A Arnoia · Gastronomic calendar
Festa do Pemento da Arnoia
First weekend of August · A Arnoia (A Queixeira oak grove)
The Festa do Pemento de A Arnoia is far more than a food event: it is the celebration of a fruit, a land and a way of life. Every summer this Ourense village honours the A Arnoia pepper —green, slender, mild and thin-skinned, grown in the fertile flats beside the Miño and Arnoia rivers. In 2026 it reaches its 47th edition, one of the oldest and best-loved food festivals in Ourense, declared of Tourist Interest of Galicia. Best of all: it takes place just minutes from Bicotorto, so you can enjoy it fully and come home to sleep.
For three days the stoves never stop: more than 3,000 kg of peppers fried on the spot for thousands of visitors. Street cooking, local produce and timeless flavour.
And to wash it all down, nothing beats a good Ribeiro wine.
Green, elongated and thin-skinned, the A Arnoia pepper is one of the great treasures of the Galician garden and holds a Protected Geographical Indication. Its area covers 23 km² —the municipality of A Arnoia and the parish of Meréns (Cortegada)— in the O Ribeiro region, on the lower valleys shaped by the Miño and Arnoia rivers. That soil and climate give it its unique flavour.
Beyond the kitchens, the festival fills with open-air dances, Galician folk music, tambourine players, a classic-car meet and a children’s programme. A warm, family-friendly atmosphere in which the whole village takes to the streets to share table, music and memory.
Stay in our houses, a stone’s throw from the fairground, and enjoy the pepper festival with no rush and no driving. Check the full programme on the festival’s official site and book your stay.