During the Coruche International Ballooning Festival, check here for all updates on scheduled activities (confirmations, changes, cancellations, etc.).
Write down this address festivalbalonismocoruche.com/#informacoes or reserve the QR code and access it whenever you need to confirm important information about the event.
The event
In the VII edition of the Coruche International Ballooning Festival we return to raising public awareness of the importance of the "Montado" territories through ballooning.
According to the World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF), the "Montado" is at the base of one of the 35 most important ecosystems in the world for the conservation of biodiversity, being on par with the Amazon, the African savannah or Borneo!
Hot air ballooning will be part of Coruche's aerial scene between the 21st and 24th of March and from the sky, once again, we will showcase a territory full of visiting opportunities.
This is an event promoted by the Municipality of Coruche with the technical support and organization of a company specialized in ballooning.
In the Coruche Market and Fair Park, in addition to aerial activities with hot air balloons, a variety of activities will be held on the 22nd, 23rd and 24th of March:
Crafts and local products market
Animation activity
Musical shows
Street food
Ballooning walk
Watching hot air balloon flights and participating in many other activities is free.
Coruche
Coruche is located in a territory that offers excellent conditions for the practice of ballooning, having a diverse landscape characterized by the presence of imposing areas of "Montado", the Sorraia River – a tributary of the Tagus River, the largest river that, coming from Spain, divides Portugal – and the Sorraia Agricultural Valley – locally called "Lezíria Ribatejana” –, one of the most fertile agricultural areas in Portugal where tons of high quality corn and rice are produced annually.
In the territory designated for hot air balloon flights during the Festival, the Montado stands out. This type of forest, which can only be found in the territories of the Mediterranean basin, is a habitat of enormous importance in the preservation of hundreds of species of plants, birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.
It is from these forests, precisely from the "Corkwood" tree, that cork is extracted, an incredible natural product, commonly found as a wine closure through the cork. World cork production is 340 thousand tons per year, of which 55% is originating from Portugal.
Cork extraction is a controlled process that does not require the felling of cork oaks, on the contrary, it contributes to their regeneration. It is the cork industry that enables the continuity of the Montado Forest, by contributing to the maintenance of the forests and the populations that depend on them.
A recent estimate predicts that only in Portugal, where there is the largest area of cork oak forests in the world, harvestable cork will be sufficient to satisfy market demand over the next 100 years. On average, in Coruche, where there are several industrial cork processing units, almost 7 million corks are produced per day, which are then exported daily around the world.
Coruche is also a territory with a past and history. It is not known exactly when the population of Coruche settled, but there are several archaeological finds that prove human presence since the Paleolithic. Coruche receives its first charter as "Vila de Coruche” by D. Afonso Henriques on May 26, 1182, according to the model of the Évora charter, confirmed by D. Sancho I, in 1189, and by D. Afonso II, in 1218, remaining until D. Manuel, when he, in the 16th century, reformed the charters. This important document established a council and regulated its administration, borders and privileges.
For everything it represents, Coruche is a territory that inspires confidence, culture, innovation and development, preserving rural characteristics and the enormous passion for nature.
We are therefore certain that our invitation for you to visit the VII Coruche International Ballooning Festival is undeniable.
We are waiting for you!
Program
22 March <
Coruche Market and Fair Park / Balloondrome
06:30 / 07:30 am: Free morning hot air balloon flight (Festival Balloondrome)
6:00 / 11:00 pm: Opening of the crafts and local products space and the Street Food Fest
9:00 pm: “Night Glow” show (Festival Balloondrome)
10:30 pm: Concert - “Sai do Chão” (Tribute to Ivete Sangalo)
> 23 March
Coruche Market and Fair Park / Balloondrome
06:30/07:30 am: Free morning hot air balloon flight (Festival Balloondrome)
08:00 / 10:00 am: Static hot air balloon baptism (Festival Balloondrome)
10:00 / 11:00 pm: Opening of the crafts and local products space and the Street Food Fest
10:00 / 12:00 am: Children’s entertainment activities
2:00 / 6:00 pm: Children’s entertainment activities
4:00 /5:30 pm: Free afternoon hot air balloon flight (Festival Balloondrome)
5:30 pm: Concert - “The Peakles” (Tribute to The Beatles)
6:00 / 8:00 pm: Static hot air balloon baptism (Festival Balloondrome)
10:30 pm: Concert - “One Vision” (Tribute to Queen)
> 24 March
Coruche Market and Fair Park / Balloondrome
06:30 / 07:30 am: Free morning hot air balloon flight (Festival Balloondrome)
08:00 / 10:00 am: Static hot air balloon baptism (Festival Balloondrome)
10:00 / 7:00 pm: Opening of the crafts and local products space and the Street Food Fest
10:00 / 12:00 am: Children’s entertainment activities
2:00 / 6:00 pm: Children’s entertainment activities
2:00 pm: VI Ballooning Walk (see specific information)
2:30 pm: Dance performances, promoted by local associations
4:30 pm: Children’s Theater: “A Festa da Carochinha” and “Mágico Vegas”
4:00 / 5:30 pm: Free afternoon hot air balloon flight (Festival Balloondrome)
Walk of Ballooning
Free Participation
Circular route "Coruche / Coruche" through the landscapes and paths of the rice fields and the River
Start date, time and location:
March 24, 4:00 pm, at the Coruche Market and Fair Park
Registration deadline:
March 22
All participants will be entitled to:
1 small bottle of water and 1 participation souvenir
Route:
6 to 8 kilometers, starting and finishing at Coruche Market and Fair Park ("easy" level).
Opening hours - Market and Fair Park, next to the Crafts and Local Products Market tent:
01:00 pm - Secretariat Opening
01:45 pm – Secretariat Closing
2:00 pm – Start of the walk
4:00 pm - Arrival at the balloondrome to watch the hot air balloon activities
Meteorology
Important information:
This meteorological information is merely informative and expresses the weather conditions in a given location, and may not correspond to the location/area planned for carrying out activities with hot air balloons. For activities with hot air balloons - flights or static activities - several advanced indicators for professional use are used, which are used to confirm all operations in order to guarantee all the necessary safety for people and goods.
Mandatory Requirements for Safe Hot Air Balloon Activities
Wind speed less than 18 km/h (wind force 2-3) upon landing;
Wind at an altitude of 150 meters AGL (Above Ground Level) less than 40 km/h; Good visibility;
Favorable cloudy ceiling;
Absence of showers within a radius of approximately 20 km in order to avoid turbulence;
Absence of storms due to strong turbulence;
Absence of uninterrupted rain;
Meteorological limitations
Due to the medium-term impossibility of obtaining accurate meteorological forecasts, it is only possible to accurately predict the meteorological feasibility for carrying out activities with hot air balloons 2 days before and in some cases of atmospheric instability, just 1 day before the operation.
Follow this website or social media for updates on hot air balloon activities!
INFORMAÇÃO METEOROLÓGICA
PREVISÕES
21 março 2024
Voo matinal
06h30/07h30
Voo realizado
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-
-
-
22 março 2024
Voo matinal
06h30/07h30
VOO CANCELADO devido a vento e rajadas de vento acima do limite de segurança (14kt-26km/h a 25kt-46km/h)
CANCELADO
23 março 2024
Voo matinal
06h30/07h30
VOO CANCELADO devido a vento acima do limite de segurança (9kt-17km/h a 30kt-56km/h)
CANCELADO
21 março 2024
Voo vespertino
16h00/17h30
VOO CANCELADO devido a vento e rajadas de vento acima do limite de segurança
(11kt-20km/h a 23kt-43km/h)
CANCELADO
22 março 2024
Espetáculo Night Glow
21h00/22h00
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-
-
CONFIRMADO
23 março 2024
Voo vespertino
16h00/17h30
Possibilidade de cancelamento devido a vento acima do limite de segurança (14kt-26km/h a 28kt-52km/h)
!! EM ATUALIZAÇÃO !!