Vaqueira Festival

The Fiesta Vaqueira, also known as the Vaqueirada, is held every year on the last Sunday in July in the Aristébanu hut, between Tineo and Valdés. It is one of the most ethnic and original festivals in Asturias, because in reality it becomes an informative tribute to the life and customs of the Vaqueiros de Alzada, with a real Vaqueira-style wedding taking place.

The Vaqueiros were and are an ethnic cultural group from Asturias, with ancestral origins that are still being investigated today. They were transhumant shepherds, who spent the summer in the brañas with their livestock, taking advantage of the grazing areas of the mountain passes, and in the winter they returned to their winter villages with their livestock and belongings.

The Vaqueiros were related to each other, developing a very unique culture and folklore, and all this has remained unchanged over the centuries. They lived and still live mainly in the west of Asturias.

The truth is that the Vaqueirada is like attending a screening of an anthropology documentary, albeit with a party and a lot of fun. It is a very curious, different and lively celebration.