Feast of Monte de A Guarda
A Guarda looks at its magical mountain
The town celebrates the Fiesta del Monte in mid-August.
A Guarda is engaged in ten days of festivities with its sights set on Santa Trega, a place full of history where the circular houses of the most important archaeological site in the northwest of the peninsula reign supreme. The town is immersed in the Fiestas del Monte, declared of Tourist Interest in Galicia and in which the ascent to the mountain on Sunday is the highlight of the many and varied celebrations.
The festivities of A Guarda include a wide range of activities, among them the verbenas in the Alameda and the Desfile Folklorico Tradicional e de Bandas Mariñeiras, one of the events that attracts the largest number of people. Around 3,000 people take part in this event, including musical groups, individuals and bands. The event will take place on Saturday at midday.
The day after will be the highlight of the event, with the Bandas Mariñeiras going up the mountain in the morning. The participants in the pilgrimage will begin their journey to the summit of the Trega in a festive and musical day in which the participants will make their promise to return "ao monte" the following year.
The Traditional Folklore and Maritime Bands Parade, on Saturday at noon and with 3,000 participants, will be the prelude to the climb to the mountain for lunch and the "xura".
More than 10,000 people congregate on the mountain to participate in the popular lunch and the swearing in with wine in the Bandas Mariñeiras, a great spectacle for the town, full of colour due to the costumes of each "mariñeira" group. Drums, bagpipes and tambourines sound during this great day with their characteristic sound, until the end of the festival with the Desfeita in the Baixada do Monte to the Parque do Cancelón.
Other activities during the week are the foot races, the Marcha Cicloturista Popular, the Festas do Monte Hockey Liña Trophy, children's activities in the Alameda de A Guarda, and traditional music in the streets of A Guarda by bagpipe groups.
The origins, more than a century ago
In 1913 the great architectural site of Santa Trega was discovered, and a year later the archaeological excavations began, which, over the years, became the most visited tourist and cultural resource of the Rías Baixas. The Festas do Monte were born to commemorate the initiative of the Pro-Monte Society and the successive discoveries of this great site. Initially, the event began with a very familiar character, but it soon acquired great relevance in the area and has been complemented with other cultural activities.
The festivities are organised by the Asociación Cultural y Deportiva O Cancelón and the Concello de A Guarda, with the collaboration of the Diputación de Pontevedra and a representation of the town's cultural and sports associations.
