Fine for the odd visit, but an experience you can get at out-of-town "shopping centre" festivals such as Reading or Leeds without having to lug all your stuff three thousand miles from the car.
It also frequently hosts productions from international festivals such as the Edinburgh fringe.
And the proliferation of festivals reflect the city's hunger for ideas.
He has done talks and workshops about ghost writing for the Cambridge Wordfest, Shetland's Wordplay, Dartington's Ways With Words, and both the Bath and Isle of Wight literary festivals.
But there is plenty of action nearby: Carvalhal beach is a short drive away, and owner Sara Serrão keeps noticeboards updated with local festivals, activities and events.
In the covered patio garden, you will also spot a stillage and bar, ready to be racked with beers for the monthly ale festivals held over summer.
Through discussions, debates, interviews, speeches, seminars and festivals, readers are given an opportunity to interact with the speakers and contribute to the public discourse on a wide range of topics that impact the world around them.
There is also a focus on food, with barbecues, festivals, banquets and mystery dinners.
Exciting events run throughout the year: circus, theatre and light festivals; live music in baroque buildings; and exhibitions of art, architecture and puppetry.
The easiest way to learn a language is to spend some time abroad; and if the trip comes with the chance to explore the countryside, experience local festivals and stay in an elegant farmhouse, so much the better.
The journey up through the Atlas had taken us past impromptu festivals, weekly markets, flocks of goats and a millennium of history.
