ALTHOUGH PROLONGED rain interrupted carnival parades across the Algarve on Sunday, the festivities throughout the region on Shrove Tuesday exceeded expectations.
Thousands of people gathered to watch the Carnival parades with floats and colourful samba dancers in every town.
Loulé, the Algarve’s most famous Carnival, was interrupted for the first three days because of bad weather, with the parade not lasting more than an hour each day.
On Monday and Tuesday however, the town registered a total of around 30,000 visitors
 In Portugal, it’s tradition for men to dress up as women during Carnival. Photo: SUPPLIED |
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and the parades went ahead as planned, including an appearance by famous Portuguese actress Diana Chaves.
Celebrating 102 years, the Loulé Carnival parade which ran along the main Avenida da Costa Mealha included 17 floats, samba dancers and political caricatures.
Alportel de São Brás
 Tavira celebrated Carnival with 13 floats. Photo: MARK RAWCLIFFE – PORTUGAL IMAGES |
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celebrated Carnival which had its main parade on Tuesday from 3pm with more traditional costumes including jesters, princesses and cowboys as well as containing floats and dancers.
On the same day, a local jury also awarded monetary prizes to the winners of the town’s best Carnival outfits competition.
Vila Real de Santo António carried out its parades each day as planned despite the bad weather on Sunday with Portuguese footballer’s wife Marisa Cruz as queen of the Carnival accompanied by 10 floats and Brazilian samba music.
Tavira celebrated Carnival with 13 floats and 17 dancing groups including a total of around 350 dancers on Sunday
 A fantastic array of colour and entertainment at Loulé Carnival. Photo: MARK RAWCLIFFE – PORTUGAL IMAGES |
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and Tuesday along the main roads of the city.
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