Vila Franca de Xira

Vila Franca de Xira is a town and municipality in the Lisbon district, situated on the eastern bank of the Tagus river in the Ribatejo region. It is best known nationally for its bullfighting festivals, particularly the Colete Encarnado festival held each July, during which bulls are run through the streets in the tradition of the Ribatejo campino culture.

The town occupies the flat Tagus floodplain with the river forming its western boundary. The broader municipality encompasses both the riverside plain and the escarpment hills to the east, where cork oak woodland and vineyard terrain contrast with the flat valley floor.

For pilgrims on the Camino Português, Vila Franca de Xira is one of the first significant towns after leaving Lisbon, offering services and a distinctive regional character before the route continues northward through the Ribatejo.