More than 3,000 kilos of fresh Galician mussels are set to be distributed to local bars and restaurants as Cabo de Cruz, a coastal community in the municipality of Boiro, prepares for the XVIII Exaltación do Mexillón from August 14 to 16, 2026. The eighteenth edition links gastronomy and music to the maritime traditions of a community closely connected to shellfish production on the Ría de Arousa.
Participating establishments are expected to serve complimentary mussel tapas, each offering its own take on the region’s signature shellfish. The basic festivities will unfold around the port, with live cooking demonstrations and concerts, alongside children’s activities and regattas. The municipal distribution extends the celebration beyond the waterfront, involving bars and restaurants across Boiro and linking the mussel trade with local hospitality and tourism.
Festival Highlights
The initiative aims to promote the local mussel industry and the jobs it supports, from cultivation and processing through to sales and hospitality. The event returned after a hiatus and reaches its eighteenth edition in 2026, presenting seafood culture as part of Cabo de Cruz’s maritime identity. The Ría de Arousa is associated with shellfish cultivation and depuration, making the festival’s setting basic to its focus on the product and the people who work with it.
Complimentary tapas at participating establishments are distinct from tastings at the port, some of which may carry a charge. The festival celebrates Galician mussels, while the Protected Designation of Origin, Mexillón de Galicia, applies to mussels that meet the designation’s production and certification requirements. Its Regulatory Council oversees the designation.
Three Days of Events
The program runs from Friday, August 14, through Sunday, August 16. Friday’s festivities begin at 20:00 with a speech by Gerardo Triñanes, followed by a circus performance, a tasting of three mussel varieties, and a concert by Luis Fercán and his band. Saturday features a morning talk by CIIMAR researcher Sergio Fernández Boo, live cooking with chef Alberto Lareo, and a midday session with tapas and children’s inflatables. The XII Bandeira Marina Cabo de Cruz regatta follows at 17:00. The evening program includes live cooking with Iago Pazos, a marmitako and steamed mussel tasting, plus a concert by Versionettes.
Sunday’s program features a women’s regatta at 11:30, followed by the Liga Galega de Traiñeiras men’s race at noon. It also includes the official festival opening and a four-course mussel menu. The morning concludes with a performance by O Ar de Loureda. August 15, 2026, falls on a Saturday, and the three-day schedule brings activities to the port and surrounding community throughout the weekend.
Gastronomy and Maritime Heritage
Live cooking demonstrations are a central feature, with chefs Alberto Lareo and Iago Pazos preparing dishes that bring traditional and contemporary approaches to mussels together. The program also includes a talk on the challenges and opportunities of mussel farming, reflecting the product’s economic and cultural importance to Cabo de Cruz and the wider Ría de Arousa. The port and historic quay sit amid the surrounding mussel rafts, setting the scene for a celebration that connects food with maritime work and heritage.
Visiting Cabo de Cruz
Cabo de Cruz is in the province of A Coruña, with the basic events taking place in the port area. Parking is available for visitors. A 3.1-kilometer coastal walk connects Cabo de Cruz to Punta do Chazo, offering views across the ría along a route of paved paths and wooden walkways, with stone trails also included. The festival’s mix of food and music, alongside maritime sport, reflects the enduring connection between Galicia’s coastal communities and the sea.
