Romería Vikinga de Catoira
La Romería Vikinga —oficialmente, Romaría Vikinga— turns the West Towers of Catoira into the scene of a festive landing. Drakkars, Galician music, gastronomy and a symbolic battle recall the Nordic raids along the Ulla River without losing the open character of a popular pilgrimage.
Celebration date
The landing is represented first sunday in august. The programme usually extends over the previous week and can include theatre, cinema, markets, music and children's activities; Their specific dates and times are confirmed in each edition.
View the programme of the Viking Pilgrimage of Catoira 2026.
The holiday does not in itself constitute a general public holiday. The possible status of a non-working day depends on the official calendar applicable in each year.
Venue
The central act takes place next to the Torres de Oeste, on the banks of the Ulla. This ancient fortified position guarded the river entrance to the interior of Galicia and Santiago de Compostela. Other events are spread throughout the centre of Catoira and link the historic area with squares and streets of the town.
Also check out the festivals of Catoira.
Origin and history
The Concello de Catoira places the birth of the celebration in an initiative of the Ateneo do Ullán, an artistic and literary circle in the region. In 1960 the group performed a piece inspired by the Viking attacks on Galicia. Since 1965, workers from a local company maintained the organisation for almost twenty-five years, until the City Council took it over in 1989.
The dramatization of the landing began in 1968 with a sand ship characterized as a Nordic ship. Catoira's contacts with Frederikssund, in Denmark, later allowed the construction of more faithful replicas: the longship Torres de Oeste, inspired by the Skuldelev 5, and the Frederikssund, based on the Gokstad ship and with decorative elements from the Oseberg.
The disembarkation and traditions
- Arrival of the Viking crews in longships and theatrical assault on the West Towers.
- Symbolic defence of the enclosure, with mud, water and wine as part of the festive game.
- Parades, bagpipes, percussion and traditional music groups.
- Market with a medieval setting and craft and entertainment proposals.
- Country food, mussels, Ulla wine and other Galician products.
- Theater, proclamation and cultural activities that prolong the literary spirit of the founders.
Organisation and participation
The Concello de Catoira organises the pilgrimage with the participation of neighbors, crews, actors, musicians, associations, municipal services and visitors. The reenactment does not aim to reproduce a combat with military rigor: it transforms a conflictive past into coexistence and encounter around local heritage.
Reconocimientos y proyección internacional
The celebration was declared a Festival of National Tourist Interest in 1988 and obtained the title of Festival of International Tourist Interest in 2002. Catoira is also part of the Destination Viking Association, an entity linked to the Viking Cultural Itinerary of the Council of Europe, and maintains relations with European towns of Viking tradition.