Sandcity Fiesa is a thematic park with sand sculptures that was first inaugurated in 2003 until 2019, the year where the park moved to Lagoa, on Estrada Nacional 125.

Nuno Ângelo, the director of the park, said to The Portugal News that “the location near Lagoa is better” since it is on the main road and therefore it has a bigger exposure when compared to the old location, in Pêra.

The park, that opened in Lagoa, in 2019, has 60 sand sculptures, made by artists from many parts of the world, mainly from Eastern Europe, where there is a great culture of sculpting sand. But there are also Dutch, French, Portuguese and Canadian sculptors.

According to the director of the park, being a sculptor was thought “to be a male job, since it was considered to be a job where strength was mainly used, but we have many sculptures made by women and we can see an increase in interest for the job among women.”

Every year the park has a theme, the officials decided to keep the “Around the World” theme, used last year, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. From celebrities to monuments, while walking around the park the visitors will feel like they are travelling around the world. People will not only see sculptures of real figures, such as Cristiano Ronaldo or Queen Elizabeth II but also fictional characters that everyone knows including Harry Potter and Batman.

For the sculptures, 50 tonnes of sand was used in total. Contrary to what people usually think “the sand used is not the same as beach sand”, says Nuno Ângelo. It is a compact sand for construction use.

The 50 hectares of area are not only filled with sand sculptures. Visitors have the opportunity to have a quick meal in the snack-bar, jump on the trampoline, buy some souvenirs and also enjoy a relaxing moment at the Fish Spa. Before the pandemic, it was also possible to show up and take part in a workshop regarding sand sculpture.

Concerning Covid-19, the staff of the park are following all the rules outlined by the Portuguese health authorities, but Nuno Ângelo mentioned that they are doing more than what was requested including “cleaning the bathrooms more than 4 times per day.” All the personnel wear masks and gloves and for the costumers, it is mandatory to wear a mask in common areas, such as the snack bar and the reception.

For 2021, the official expects to organise birthday parties for children and to organise workshops regarding environmental issues.
New projects are yet to come and there is an interest in creating a restaurant with tapas and craft beer, as well as a lounge area.

The park opens at 11am and closes and 10pm and while the park is open during the day and the evening, for Nuno Ângelos, a night visit is always “more interesting”.

For further information please visit www.sandcity.pt