La Magadalena Festival
Tue 21st Jul 2009
Bermeo, northern Spain
The tradition of the La Magadalena festival brings together a multitude of people year after year. It is a day of festivities that begins in the fishing village of Bermeo, which was founded in 1300 and whose main feature is the port from which the boats to the island of Izaro leave. This is a traditional sea excursion that sails to the island where the Basque flag is hoisted and a tile thrown into the water to confirm Bermean sovereignty of the island. After the celebration the boats sail towards Antxobe on the Vizcayan coast, and a wonderfully festive atmosphere prevails. Later, they sail off in the direction of Mundaka to finish the celebrations where they started off in Bermeo..