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Loulé, 16 km north west of Faro along a good road, is a vibrant and
typically market town set in almond-covered foothills. It is an ancient
town, but only remnants of its once Roman, later Moorish castle walls
remain. The castle walls are in the central area that is best known
among visitors for its craftsmen, its old-world charm and its keenness
to party.
As you stroll around the narrow, cobbled streets, you
will come across dimly lit workshops. Peer in through the gloom and you
will find artisans beating copper, stitching leather or selling wrought
iron, cane furniture, basketwork or embroidered goods.
Visit Loulé at Carnival time, usually February, and you won't see much
gloom. The merrymaking doesn't quite rival that in Rio de Janeiro, but
people from all over the Algarve converge on the town for a couple of
days of float and fancy-dress parades, general high-spirits and
sometimes not so funny practical jokes involving fireworks or paint. If
you intend to attend, wear old clothes. Nowadays, this Carnival makes a
satire to the society, the political system and the most important
events of the year.
A handicraft fair is held each August, but just about every morning,
certainly on Saturdays, Loulé exudes a fair-like atmosphere in the
Moorish-looking municipal market, built at the beginning of the century.
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