packed cubist buildings, and the maze of lagoons and marshes in the Ria Formosa, to discover.

Head into town to find The Path of Legends (Caminho das Lendas), a free sculpture trail that encourages tourists to explore Olhão’s rambling web of backstreets and uncover five enthralling local myths and folk tales. Then make for the water and island hop between the five barrier islands of Ria Formosa to soak up beautiful beaches, excellent swimming and quaint restaurants. And there’s always stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking if you are looking to build up your appetite! 

 

Plan a delicious escape to the Algarve 

If you’re keen to enjoy excellent seafood in beautiful surroundings, explore our collection of luxury villas in the Algarve. 

We have a diverse variety of beautiful properties in popular locations within easy reach of Olhão’ and Festival do Marisco, including exclusive Quinta do Lago, sophisticated Vilamoura and historic Loule. 

One of our stunning villas would make an exceptional base to enjoy the seafood festival.Need a hand to choose the right villa for your Algarve escape? Contact us today.