APLEC DEL CARAGOL

Every year in Lleida we celebrate an amazing event where the snail is the central character . We celebrate it on a May weekend in the Camps Elisis.

It’s a very popular date and a lot of people over the world come to live this experience. They can see our beautiful city and they can taste our delicious meal, the snails.

It has its origin in 1980 when José Luis González, Antonio Costa Sumell and Manolo Calpe decided to create this traditional party as a symbol for the city.

In 2002 La Generalitat de Catalunya declared this event as a Festa Tradicional d'Interès Nacional.

Nowadays, 13000 people come to l’Aplec to eat and we call them “penyistes”. Those who come to eat are gathered in different “penyes” (this year, 102), but many other people come to gather with friends or to have a drink. After the event, they have wasted 12 tons of snails, 70.000 liters of beer and 2 million and a half euros.

It’s a fantastic event but you should come to see it for yourselves.

Sergi Cazcarro and Gemma Jaimejuan