Galicia, gastronomic festivals of the sea

With summer, some of you will have already started your holidays, others will enjoy them now and still others will not know when they will take place, but this is no excuse not to take advantage of these dates to go to one of the many gastronomic festivals organised during the summer season in Galicia. It is well known that we Galicians are lovers of good food, but summer is particularly rich in this type of festivities, so make the most of the good weather and come and satisfy your palate with the wide variety of summer gastronomic festivals in Galicia.

Festival Cambados Albariño

Without a doubt, one of the most important dates in the Galician festive calendar is the “Festa do Albariño” in Cambados, which welcomes around 150,000 people in five days. On the first weekend in August, stands are set up where wine can be tasted and bought directly from the winemakers, as well as food stalls.

Ham festival in A Cañiza

Since 1966, on the 15th of August, A Cañiza celebrates its great day: the “Feira do Xamón” declared of tourist interest because of its age, its singular elements, its roots in time and the cultural values that converge in this celebration.

Festival of the Ram in the Mirror of the Moraña

The “Festa do Carneiro o Espeto” is a gastronomic festival of great impact in Galicia and declared of tourist interest, which has been held on the last Sunday of July since 1969. It stands out because it is the only one of its kind that takes place in Galicia, where the main protagonist is the ram.

Feast of the Barnacle of Corme

The Costa da Morte gets dressed on the second weekend of July to live in Corme, Ponteceso, its most famous gastronomic festival. The “Festa do percebe” (Goose Festival) takes place on the quay, where this delicacy of the sea is tasted along with other typical Galician delicacies such as “pulpo á feira” (octopus at the fair), “empanada” (pastries) or wine.

Bandeira Empanada Festival

Since 1974, this village of Silleda has been celebrating the third Sunday in August with the Galician empanada, one of the most representative dishes of Galician cuisine, which is served in monasteries and hostels to pilgrims passing through these lands on their way to Santiago de Compostela.

Herbón Pepper Festival in Padrón

Gastronomic festival that takes place on the first weekend in August in the parish of Herbón, in the municipality of Padrón, the main producer of the famous Padrón chilli peppers, a product that is highly appreciated in Galician cuisine and also throughout the country.

Queimada Popular de Cervo

The Queimada Popular de Cervo was declared “Festival of Galician Tourist Interest” in 2001. It is celebrated on the third Saturday of August and dance and music play an important role. In this village of the “Mariña Lucense”, the queimada (a drink made from aguardiente de orujo and sugar) is prepared, with a sorcerer dressed in straw being in charge of pronouncing the hiding place and chasing away evil spirits.

Arnoia Pepper Festival

More than four thousand kilos of peppers are served old-fashioned (fried), stuffed or in omelettes, drizzled with Ribeiro wines, in Arnoia (Ourense). This festival takes place every year on the first Sunday of August. If you are one of those who enjoy the taste of peppers, you can’t miss it.

In honour of its status as the leading white tuna fishing port, the inhabitants of Burela and the thousands of visitors they receive, in summer (usually in mid-July), enjoy this gastronomic day around their famous fish.

Festival de la Tortilla de Laro

It is a very popular gastronomic festival that is part of the calendar of the Council of Silleda. Every year, more than 10,000 people gather on the first weekend in August in the “Romaría da Tortilla de Laro”, to taste the omelette and wine that are distributed.

Octopus festival in O Carballiño

The king product of Atlantic cuisine, from the sea, has its stronghold in O Carballiño (Ourense). In the Festa do Pulpo, you can observe the work of the pulpeiras, who cook this delicious product in the mythical copper cauldrons so that you can taste the classic “pulpo á feira”.

A lobster festival in Guarda

This gastronomic event takes place on the first weekend of July in the port of A Guarda and, as you can imagine, lobster is the undisputed protagonist of the “Festa da Langosta e da Cociña Mariñeira” where all visitors can discover the excellent products of the sea.

Festival Callos de Meis

This gastronomic festival is gaining followers year after year and it is already a classic that the heat of July is smothered by the traditional Meis stew of the “Festa dos”. Even if you think it’s too hot to taste this dish, nothing could be further from the truth. Tripe is the best antidote to high temperatures.

The octopus festival of Mugardos!
The best opportunity to taste the “Polbo á Mugardesa”, will be in this gastronomic festival declared of tourist interest in Galicia and which takes place in the Praza da Constitución in Mugardos. In this already traditional “Festa do Polbo”, celebrated on the second Saturday of July, you will enjoy a jovial atmosphere while tasting an octopus prepared according to a traditional recipe.

Festa do Pan de Cea

One of the most international products of the gastronomy of Ourense is the bread of Cea, which is elaborated according to an ancient recipe in artisan ovens throughout the municipality, and which has, as is common in Galicia, its own festival of exaltation on the first Sunday of July.

The honey sample from Quiroga

This annual fair, whose first edition took place in 1991, highlights honey, one of the typical products of this municipality of Lugo, of high quality and with characteristics different from the rest of Galicia, due to the great variety of flora in the Quiroga Valley.

Festival of the Xouba of Rianxo

Since its inclusion in Barbanza’s calendar of gastronomic events, the “Festa da Xouba de Rianxo” has always been held on 25 July, but in 2016 it will be moved to Saturday 23. If you like xouba (sardines), don’t miss this festivity in which a thousand kilos of this fish are cooked in different ways.

Festival Longueirón de Fisterra

On the first weekend in August, the city of Fisterra hosts the Longueirón Gastronomic Festival. It takes place near the beach of A Ribeira, next to the fish market, where you can taste a variety of dishes made with this Galician seafood.

Carril Clam Festival

Its first edition was organised in 1992 by the Cofradía de Pescadores de Carril, since then this gastronomic event has become one of the most important and consolidated culinary events in Galicia. Carril’s “Festa da Ameixa”, which takes place on the second weekend in August, has been declared a Festival of Tourist Interest in Galicia in 2014.

Arousa Island Mussel Festival

In this festival, located on the Paseo Marítimo de O Xufre, on the second weekend of August, you can taste mussels steamed, stewed, empanada, paella, vinaigrette… and prepared in every imaginable way.

Festival of the Sea Cicada de Marin

Since 1995, it has been held on the last weekend in July, with the aim of promoting and exalting this seafood, the “Fiesta de la Cigala”, which year after year increases the number of visitors who gather to taste this delicious shellfish and other seafood.

Rinlo’s Goose Festival

“The parish of Rinlo, in Ribadeo, hosts the “Festa do Percebe” on the first Saturday of August, where all participants can taste this exquisite shellfish from the Galician coast at unbeatable prices. In the early morning, the festival organisers will be busy preparing the barnacles that can be bought under the tent set up in the fish market.

Fair of Galician products in Sanxenxo

On the beach of Montalvo, on the first weekend of August every year, the Fair of Galician Products is held. By exhibiting and selling typical Galician products, the aim is to highlight them and show their quality to the thousands of visitors who come.

Festival of the “Pito á Brasa” of Crecente

Festival of the “Pito á Brasa” of Crecente
The village of Lobariñas, in the municipality of Crecente, celebrates the “Festa do Pito á Brasa” where all those present can taste the exquisite Pito á Brasa in the festival tower. If you are a chicken lover, you can’t miss this gastronomic festival, a reference in Galicia.

Monterrei Wine Fair

The “Feira do Viño de Monterrei”, held in Verín on the second weekend of August, is an event where the best wines of the region can be tasted. Sixteen wineries offer tastings of their wines at popular prices.

Valdeorras Wine Fair

This fair in honour of wine is held in Barco de Valdeorras (during the second weekend of July), where the wineries under this denomination of origin exhibit and sell their wines. There are also tasting competitions and other events related to wine and winemaking.

Festival of Pork Gastronomy of Cerceda

Cerceda’s water park hosts the piglet (cochiño) gastronomic festival, which takes place on the last weekend in July and which has become increasingly popular over time. This festival will serve as a “pretext” to spend a pleasant day in Galicia’s only Aquapark.

Aguiño Goose Festival.
Since 1997, the “Festa do Percebe de Aguiño” in Ribeira has been celebrating the delicatessen products of the Galician estuaries. It pays homage to the barnacles who risk their lives to bring such precious delicacy to the table. This gastronomic festival is usually held on the last weekend of July.

Celeiro Hake Festival

The “Festa da Merluza do Pincho de Celeiro” takes place the weekend before the celebrations of July 25 in the municipality of Viveiro. Here you can taste this white fish caught on the hook in the traditional way and cooked in different ways.

Lacón de Silleda Festival

On the second weekend of July, the “Festa do Lacón” is celebrated in Silleda. All those present will be able to taste the roasted or baked lacón, accompanied by bread, wine, dessert and coffee.

If we tried to talk about all the summer gastronomic festivals in Galicia, it wouldn’t even be enough to write a book… We assure you that they are all worthwhile and that you will come back to lick your fingers. If you have forgotten a summer gastronomic festival, write to us in the comments, we look forward to hearing from you.