Top 5 Festivals Along the Camino de Santiago 2018

The routes along the Camino de Santiago take you through many towns and cities with amazing history and culture.  What better way to immerse in a new culture than to share a festival with the locals?

Top 5 festivals to see along the Camino:

1) St. James Day in Santiago

• When: July 15-25, 2018
• Where: Santiago (French Way or Portuguese Way)

St James Day, which is also Galicia Day, is a holiday in Galicia and where else you should celebrate but in the city of St James, Santiago? The capital of Galicia receives many visitors and pilgrims for its Festas do Apostolo, in the days leading up to St James Day, which is 25th July.

Fireworks at the cathedral, music concerts and plenty of cultural events take place in the lively streets of Santiago from mid-July.

2) Pepper Festival

• When: August 4, 2018
• Where: Padron (Portuguese Way)

If you travel across Galicia from June to September, chances are you will encounter some sort of festival where the main focus is food. Any local delicacy is a good excuse for a festival.

The town of Padron, on the Camino Portugues, hosts a festival to celebrate its most famous produce the first Saturday of August. After the traditional tractor parade, 3000kgs of Padron peppers are cooked and enjoyed by attendees for free in the town’s Alameda park.

3) Semana Santa

• When: Easter Week March 25-31, 2018
• Where: Santiago (French Way or Portuguese Way)

Semana Santa, Easter or Holy Week, is an impressive display of holy imagery, marching bands and solemn processions in many towns and cities, some of them along the Camino.

Seville, on the Via de la Plata, is the most famous and dramatic of them all and some of the sculptures in the parades date back to the 16th century.

In Galicia, the most traditional and spectacular Easter celebrations take place in Ferrol, on the Camino Ingles.

4) Sao Joao Festival

• When: June 23, 2018
• Where: Porto (Portuguese Way)

The arrival of Summer is a big celebration in the city of Porto. Visitors and locals descend on the stunning river front, the Ribeira, to celebrate Sao Joao (St John) and welcome the happiest season of the year. Dancing, bonfires and grilled sardines are all part of the evening fun.

If you are planning a trip on the Portuguese Coastal Camino, we suggest you spend a few couple of days in Porto to experience this unique festival.

5) Harvest Festival

• When: September 20-25, 2018
• Where: Logrono (French Way)

La Rioja is Spain’s most international wines. The Rioja capital, Logroño, has been celebrating a harvest festival and honouring patron Saint Mathew for many generations. The Festival de la Vendimia Riojana, the La Rioja Harvest Festival, takes place at the end of September each year and is a must-see for Camino and wine fans. Traditional activities such as grape pressing, regional dancing and tapas tasting are part of the week’s festivities, as well as concerts, fireworks and activities for visitors of all ages.