The drone of aircraft engines again will be heard over the airfield at Portimão as from December 21st until January 4th next year as hundreds of parachutists gather for their ‘Christmas Boogie 2016’ festival.
The event, run by Skydive Algarve, will see around 600 skydivers from 25 different countries converge on the airfield while hoping for clear skies and a low wind.
The participants so far booked in are from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway, England, Scotland, Ireland, Spain, plus home-grown skydivers from Portugal.
This is a significant off-season tourism draw as many skydivers come with their families and spend the Christmas and New Year holiday in the Algarve, far away from colder northern climes.
This helps to "boost local economic activity, particularly in the hotel, restaurant, car rental and commercial sectors," the organisation points out.
During the festival, three aircraft will be used to carry 15 parachutists at a time, starting at 8:30 and carrying on through the day until 17:00. The jumps will be from a height of 14,000 feet with the parachutists taking between 10 and 12 minutes to get back to solid ground.
