Guarda, Portugal, Sept. 9, 2026 (Lusa) - The village of Fernão Joanes, in the municipality of Guarda, will be celebrating transhumance this weekend with walks, historical re-enactments, music, local cuisine and cultural entertainment.
«Transhumance arose in response to a need and eventually became a tradition in Fernão Joanes, which we celebrate today and share with our visitors,» said José Romeiro, chairman of the board of the Fernão Joanes Cultural and Recreational Association (ACR), quoted in a press release sent to the Lusa news agency.
As part of the cycle of Popular Culture Festivals organised by the municipality of Guarda, the Transhumance Festival celebrates one of the most striking pastoral traditions of the Serra da Estrela: the seasonal migration of flocks to the mountain pastures.
«Over these two days, we want the public to experience first-hand the knowledge, flavours, music and customs associated with the lives of shepherds,» he added.
The event also pays tribute to the local shepherds and their way of life, «celebrating an intangible cultural heritage deeply rooted in the region».
Saturday begins with a walk, accompanied by music and a demonstration and tasting of traditional bread.
Scheduled for the afternoon are demonstrations and workshops on sheep shearing, bread-making, cheese-making, staff-weaving, loom work and ‘papa' blanket-making, as well as culinary experiences.
One of these is called «Villages at the table with lamb», featuring chef Óscar, and consists of a challenge set across six neighbouring villages (Corujeira, Trinta, Videmonte, Meios, Vale de Estrela and Famalicão da Serra) to prepare lamb dishes to be served for dinner.
In the evening, the «Thousand-Star Hotel – A Night as a Shepherd» experience returns, in which participants will camp in huts, former shepherds' shelters, at the top of the Fernão Joanes mountain range.
On Sunday, the seventh stage of the Great Transhumance Route takes place, covering a distance of around five kilometres and reviving the tradition of the seasonal movement of flocks.
The walk will take place between «Cortelha do André» and the village centre, and a flock of around a thousand sheep and goats led by António Duarte and other shepherds will accompany it.
At around 11:00 a.m., the traditional mass in honour of the shepherds will take place.
The musical line-up includes performances by the folk singing group ‘A Mensagem' from the NDS in Guarda; the band Os En'canta Modas do Alentejo; Farratuga; Liliana Oliveira & Coração Minhoto; and a singing contest featuring the Minho singers Soraia Araújo and Daniel Alves.
Stalls selling traditional products will be available throughout the two days.
Organised since 2006 by the ACR of Fernão Joanes, the Transhumance Festival is considered Portugal's first festival dedicated to this traditional regional practice and to pastoral life.
Organisers have held the event every year since then, except during the Covid-19 pandemic, with the support of the local parish council and the municipality of Guarda.
More recently, the event joined the annual calendar of events for the Grande Rota da Transumância, a tourism promotion project by PROVERE iNature & Center Geoparks, co-funded by the Centro Regional Operational Programme – CENTRO2030.
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