There are days when an entire town comes together to honor its history. Last Saturday, October 24th, Llanes demonstrated that the legacy of its seafaring people is more alive than ever.
The town wrote one of the most emotional pages in its history with the delivery of the Exemplary Town of Asturias 2026 to the Santa Ana Fishermen's Guild of Llanes, an institution deeply linked to the maritime identity of the council.
The award recognizes their work for the sustainability, the innovation, the solidarity, study and dissemination of fishing culture, in addition to the efficiency of its management model.
After eight consecutive years of applying for the award, the perseverance of this maritime institution finally paid off under a radiant sun that accompanied Llanes throughout the day.
Celebration Exemplary Town of Asturias 2026 It also transformed the town into one of the great stages of the Princess of Asturias Awards 2026.
From the early hours of the morning, anticipation took over the streets. Hundreds of residents got up early to secure the best spots from which to witness a day that promised to be historic..
The reason was certainly worthy. The presence of the Royal Family in Llanes made the locals hosts of a celebration in which they shared the spotlight with fishermen, associations, and representatives of the council's traditions.
Greeting the King and Queen, Princess Leonor or Infanta Sofía, or simply getting a souvenir photograph, became one of the main goals of the crowd.
The result was a veritable mass enthrallment.
A tour of the medieval village marked by folklore
The jitters were present from early morningA slight delay of approximately half an hour from the scheduled time further increased the anticipation before the Royal Family's visit to Llanes.
La arrival of the King Philip y Mrs. Letizia, accompanied by the Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía, finally unleashed collective enthusiasm.
Joining them on the tour were the President of the Principality of Asturias, Adrián Barbón; the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas; and the Mayor of Llanes, Enrique Riestra.
El itinerario It began in the Sablón beach, from where the delegation proceeded to the rhythm of the Llacín bagpipe band towards the heart of the village.
The first major stop took place at the Christ the King Square, Together with the Basilica of Santa María del Conceyu.
There, the Llanes Folk Group performed The Rat, one of the most representative dances of the Llanes tradition
But that scenario also produced one of the most symbolic images of the day.
By first time in more than 70 years, members of the three major folk groups of Llanes They wore their traditional costumes during the same day and shared a common space.
The flowers that identify each of them —Carnations for Mary Magdalene, tuberoses for Saint Roch, and everlastings for Our Lady of the Guide— they blended into an unusual image.
The historic rivalry was put aside for a few hours.
Presidents Rafael Romero, Javier Abello and David Prada went together to greet the Royal Family, making this meeting one of the most significant moments of the celebration of the Exemplary Town of Asturias 2026.
Santa Ana, maritime tradition and emotion
The procession then continued to the chapel of Santa Ana, patron saint of the sailors of Llanes.
Next to the temple was installed the commemorative plaque of recognition, crowned by the silhouette of a fishing boat.
Within the chapel, the parish priest Florentino Hoyos and several women dressed in traditional sailor outfits They welcomed the visitors with a song dedicated to Saint Anne accompanied by the sound of tambourines.
Upon leaving came another moment of great symbolic significance: The Danza Prima de Santa Ana filled the plaza with music, tradition, and emotion..
La Santa Ana Fishermen's Guild of Llanes It thus became the center of a celebration that united the seafaring past with the present of the town.
The day also served to show that the The Exemplary Town of Asturias 2026 recognizes much more than an institution: represents a way of life built over generations around the Cantabrian coast.
Artisan and fishing roots
The tour also allowed the Royal Family to be shown other fundamental elements of the cultural identity of Llanes.
In the Pepín El Sardineru streets y Angel of the Moriaseveral local artisans They explained the history and the meticulous process of making the traditional costumes. of the villa.
These garments, configured during the nineteenth centuryThey constitute today one of the most recognizable expressions of Llanes folklore.
La visit of the Royal Family to Llanes He then continued towards the Fort of Moria.
With the Cantabrian Sea as a backdrop, the workers of Ballota Anchovies, the only active cannery in the council, they made a Demonstration of the artisanal process of preparing Cantabrian anchovies in olive oil.
The route thus connected tradition, crafts and local economy before reaching one of the central points of the entire day: the port.
The seafaring heart of Llanes
Once at the port, the monarchs greeted representatives of different Fishermen's Guilds of Asturias, retired sailors and widows of deceased fishermen.
It was a direct homage to entire generations linked to fishing and the Cantabrian Sea.
Then The entourage entered the fish market to witness a demonstration of the traditional auction. a reverse auction or down auction, a system historically used in the town since centuries.
It was one of the moments that best explained why the Santa Ana Fishermen's Guild of Llanes was Distinguished as an Exemplary Town of Asturias 2026.
La The visit continued on board fishing boat of the Master Skipper, New Sandra Maria, named in honor of his two daughters.
There, members of the Brotherhood explained to the Royal Family the selective fishing techniques used by the local fleet.
La meteorology; however, he decided to set his own rules. The Rough seas prevented the planned voyage and even with the boat moored to port, the The strong waves made it difficult to maintain balance on the deck.
The presentation of the Exemplary Village of Asturias 2026
El A grand institutional event took place on the esplanade of the dock.
There, the following occurred interventions of the mayor of Llanes, President of the jury of the Princess of Asturias Foundation, the coordinator of cultural activities of the Brotherhood and Princess Leonor.
During her speech, the heir to the throne emphasized the artisanal and environmentally friendly fishingin addition to the effort and sacrifice that this way of life demands.
He also managed to elicit smiles from the audience by referring to the well-known rivalry between the three folk groups of Llanes.
The official presentation of the awards and the interpretation of the Anthem of Asturias accompanied by the sound of bagpipes They provided one of the great highlights of the day.
The Exemplary Town of Asturias 2026 was officially linked to the name of the Santa Ana Fishermen's Guild of Llanes.
A lunch with a taste of the sea
La celebration concluded at the municipal sports center with a lunch with a distinctly nautical character.
The menu featured a monkfish stew —rape— prepared by the students of the Hospitality School of the IES of Llanes.
This gastronomic event was held final point to the last act of the Royal Household within the Princess of Asturias Awards 2026.
After an intense morning, Llanes was gradually returning to its usual pace.
But there were still many images to remember.
Interesting facts from a historic day
The presence of the Royal Family in Llanes also left several anecdotes that quickly began to circulate among residents and visitors.
A hotly contested auction
During the simulation of the traditional auction at the fish market, members of the Royal Family participated by trying to stop the scoreboard at the right moment.
El King Philip VI ended up winning a sea bass weighing 1,4 kilos for 32,30 euros per kilo.
Bidding was also held for a scorpionfish, a swallow, and a box of lilies.
The minor stumble on board
The wet deck of the Nuevo Sandra María, combined with the strong rocking caused by the sea, played a A minor mishap for Queen LetiziaThe Queen suffered a slip on boardHowever, he immediately rejoined the group and continued the visit without problems.
The scene remained as one of the spontaneous anecdotes of the visit of the Royal Family to Llanes.
Leonor, “Honorary Sailor”
La Santa Ana Fishermen's Guild of Llanes He honored Princess Leonor with one of the most unique titles of the day: “Marinera de Honor”.
He also received an honorary gold medal.
The recognition added another symbolic component to the Exemplary Town of Asturias 2026 ceremony and reinforced the link between the Princess of Asturias and the town's maritime tradition.
Two princesses named Leonor
During your speech, The Princess also recalled a curious historical coincidence.
En September de 1517another princess named Leonor —Eleanor of Austria, sister of Emperor Charles V— He also landed in Llanes.
More than five centuries laterAnother Leonor once again took center stage in the history of the town.
Between pride and the challenge of the future
Once the celebration was over and the port was gradually returning to its normal activity, Ángel Batalla, the head of the Brotherhood, became one of the main spokespeople for the general sentiment of the people of Llanes.
Throughout the day he had acted as a guide, explaining to the Royal Family the details of inshore fishing based on selective methods and in defense of the sustainability of marine resources.
The overall assessment of the celebration was profoundly positive.
But behind the pride also emerged a concern that looks directly towards the future.
An institution with centuries of history is currently facing one of its greatest challenges: the lack of generational renewal in the fishing sector.
Fewer and fewer young people are looking to the sea as a career path.a reality that It doesn't only affect Llanes, but also to many other small Spanish fishing communities.
While the 2026 Princess of Asturias Awards placed the international spotlight on Llanes for a few hours, the protagonists themselves recalled that keeping the tradition alive also requires guaranteeing its future.
A wave of pride that Llanes will not forget
When the streets regained their calm and the port returned to its usual activity, there remained the feeling of having lived through one of those days that stay in the collective memory for years.
El Exemplary Town of Asturias 2026 It allowed the rest of Asturias and the world to see the history of the Santa Ana Fishermen's Guild of Llanes, but also the identity of an entire council built between the sea, traditions and the effort of its residents.
The presence of the Royal Family in Llanes, the meeting of the three sides, the bagpipes, the marinera dances, the auction at the fish market and the sound of the Cantabrian Sea were all part of a a day that will be hard to repeat.
But behind all those images remained an even more important message.
Recognition does not look only to the past, It rewards a community that has preserved its roots while trying to find ways to keep them alive for future generations.
And perhaps therein lies the true meaning of the Exemplary Town of Asturias 2026: to demonstrate that Llanes continues to look to the sea with pride, aware of its history, but also of the challenges it will have to face to keep that legacy alive.
