# A Chestnut Sunday at the Marvão Chestnut Fair

Roast chestnuts and producers' stalls along the streets of Marvão at its November festival, a climb to the castle and Alentejo lunch with the plain spread out in front of you. An hour and a half from Badajoz.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/alentejo/marvao/itineraries/roast-chestnuts-at-the-fair · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## El día
- 09:00 · Salida: 1 h 30 by car (Spanish time · along the N-521 and Valencia de Alcántara; you arrive around 9:30 Portuguese time)
- 10:00 · Marvão Chestnut Fair (Portuguese time · park below and go up on the council shuttle)
  - 5 min on foot
- 12:00 · Marvão Castle and its cistern (walls above two countries and the cistern · 1 h)
  - 6 min on foot
- 13:15 · Ninho d'Águias Restaurant (Ninho d'Águias, at the Pousada · Alentejo cooking · €€€ · book) · Ninho d'Águias Restaurant, €€€
  - 15 min by car, 10,8 km
- 15:30 · Castelo de Vide and its Jewish quarter (11 km away · Jewish quarter and castle · 2 h)
- 17:45 · Vuelta (Portuguese time · in Badajoz around 20:15 Spanish time)

Every November Marvão celebrates its Chestnut Festival, and in 2026 it is the 42nd edition, on 14 and 15 November. The walled town, perched more than 850 metres up on the border, fills with producers' stalls, the smoke of roasting chestnuts and people from both sides of the frontier. It is the Sunday of the year when Marvão is most alive. This plan goes up to the festival in the morning, sees the castle, lunches at the pousada with the plain spread out in front of you and heads down in the afternoon to Castelo de Vide.

## The day, hour by hour

The times of the stops are Portuguese times, an hour behind Spain.

9:00 (Spanish time) · Departure. From Badajoz, about 90 km via Valencia de Alcántara; from Cáceres, two hours. When you cross the border you put your watch back: you arrive at 9:30 Portuguese time.

10:00 · The festival. On the days of the fair you cannot drive up to the town: the council runs a shuttle from the car parks below. Up top, the streets fill with producers' stalls and roast chestnuts. Go early: by midday the narrow streets are packed.

12:00 · The castle and the cistern. The highest point of the ridge, with views over the Alentejo and Extremadura. Go down to the cistern, one of the largest in Portugal. An hour.

13:15 · Lunch at Ninho d'Águias. The restaurant of the Pousada Marvão, inside the walls, is open daily from 13:00 to 15:00. On these days the chestnut gastronomic fortnight brings chestnut dishes to the menus of the municipality: ask what they have. With the festival on, book without fail.

15:30 · Castelo de Vide. Eleven kilometres away, bigger and lower: the medieval Jewish quarter of sloping streets and the castle. Two relaxed hours.

17:45 · Heading back. In Badajoz around a quarter past eight Spanish time; in Cáceres, around a quarter to nine.

## What to order

Alentejo cooking: pickled partridge or oven-baked cacholeira to start, the house salt cod as a main course and sericaia with Elvas plums for dessert. If there is a chestnut dish from the fortnight, have that.

## If you go on Saturday

The festival lasts both days, Saturday and Sunday. If you sleep in the town, the Pousada and the Dom Dinis are inside the walls.

## Cómo llegar

### By car
Badajoz to Marvão, an hour and a half along the N-521 and Valencia de Alcántara. On the days of the fair, park below and go up on the shuttle.

## Consejos

### Bring cash
For the small stalls at the fair, it is best to carry some loose change.

### Comfortable shoes
The streets are cobbled and steep, and slippery when damp.

### A coat
At 850 metres, in November, the wind blows along the walls.

## Cuándo no ir

If you hate crowds: on the Sunday of the fair Marvão is full. Go on another weekend of the gastronomic fortnight, which runs until 29 November.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### When is the Marvão Chestnut Fair in 2026?
Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November. The chestnut gastronomic fortnight runs until the 29th.

### Can you drive up to the town?
Not on the days of the fair: you park below and go up on the council shuttle.

### What time is it in Marvão?
Portuguese time, an hour behind Spain.

### Is it a good plan with children?
Yes: chestnuts, stalls, castle and walls. Keep an eye on them on the wall-walk and bring a baby carrier rather than a pushchair.