O Barco de Valdeorras celebrates the Fiesta del Botelo at the end of January. It is a festive and gastronomic event organised by the Town Hall to exalt the most unique sausage of the town. Since the first edition, in 2001, this gastronomic meeting is preceded by an event in which the opening speech of the festival is given by a renowned person who talks about the experiences of the town crier in the Barco and about the benefits of the product. The event also serves to pay tribute to someone from the town who has distinguished himself for his dedication to local gastronomy.

Over the years the festival grew, and so did the number of diners who come to the Fiesta del Botelo, which made it necessary to change the venue of the official meal on several occasions. In recent years, the Calabagueiros Pavilion has welcomed approximately 1,300 people each year to sample a menu in which botelo is accompanied by chorizos, cachelos, cabbage and, as a dessert, torta de chicharrones or bica gallega. Also held within the framework of this festival are the Botelo and Cocido Valdeorrés Gastronomic Days in the surrounding restaurants, where anyone who wishes can reserve a table to sample botelo in participating establishments over several weekends in January and February.

An old saying from the town says: “From the sea, the grouper, and from the Boat, the botelo” and under this motto this unique product is sampled, which has been protected under the Protected Geographical Indication “Botelo de Galicia” since 2009. The Botelo Festival was declared a Festival of Tourist Interest in Galicia in 2014.