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• Festa de São João do Porto.
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Festa de São João do Porto (Festival of St John of Porto) is a festival during Midsummer, on the night of 23 June (*Saint John’s Eve), in the city of Porto. Festivities have been held in the city for more than six centuries. During the 19th century Saint John’s day became the city’s most important festival.
A tradition with roots in pagan courtship rituals is for people to hit each other either with garlic flowers or soft plastic hammers. Traditional attractions of the night include street concerts, dancing parties, jumping over flames, eating barbecued sardines, Caldo verde and meat, drinking wine and releasing illuminated flame-propelled balloons over Porto’s summer sky.
⇒ Also сheck оut мore info: Plan your trip • Visit Porto & North
In June 2004, a journalist from The Guardian commented that “Porto’s Festa de São João is one of Europe’s liveliest street festivals, yet it is relatively unknown outside the country“.
São João festival originated has a pagan festivity back in the 14th century as a celebration and thanks to the sun god for a good harvest and abundance. It was later christianised as a celebration to São João by the Church, but many of the pagan customs persist even to this day, like the usage of wild leek, basil and the bonfires.
All in all, in its many incarnations, this festival has been celebrated in Porto for about 700 years and it is truly part of the city’s identity.
#1 Visit Porto
Porto, also known as Oporto, is the second-largest city in Portugal and one of the country’s most vibrant and historic destinations.
• Public transport.
Information about all types of public transport.
Porto Metro – light rail, subway system
STCP – Bus (Route 500 • Route 1 • route 18 • route 22)
⇒ Also сheck оut мore info: Getting to Portugal (visitportugal.com)
BUS: Rede Expressos is one of the largest inter-city bus companies. + Rodo-Norte (northern regions) and Eva Transportes.
TRAIN: Rail travel in Portugal (Comboios de Portugal) is usually slightly faster than travel by bus, but services are less frequent and cost more. As a rule of thumb, if one is traveling by rail within Portugal or internationally, the main railway junction is in Entroncamento (map), from here all lines branch out and all trains make a stop.
AIRPORT: Lisbon Portela Airport is the main aviation hub. Porto Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport, serving Portugal’s second-largest city and the entire northern part of the country. Madeira Airport in Funchal serves the green island in the Atlantic. João Paulo II Airport in Ponta Delgada serves the Azores archipelago.
FERRY: If you need to travel by ferry in the Lisbon area, the Transtejo e Soflusa website provides information on ferry routes, timetables, and fares for the Tagus River crossings.
São João Festivities by Visit Portugal.
The São João Festivities are held every year in Porto. On the evening of June 23rd, the city of Porto is taken by storm by a cheerful vibe and many fireworks. Don’t miss this colourful celebration!
⇒ video source: Visit Portugal /youtube.com/
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• Useful websites.
Links to additional resources with useful information for planning your trip.