Albariño Festival

Cambados' great festival is held every year in the first week of August, with the first Sunday of the month as the big day. The Salnés wineries bring their albariños out onto the street and the town fills with people for several days. Since 2018 it has been a Festival of International Tourist Interest: the Secretary of State for Tourism awarded it the title by a resolution of 31 August that year.

What happens at the festival

The main stage is the paseo da Calzada, the tree-lined poplar promenade that skirts the old town, next to the Parador. Dozens of stalls from local wineries are set up there selling their albariños at popular prices: it is the easiest way to taste wines from many different houses in one afternoon without going from winery to winery. Around it, the programme adds courses, talks on wine, concerts, parades through the streets, music and folk performances, and open-air dances at night. The festival's peñas fill the town with colour.

The specific programme, with the days, concerts and events, is published by Cambados Town Council each summer; we do not copy it here because it changes from one year to the next. Ask for it at the tourist office, on the same paseo da Calzada, at [email protected] or on 986 520 786.

How to plan

Book accommodation well in advance: the Parador, in the Pazo de Bazán, is right next to the promenade, and the Pazo A Capitana is on the outskirts, among vines. Arrive early to park, because the centre gets saturated, and do not drive after tasting: if you sleep elsewhere, arrange the return with someone who is not drinking or by taxi. It is mainly an adult, street festival, with a lot of atmosphere in the afternoon and evening.

If you want to see a winery from inside on those days, book in good time the tasting at the Palacio de Fefiñanes, in the centre, or the visit to Martín Códax, in Vilariño: with the festival, places run out sooner. In the morning, when the promenade is still quiet, take the chance to see the old town and the Santa Mariña Dozo ruins, next to the Ethnographic and Wine Museum, which explains the history of albariño before you try it in the street.