PÊRA IN the Algarve has once again been chosen to host the International Sand Sculpture Festival, now in its fourth successful year. In total, 35 sculptors of various nationalities will be working with 30,000 tons of sand between April 20 and May 19, to create the biggest sand sculpture exhibition in the world. This year, the sculptures will depict the Ancient Greek Gods, biblical stories such as Noah and the Ark andmythical creatures such as unicorns, centaurs, vampires and werewolves.

Work by some of the best sand sculptors in the world will be featured in this unique exhibition for the Iberian Peninsula.
The event, in Portuguese called Festival Internacional de Escultura em Areia (FIESA), has been held in the Algarve since 2003 and is organised by ProSandArt, a company specialised in the art of sand sculpting which has introduced the genre to Portugal.
During the day, the sculptures can be admired in all their detail and, by night, there is a different atmosphere, achieved by special lighting that will illuminate the work. Periodically, there will be special entertainment and music evenings.
The festival opens to the public on May 20 and continues daily until September 20.