Dawn Festival

The Fiesta del Alba, in honour of the Virgin of Alba, patron saint of Quirós, is held every year on 15th August, in the hermitage of Alba, above the village of Salceo.

Located in the heart of the Sierra del Aramo, at an altitude of 1090 metres, it is easily accessible via an asphalted track. This hermitage, known for its devotion and its history, offers spectacular views of the whole of the council of Quirós.

On the occasion of the Fiesta del Alba, a procession is held, accompanied by bagpipes and drums, and after the procession there is a mass, which, as a curiosity, is usually sung in the Quirós language.

Then comes the picnic, followed by various events such as the ribbon race on horseback, the spelt bread competition, the cowboy dressage show, etc. It is a ritual that is repeated with great success and large crowds year after year.

It is also customary to camp near the hermitage on the days before the festival, thus celebrating the traditional popular verbenas (open-air dances).