What is the Descent of the Sella in Ribadesella all about?

Formally known as the Fiesta del Descenso del Sella de Ribadesella / Wikimedia

20 July 2018, 11:05

Descenso del Sella festival

When: 4th August 2018
Where: Ribadesella, Spain
Website: descensodelsella.com

Every first Saturday in August, the town of Ribadesella in Asturias celebrates the Descent of the Sella, popularly known as Les Piragües (The Canoes). This sporting event has become a great celebration that has won the title of Fiesta of International Tourist Interest.

This important Asturian summer event is characterised by its spectacular nature, its sporty and competitive character and by the influx of people who want to enjoy such a celebration. Here, we tell you about the Fiesta del Descenso del Sella de Ribadesella.

Ribadesella, a sporting paradise

Ribadesella is a municipality in the Principality of Asturias, Spain. Founded by Alfonso X the Wise, this place became one of the main ports of Asturias during the 19th century.

Nowadays, the town is one of the cradles of various adventure sports, among which canoeing and kayaking stand out. Many people train and compete on the river Sella which flows through the town, and it is this that sailors from all over flock to every first Saturday in August with a Festival of International Tourist Interest: the Descent of the Sella.

Ribadesella also stands out for the tourist activities that surround it, including the Tito Bustillo cave, one of the most famous in the region for its prehistoric paintings and dinosaur footprints.

The biggest sports event of the summer

It’s the biggest sports event in Ribadesella, an Asturian town on the banks of the river Sella. Every first Saturday in August, the Fiesta del Descenso del Sella, a.k.a Les Piragües, takes place in this village with many different teams of canoeists racing down the notorious river and crowds of people gathered to watch.

It all began in 1929 when Dionisio de la Huerta made a canoe trip along the tributary of the Sella. During the following summers, some friends joined this outing, which gradually became competitive. Thanks to Dionisio and his eagerness to pay tribute to the river, that outing did not turn into a simple canoe race but a serious kayaking contest.

More than 50 years after the start of this summer excursion, the competition has become consolidated as a festival that begins in the Majada de Pozúa, in the Sajambre Valley of the Picos de Europa, and runs through the municipalities of Cangas de Onís, Arriondas and Ribadesella, where a huge, human mass awaits the descent of the kayaks.

In addition to the competition itself, the party and fun accompany the river all the way, with people starting from early in the morning to see the departure of the kayaks. Afterwards, carnival parades are held along the river to follow the race. At noon, a thousand boats are launched into the river to be the winners of this unique and festive race. The Sella Descent culminates with a picnic and a late-night party to round off an incredible and exciting day.