Cedeira
Cedeira is a municipality in the province of A Coruña in the autonomous community of Galicia in northwestern Spain. It is situated in the northern coast of the Rías Altas. Cedeira has a population of 6,626 inhabitants.
All scholars agree that the place name Cedeira derives from a pre-existing Latin word cetaria, which alludes to marine fish. As no coinciding words seem to exist in the traditional lexical heritage of Galicia nor does it seem to have ever existed as a common name in the Gallaecian language, the toponym is most likely from the Roman period. However, the hypothesis that the name and the town of Cedeira have Roman origins cannot be confirmed categorically, owing to lack of historical documentation. The question is, does 'Cedeira' derive from a classical Latin noun or a later vulgar homonym of the late Empire. The first possibility is that it derives from the substantive neuter plural of classical Latin, which, like the feminine cetariae, meant 'ponds or nurseries where large fish are raised'. The more credible alternative is that it comes from a late Latin feminine adjective cetaria, formed from cetus – whale or large fish – + arius, which combined would mean "petaining to whales or large fish", because of the abundance of Galician names that contain the suffix -eiro or -eira come normally from adjectives.
Travelers from Cedeira travel to South Africa, Terranova in Canada or the Irish Box to fish. Most of the fish, mainly tuna, is canned and stored in warehouses locally for later distribution to different parts of Spain and Europe. Farming, horse breeding and timber production, together with services are the main economic activities. Since the late 1980s Cedeira has developed into a coastal resort. Wind-mill parks are common in Ferrolterra, particularly in the boroughs of Cariño, Cedeira and A Capela.
Nearby is the site of Santo André (or San Andres), a pre-Christian pilgrimage site, with a holy well. Parts of the chapel at San Andres dates from the 12th century, although most of the structure was designed by Miguel Lopez de la Peña and built in 1789. The earliest reference to Christian pilgrimage there comes from a 1391 manuscript, in which a woman from nearby Viveiro says: The cliffs of San Andres are described as the highest in Europe.
Cedeira hosts a small Medieval Fair in one of its main squares each year.
Gastronomy
Para peixe fresco Vigo, para chocos, Redondela, para camaróns Moaña, para marisco Cedeira. [For fresh fish Vigo, for cuttlefish, Redondela, for shrimp Moaña, for seafood Cedeira] Since 2003, Cedeira holds the Festa do Percebe in July or early August, to celebrate the local maritime gastronomy. Festival participants can learn to cook percebes traditionally. agua ferver, percebe votar, agua ferver, percebe sacar. [boil water, throw in the percebes, reboil the water, take out the percebes.] Since 2025, the Campeonato Mundial del Percebe (Goose Barnacle World Championship) has been held here. This is an international gastronomic event established to celebrate the profession of the percebeiros (barnacle harvesters) and showcase the relevant culinary excellence.
