Lagoa

Theme Park • Lagoa, Faro

Sand City, in Lagoa, in the Algarve, turns sand into an open-air artistic space. Its origin is linked to FIESA — the International Sand Sculpture Festival — created in 2003; after more than two decades of themed exhibitions, the project moved from the Pêra area to its current site, next to the EN125. The grounds cover around 50,000 square metres and bring together more than 120 works sculpted by over 60 national and international artists. The current exhibition, “Around the World in Sand”, recreates scenes from everyday life around the world, well-known figures, pop culture, fantastic imagery and recognisable buildings. The sculptures are made by compacting sand with water; some reach five or six metres in height and weigh several tens of tonnes. In the open air, among paths of sand and gravel, the whole setting makes visible the scale, detail and firmness that the sun gives, over time, to a simple material.