24 and 25 October 2026 • Rogil, Aljezur • Peanuts, sweets and live music • Trail running and a walk • Organised by the Rogil Parish Council
*Fields near Rogil in January.
INTRODUCTION
The Weekend the Peanut Takes Over Rogil
On the weekend of 24 and 25 October 2026, the parish of Rogil, in the municipality of Aljezur, hosts Amendoim em Festa, the "Peanut Festival". It is organised by the Junta de Freguesia do Rogil, with the support of the Aljezur Municipality and Crédito Agrícola, and it celebrates the crop that has given this corner of the western Algarve one of its most unusual local products: the peanut, known in Aljezur by its own name, the alcagoita.
The date is no accident. The festival is held just after the harvest, when the peanut cycle ends, and its goal is to promote and sell the peanut as a product of excellence of Rogil while supporting the local economy, local traditions and tourism. For anyone walking the Fishermen's Trail around Odeceixe, Aljezur and Arrifana this autumn, it is a chance to step off the trail and taste something you will not find on a supermarket shelf.
THE FESTIVAL
What Is Planned for 2026
The 2026 programme announced so far includes:
- A walk ("marcha passeio") through Rogil
- Creative workshops
- Children's entertainment
- Live music on the festival stage, with Os Alentons and Ricardo Glória & Marco Filipe on Saturday 24 October, and Brasa Doirada and Cláudio Rosário on Sunday 25 October
The festival has been held in late October since 2022. In previous editions the festival grounds filled with tasquinhas (food stalls), stands from local confectioners and producers, and a mix of peanut-based products alongside local honey, cured sausages and liqueurs. Past editions have included peanut liqueur, a peanut version of the Algarve sweet Dom Rodrigo and peanut ice cream, as well as a relaxed "Rota do Amendoim" walk on the Sunday morning, painting workshops and inflatables for children, and music that ranged from itinerant bands to fado and dance evenings. Do not expect an identical programme this year, but expect the same spirit.
*Roasted peanuts in the shell.
THE ALCAGOITA
How the Peanut Came to Aljezur
The peanut is a surprising plant. It is not a tree nut at all, but the fruit of a low, creeping herb that grows its pods underground; the yellow flowers are quickly followed by fruit hidden in the soil. It originated in South America, and the Portuguese word amendoim is thought to come from a Tupi word meaning "buried". It reached Europe much later, and in Aljezur it took on its own name: here peanuts are called alcagoitas, while further east along the Algarve they are known as ervilhanas.
*Peanut flowers (Arachis hypogaea)
The crop liked what it found here: warm summers and light, sandy soils. For a long time it was grown in small irrigated gardens, mainly for home use and for sale as roasted peanuts. At the annual fairs and monthly markets of Aljezur, the alcagoiteiro, the seller of roasted alcagoitas, was always present, and the product was even sold in Lisbon as "alcagoita do Algarve".
The crop became important in the second half of the 20th century. The Santa Clara dam and the Mira irrigation perimeter brought water to sandy land that suited peanuts well, and cultivation spread above all across the heathland of Rogil. By 1982 peanuts occupied around 300 hectares in the municipality, grown by hundreds of farmers on holdings averaging about one hectare, and in 1984 the municipality was reported to be producing some 750 tonnes a year. Then prices fell, marketing became difficult, and many farmers abandoned the crop. A national association of peanut growers, founded in 1985, had its headquarters in Rogil, though it later disappeared.
Today only a few farmers grow peanuts for sale, but the quality of the product is still recognised, and a small group of producers keep the tradition alive. One of them, Amendoim do Rogil, told Inside Algarve in April 2026 that it grows peanuts on about one hectare and sells them dried, roasted and caramelised, as peanut butter and oil, and even as peanut beer, which it often presents at the festival.
*A flowering peanut plant in sandy soil.
THE TRAIL
Trail Amendoim em Festa
The festival weekend also includes a Trail Amendoim em Festa on Saturday 24 October, organised by the Aljezur Municipality with the support of the Rogil Parish Council. It offers three distances over trails and rural tracks in the municipality:
- Ultra Trail: 46 km, about 1,200 m of ascent
- Trail: 36 km, about 800 m of ascent
- Trail Sprint: 21 km, about 400 m of ascent
Registration was scheduled to close on 17 October 2026, or sooner if the limit of 400 participants was reached, so check with the organisers before planning to run. Start times are published differently on different pages, so if you plan to watch, confirm them first.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before You Go
Dates and times. The festival runs on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October 2026. The detailed 2026 timetable and the exact location of the festival grounds in Rogil were not yet available when this article was written, so check the Junta de Freguesia do Rogil or the Aljezur Municipality for the final programme. In previous editions, the stalls opened at 11:00.
What to taste. Peanuts roasted or caramelised, peanut liqueur and sweets, plus local honey and cured sausages. Peanuts are a common allergen: if you or a child have a nut allergy, ask what each stall's products contain.
What to wear. Late October on the Algarve west coast can be sunny and warm by day and cool in the evening, so bring a light jacket for the concerts.
GETTING THERE
From the Fishermen's Trail to Rogil
Rogil is a parish of the Aljezur municipality, which the Fishermen's Trail crosses between Odeceixe and Arrifana. If you are walking the trail this week, the festival makes an excellent rest day, and a transfer is the easiest way to get there and back. Traking Transfers can arrange a transfer between your accommodation and Rogil, and, if you are walking, we can carry your luggage to the next night's stay while you spend the day at the festival.
EXTRA TIME
While You Are in Aljezur
Aljezur itself is worth a slow visit. The town's medieval castle overlooks the valley and is a short climb from the centre, and the Fishermen's Trail stages on either side, from Odeceixe to Aljezur and from Aljezur to Arrifana, are covered in our trail guides. Whether you come for the peanuts, the music or the trail, the Rogil weekend is a reminder that this coast has a lively local life beyond the beaches too.
*The castle of Aljezur.
Spend the day at the festival, not carrying your bags. We collect your luggage where you are staying and deliver it to your next stop, and we can drive you to Rogil and back.
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