Castropol, Asturias Oyster Festival & Casa Vicente

Maribel · May 7, 2026, 6:42pm

Castropol Asturias May oyster festival & Casa Vicente

For the 12th consecutive year, the town of Castropol, Asturias, at the Galician border, on the Río Eo estuary, celebrates a 4-day Festival de la Ostra “Somos la Ostra”, its oyster festival, and we attended for the first time.

The festival includes daily oyster tastings courtesy of Ostras AcuEO, paired with local wines, “show cooking” or cooking demonstrations by local chefs, bagpipes (in Celtic Asturias of course!), evening musical entertainment in the large Gastrobar tent, a course on how to tie nautical knots, vermouth sessions, history lectures, trainera races (the 14-person rowing boats, 13 rowers and coxswain), and other competitions (“best oyster sucker”), etc. This year, 25,000 oyster were consumed.

Outside of the festival, one can dine on these fine oysters at 86-year old Casa Vicente (now in the 3rd generation), in an attractive yellow house at the entrance to the village (with ample parking), perched at the river’s edge in this town within the Os Oscos Biosphere.

Its menu features a mixture of classic Asturian and Galician dishes. Along with the region’s acclaimed oysters, diners will find lobster or spider crab salad, percebes (goose barnacles) when available, shellfish bisque, hake and spider crab paté, a panoply of fin fish (some which I didn’t know—solla & breca) and shellfish, accompanied by the most delicious Galician potatoes and garden vegetables, homemade desserts.

Meat lovers can choose a very tender filet, entrecote or cachopo (large breaded veal tenderloin filled with ham and cheese) and begin with Cabrales cheese, shellfish, spinach/langoustine or ham croquettes. The very professional wait service is “old school” classic in a very attentive and welcoming way with great attention to detail. Casa Vicente is considered one of the best restaurants in Western Asturias.

And for beautiful beach lovers, the stunning Cathedral Beach, Playa de las Catedrales (Praia das Catedrais), is only a 12-kilometer drive away. Since we ventured there in early May, reservations weren’t required, but one must go early, before or around 10 am to find space in the ample parking areas. And in this area, ancient Celtic castros (settlements) abound.

Repsol Guide and Tapas Magazine recommended. Closed all day Mon/Tues and Sun/Wed dinner.

If one wishes to attend the festival, across the border in Ribadeo, Galicia, there is a Parador, where we’ve stayed previously, but this year we decided to lodge at Casa Peleyón, a 2-star Casona Asturiana, across the inlet in Figueras, which punches way, way above its weight in terms of hospitality, charm, with beautifully maintained grounds, immaculate décor and an incredibly gracious hostess, Angeles who prepares memorable, very ample breakfasts (but who only speaks Spanish). It sits on the Camino del Norte, pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela.