Trout Festival
Ponte Caldelas pays tribute to the trout
The trout is the gastronomic product par excellence of Ponte Caldelas, which has paid tribute to it since 1967 in a festival declared of Tourist Interest in Galicia in 2001 due to its importance and attraction. The event was born with the dual aim of rewarding the love of river fishing, which is widespread in the region, and of promoting the town. Today it is a consolidated event that attracts more than 10,000 people the last weekend of May to taste the portions of the queen of the river Verdugo.
The Trout Festival is half a century old. It was born as a result of the initiative of a group of fishing enthusiasts and now more than 6,300 portions are distributed among the flood of diners who come to Ponte Caldelas to taste it. In addition to the traditional recipes of pickled and fried trout, there are now other culinary creations from the tapas-making course organised by the Town Council, such as trout in empanada or with vinaigrette on toast. The restaurants are fully involved and offer a wide variety of preparations of this fish.
The tasting, which takes place in the alameda, next to the river, is accompanied by numerous activities that enrich the celebration, such as exhibitions, concerts, sporting events, introductory fishing courses, a motorbike rally and a choir competition.
The International Salmon Fishing Competition plays a key role in the birth and consolidation of the Trout Festival. Fishermen from different parts of Galicia and Portugal gather in Ponte Caldelas to make their catches and win some of the trophies in the different modalities and categories.
The contest, one of the most awaited of the fishing season in the Euroregion, counted from the beginning with a large participation, which also contributed to promote Ponte Caldelas. In addition to a fraternisation and trout exaltation meal, leisure and cultural activities were already organised at that time, which helped to consolidate the festival over the following decades.
This event has always attracted the admiration of writers and intellectuals. Since its first edition, the Libro da Festa da Troita has been published, which includes the programme of activities, the rules of the International Fishing Competition and a report of the most significant events and news of the municipality. The first issue included an article by the writer Álvaro Cunqueiro in honour of the trout, as well as another contribution by the historian José Filgueira Valverde. Another famous Galician writer, Celso Emilio Ferreiro, and the filmmaker Chano Piñeiro, also left their mark on the festival. "Galicia is the country of ten thousand rivers", wrote Cunqueiro. The trout, which stands out for its exquisite flavour but also for its numerous nutritional properties, is the queen of the Verdugo.
A visit to Ponte Caldelas is an opportunity to get in touch with nature and enjoy one of the best walks in inland Galicia. The town has an 8.3-kilometre-long itinerary that has been declared a Blue Trail. The route starts at the river beach and the spa and follows the banks of the river Verdugo. Along the trail, the first inland trail in Spain to be awarded this prestigious distinction by the Association for Environmental and Consumer Education (ADEAC) - the European organisation that awards Blue Flags -, you can see pontellas (small bridges), mills, a peto de ánimas and fountains, among other ethnographic elements, in addition to the splendid landscape and the diversity of the flora and fauna.