We are going to help you decide what to eat in Castro Urdiales, this coastal village of the Cantabrian community that is neighbours with Vizcaya. The most famous thing from this cuisine are the fish and fresh seasonal seafood: hake, cod, conger eel, sardines, bonito, lobster, spider crab, chicharros… As a starter, the anchovies, grilled razor shell and limpets a la marinera.
It is common to eat the marmita de bonito or the marmitako during the Summer days (since the end of the XIX century many Basques had their second house in Castro), a stew made of bonito, pepper, onion and potatoes. This dish is so traditional that every August 15th, the Fiesta de la Marmita is celebrated in Castro. During this day, around 300 teams occupy the land from the Ayuntamiento to the Rompeolas and prepare their marmitas, which compete against each other. Those who don’t belong to any team can also enjoy the marmitas in any restaurant of Castro Urdiales.
Another typical dish, apart from the different marmita varieties – octopus, lobster…- are the chipirones (squid) and the jibiones (cuttlefish) in its ink with white rice, and meatballs from palometa y paparda. Don’t miss the chance to get a can of bonito or anchovies, as the small canned food industry is still present in this village. If you come during the Summer, the first Friday of July the traditional El Coso Blanco celebrations take place – and they are considered a National Touristic Interest. In San Andrés, in November 30th, the tradition of cooking snails and cod still happens nowadays.