Fiestas in Cantabria

Some of the most popular fiestas and carnivals to occur in Cantabria including La Folia and the Battle of the Flowers.

La Folia – April. San Vincente de la Barquera

The statue of the Virgen de la Barquera is said to have arrived at San Vincente in a boat with no sails, oars or crew.

Once a year, it is put in a fishing boat decorated with flags and flowers, which sails at the head of a procession to bless the sea. Groups of young girls, called picayos, stand on the shore singing traditional songs of the region in honour of the Virgin. La Folia usually falls at the end of April, but its date is dependent on the local tides.

Battle of the Flowers – Last Friday of August – Laredo

Floats adorned with flowers are paraded through this small resort. A flower-throwing free-for-all follows the procession.

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