Orixe Rías Baixas
A year and a thousand occasions to celebrate the province of Pontevedra.
Discover the extensive and rich intangible heritage of the province of Pontevedra, which you can celebrate throughout the year. Because from its incredible natural landscapes, its unforgettable sunsets, its coastline and its inland villages, authentic ways of life emerge that are passed down from generation to generation: legends, rites and festivals, both pagan and religious, linked to the beliefs and thoughts of its inhabitants. You will also discover craft trades, centuries-old songs and traditional recipes with the unique products of this territory, which have forged our identity.
Let yourself be inspired by the ancestral history of the province of Pontevedra on your next trip.
HERBS OF SAN XOÁN
San Xoán is the prelude to summer in the Rías Baixas. Going out to gather the herbs to prepare the cacho means welcoming the new season by cleansing oneself of the bad in order to receive the good. Every June 23rd it is customary to collect 7 or more aromatic herbs that are left to dew during the night of San Juan, the most magical of the year, to wash with its water the next morning.
LINEN MANUFACTURING
Flax processing is a living tradition in the Deza region. Harvesting the crop and processing it, with the tools that have accompanied generations, is a great gathering for the local community, a meeting in which traditional music and songs are the real protagonists.
FESTA DA COCA DE REDONDELA
Hundreds of people attend the Festa da Coca every year at the beginning of June to pay homage to the legendary victory of the people of Redondela over the dragon. The village dresses up for the occasion with spectacular floral carpets designed and made by the neighbourhood. They gather to celebrate with music and dances that accompany the procession of the Virgin A Gabacha.
DARBO PARTIES
The Danza and Contradanza de Darbo, in the month of September, is one of the oldest ancestral dances in Galicia, with centuries of history. In honour of Santa María de Darbo, during the dance the ladies wear colourful floral hats and the galáns wear earrings and feathers in their hats.
RAPA DAS BESTAS
Once a year, the horses that freely inhabit the mountains of Sabucedo are taken to the "curros", enclosed enclosures where the animals are shaved and wormed before being released again. A tradition with centuries of history that today has become one of Galicia's great celebrations.
VIKING PILGRIMAGE OF CATOIRA
One of the great pagan festivals of the Rías Baixas is the epic recreation of the Viking invasion in Catoira at the beginning of August. An excuse to celebrate history in a massive festival with gastronomy and wine from the region and an extensive programme of cultural activities.