Romaría Vikinga in Catoira
- When: 5th August 2018
- Where: Catoira, Spain
- Website: catoira.gal
Popular festivals in Spain don’t come better than the one that takes place in Galicia in the town of Catoira, Pontevedra. Every first Sunday in August in the city there is a performance that shows the Viking invasions that took place in the area over a thousand years ago.
The celebration brings together history, culture, acting and the recreation of a battle where instead of blood participants all get soaked in good wine. Learn all about the Viking Festival of Catoira, the secular festival of Pontevedra.
Catoira, a little town with a lot to offer
Catoira is a tiny town in the province of Pontevedra, Galicia just 30 square kilometres, or 12 square miles, in size. Despite its reduced dimensions, the Galician territory has a valuable historical and artistic heritage with monuments such as the Church of San Pedro de Dimo and the Church of San Miguel de Catoira, of medieval and Gothic origin respectively.
The town also boasts charming walking routes in nature along the rivers Frexeiro and Souto and the Regato de San Cibrán.
Catoira is also known for its festival of International Tourist Interest, the famous Viking Pilgrimage, which takes place in the Torres de Oeste (Towers of the West) part of town. This includes a fortification that still preserves its remains to this day and overlooks a beach on the river where the re-enactment takes place.
When in Catoira… do as the Vikings do
Every first Sunday in August, which this year means the fifth of the month, Catoira hosts in its streets a unique show: the Viking fest. This is a popular celebration in which the Viking invasions of the past are remembered by the inhabitants in a fun and enjoyable way.
Every year from 1960 onwards, the inhabitants of Catoira have dressed up as Vikings to commemorate the invasions of the town. At around 10 a.m. the party starts with the performance of folkloric groups that walk through the streets singing to the Torres de Oeste.
Here, in this ancient fortification of which the remains are still preserved today, a medieval market is held and the participants in the pilgrimage are presented with good wine and tasty mussels. In the afternoon, the high point of the celebration takes place: the pirate landing.
The attackers, on board a recreated 11th-century Viking ship, arrive at the coast of Catoira with the aim of taking the ‘Western Towers’. Here, the re-enactment takes place of a battle in which the villagers try to resist this vicious Viking attack. The result? Everyone ends up soaked in wine while they enjoy a hearty local meal of empanadas, sardines and octopus altogether, enlivened by the singular and typical sound of the Galician bagpipes.
Late at night, the party continues with a popular verbena outdoor concert full of activities and lots of fun for everyone.
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