In times gone by each hamlet had its own patron saint. And the saint’s day was an occasion for a spectacular celebration. Today we still celebrate these fiestas, but not many have the old splendour. The main fiestas in this area are: January, San Antón de Cuerres, March San José de Sebreñu, May, Nuestra Señora de Fátima de Toriellu and San Isidro, en El Carmen. August, San Lorenzo, the cheese fair in Cuerres and la Velilla de Meluerda. September Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza de Collera. In all of these fiestas you can see that the old traditions live again, for example El Ramu, this is a pyramid adorned with bay leaves and round bread which is auctioned after the mass. This tradition comes from the pagan times. The fish fiesta in Tereñes in August doesn’t follow any strict tradition. But a great occasion.

Concert of classical music in la Cuevona.

Festival of Jazz.

The fiestas that are celebrated less these days are; La Magdalena de Vega, near the sea, San Ildefonso de Torre, in winter, or La Sacramental de San Esteban de Leces. There was a big cattle market, a parade, firework displays, El Ramu, see above, and a football match between single and married men. In the town of Ribadesella these fiestas are hardly celebrated, the Santiago, Nuestra Señora del Rosario and Santa María Magdalena, patron saint of the town. On the other hand Ribadesella preserves, with vitality the following fiestas:

The carnival held In February, in the beginning of the 20th century it was famous all over Asturias. It was forbidden in the times of Franco. But now it is hugely celebrated in la plaza nueva in the centre of town. The most important moments are: The recitation of satiric verse, the carnival desert competition, costume competition and the following day the burying of the sardine.

Easter is especially intense in the town. On Friday morning when the tide is out, there is spectacular horse racing on the beach. In the evening colourful parades are led by the church, in robed and hooded they process along the promenade with lighted torches.

Banda de gaitas (Bagpipe band) in the international Festival Folkloric.

In June the festival of San Juan is held. People gather at night in the field of San Juan near the river. It is one of the newest fiestas. On this night the people go with friends and family to have a barbecue in the field, eat, drink and dance all night, around a huge bonfire. .

Celebrated in July, Nuestra Señora de Guía, patron saint of sailors. The week before the women used to go to pray in the chapel early in the morning. The day before the figure of Nuestra Señora de Guía is taken back to the parochial church. A parade takes place amid the noise of fog horns from the boats and firework displays. On the main day, if the tide permits, the boats are adorned, the virgin is placed in one of the boats and they sail round the harbour, while tourists follow in other boats. Also in the middle of July there is an international folklore festival, when you can see music and dancing from all over the world. And also ‘the jazz days’, when free concerts are performed in the plaza de María Cristina.

Decorated boats for the fiestas of the Guía.

Horse racing on the beach at East.

The first Saturday in August is the descent of the river Sella. A kayak and canoe race from Arriondas to Ribadesella. The fiesta of Santa Marina was celebrated just for the people that take their holidays on the beach. Now it is a fiesta for everyone and consists of a maritime parade, with the virgin and dancing in the square. Also in August in the concert of la Cuevona, classical music performed in the caves of Tito Bustillo.

In September, San Miguel in El Cobayu, a worker neighbourhood inaugurated in 1968. This festival lasts for several days. And the festivities include a free espicha, a parade of people dressed in traditional clothing of Asturias, an outside mass and games for children. .

The most genuine expression of the Ribadesella folklore is the dance of arch. It is a solemn dance. Its origins come from a dance performed by the fishermen in an expression of gratitude to the virgin for guiding them on the hunt for whales. This dance is primarily performed in October in honour of the Virgin del Rosario and in July in honour of the Virgin de Guía. Their uniforms consist of white shirts and trousers with a bandanna tied around the waist for the boys and white skirts for girls. In the old times only the men danced. It is danced to the accompaniment of drums. The dancers hold arches and make the shape of a tunnel and the shape of an apple. The aches are decorated with blue and white, the colours of Ribadesella. The Valdés family maintained this tradition as well as presiding over the folklore club in Ribadesella. The Celtic legacy is also evident in bagpipe music, which combines elements of Celtic and Iberian culture. Played by the Ribadesella band. The Asturian bagpipes are similar in appearance to Scottish bagpipes. They differ in the number of bourdon pipes as well as the range of fingering. Air from the leather bellows is squeezed into the two pipes, which produce the characteristic sound. Men and women in traditional Asturian costume can often be seen in the streets playing folk melodies.

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