The Festa da Castanha is the chestnut festival of Curral das Freiras, run by the village's Casa do Povo on the valley floor half an hour up from Funchal. In 2026 it opened on Saturday 31 October at 14:00 and ran through Sunday 1 November, All Saints' Day, when the allegorical parade walked at 15:00. It is free to walk in, with roast chestnuts, chestnut liqueur and folk groups, and it suits families. The next one is expected on Sunday 31 October and Monday 1 November 2027.
- CostFree to walk in. A cone of chestnuts or a cup of poncha is a euro or two, and this is a cash festival: a stall with a card machine is the exception.
- Best timeThe parade, at 15:00 on 1 November in 2025 and 2026. Arrive in the calm of the morning and give it two or three hours; the valley floor loses the sun early.
- Getting thereBus 81 from Funchal, or the one road in, early: the village car parks are full by mid-morning. In 2025 extra 81s left from Rua José da Silva Saca, by the cable car, on 1 November.
- With childrenYes, all of it. The village's children walk in the parade with its young people and seniors, and the roasting keeps small ones watching.
- If it rainsThe stalls are covered and the cooking carries on. Take a layer whatever the coast is doing: the valley holds cloud and sits several degrees below Funchal.
Festa da Castanha 2026, day by day
| Day | Time | What | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From 14:00 | Opening and the chestnut sweets and liqueur contest; Miss Castanha election at 20:00 | Village centre | Free | |
| 15:00 | Cortejo alegórico, the chestnut parade, after a 09:30 opening and 10:00 Mass; the last band on at 21:30 | Village centre and parish church | Free |
The 2026 programme, as published on 13 October. We put 2027's here when it is out.
Stay in Funchal and go up for the day
What people ask us about the Festa da Castanha
When is the Festa da Castanha in 2027?
Not announced yet. The festa is held on 31 October and 1 November whatever the weekday, Friday and Saturday in 2025 and Saturday and Sunday in 2026, so it is expected on Sunday 31 October and Monday 1 November 2027, with the parade on the Monday afternoon. We confirm it here when the Casa do Povo publishes the programme.
When was the Festa da Castanha in 2026?
On Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November 2026. It opened at 14:00 on the Saturday, with the Miss Castanha election at 20:00, and the cortejo alegórico walked at 15:00 on the Sunday, All Saints' Day.
Can I get there without a car?
Yes, and on festa days it is the better option. Bus 81 runs up from Funchal in about forty minutes, and in 2025 extra 81s left from Rua José da Silva Saca, by the cable car, on 1 November, at 2.60 euros a trip. It solves the one hard part of the day, which is parking at the other end.
What is actually made from the chestnuts?
Soup, bread, cake, pudding and a liqueur, as well as the roasted ones sold by the cone. The licor de castanha is the thing people carry home, and it is sold by the bottle at the same stalls that pour it.
Is it worth going if I have already seen the viewpoint?
Eira do Serrado is ten minutes of looking down at the village from the ridge above it. The festa is the village itself at the bottom of that drop, full of people and smoke, and it is a different day out. Do both on the same trip, but on festa days the viewpoint's car park fills with the overflow.
Sources
Dates from the 2026 programme in DNotícias’ Diário das Freguesias, and the organiser from the Regional Government’s Resolution 245/2026. Checked .
