The best parties Pico

Lajes, south of Pico, celebrates its whalers, a local tradition if ever there was one! These festivities originated in 1882, when a storm hit the island and the whalers tried to return to the port of Lajes, invoking the protection of Our Lady of Lourdes. Today, the festival still includes a religious component dedicated to Notre-Dame de Lourdes, patron saint of fishermen, with a mass and a maritime procession. There are also shows, concerts, sports competitions, traditional regattas, promotion of local products...

The feast of the patron saint of this small town on Pico is an important religious and popular celebration. For five days, the town comes alive with concerts, popular marches, street dances and balls of chamarritas, a traditional dance. The festivities include sporting, cultural, musical and religious events. In 2023, the record for the largest chamarrita in the world was broken by 812 dancers at the Madalena municipal stadium. Not to be missed!

The island of Pico has a special devotion to the miraculous Good Jesus. Every year, the sanctuary of São Mateus serves as a place of pilgrimage, and thousands of inhabitants come from all over the archipelago to honor the image of the Saint. Other central islands, such as Graciosa, also celebrate this festival. In addition to its religious significance, the festival has a more popular dimension, with musical performances and folklore groups.