If you're looking for an evening out that takes you beyond the usual tourist trails and taps into a town's heritage, then the Machico Medieval Festival is just the ticket. This annual event started in the east of the island back in 2006, as a social project by local schools to learn about the 15th-century discovery of Madeira and its Portuguese cultural identity.
Your trip begins with a bus ride to the market, where the traditional crafts and shops will help set the scene for a journey over 500 years into Machico's past. The festival has a celebratory atmosphere, as processions and parades show off the traditional costumes of Maderia's earliest settlers after Joao Goncalves Zarco and Tristao Vaz Teixeira first discovered the island.
It's the historical re-enactments that will really draw you in, though. Visitors are encouraged to join in with events like the first landing of the Portuguese explorers. Alongside the performances, music and dancing, they're a great way to immerse yourself in the island's culture and history over this special weekend.
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