The historic quarter returns to the 19th century for one weekend each year: it is the Reconquest Festival, the most emblematic celebration in Vigo. On March 28, 1809, a popular uprising managed to expel the French and made Vigo the first town in Europe to expel Napoleon’s army from a conquered stronghold. It was rewarded: a year later, Ferdinand VII granted Vigo the title of “faithful, loyal, and valiant” city. Now, every year, Vigo celebrates its Reconquest: its historic area becomes an immense 19th-century open-air market, where you can find French and Vigo residents fighting on every corner. People dressed as soldiers, fishermen, and peasants, the streets adorned in period style… It’s like a journey to the past. Local merchants will sell you delicious delicacies, from crabs and mussels to empanadas or churrasco, accompanied by local wines and traditional liqueurs. This great Vigo festival continues well into the night, with an unbeatable street atmosphere. And if after the Reconquest you still feel like partying in Vigo, the following weekend Bouzas celebrates the Brincadeira, which commemorates the expulsion of the French from the old fishing village.