The Alcoutim Smuggling Festival was such a success last year that the councils again is linking with its Spanish neighbour to build a floating walkway across between Portugal and Spain.
The joint event, organised by Alcoutim council in partnership with Sanlúcar’s town hall, has the support of Turismo de Portugal, the Algarve’s tourist board and the 365 Algarve events programme.
Alcoutim council says the festival is part of a ‘tourism strategy’ based on the promotion of the area’s natural, historic, gastronomic and cultural heritage.
The towns of Alcoutim and Sanlúcar de Guadiana will provide visitors with a range of cultural events, music, theatre, traditional arts and crafts, circus acts and of course smugglers.
Both, customs men and smugglers will be roaming the streets, as a reminder of the local art of slipping over the border to pick up duty free goods.
The first Smugglers Festival saw the construction of a pedestrian floating bridge between Alcoutim and Sanlúcar.
This year, a bridge again will be built so people can stroll across to Spain.
The second edition of this festival takes place on the 23rd, 24th and 25th of March.
