Turismo de Galicia

The abundance of sea urchins in Cervo's waters has made it capital of the sea urchins in Galicia, even more so since the establishment in 1992, in the parish of San Cibrao, of a gastronomic festival to raise awareness of this product and promote the cultural, scenic and gastronomic wealth of the area.

For the festival dedicated to this popular echinoderm, which forms the basis of various recipes, it is necessary to collect the sea urchins a few days beforehand; to eat them fresh or cooked, only specimens collected three days before at most are suitable. Bars and restaurants in the town prepare them in different ways: they are put in croquettes, empanadas, omelettes, plain, stewed, in a pie... so that the public can taste each dish from the afternoon onwards, in a festive atmosphere enlivened by a group of bagpipers who go round the establishments where sea urchins are served.

Since 2001, technical conferences on sea urchins have been held with the aim of increasing understanding of this product. Since 2002, a gastronomic competition has been held in which hoteliers who collaborate in the event take part. The festival, declared of Galician Tourist Interest in 2008, is held annually between the end of February and the beginning of March, since the ideal season to eat sea urchins is between January and March.

Highlight: Tasting the various dishes in the bars and restaurants of the town.