The 4th edition of Isla Gastronomic Island continues an innovative proposal in which local produce, hospitality and cultural heritage come together.
The historic centre of Isla, in the municipality of Arnuero, once again became Cantabria’s great gastronomic and cultural hub with the celebration of the Isla 2026 Fairs. The main events kicked off on Saturday 12 September with the 14th Pepper Fair, dedicated to the star product of the local market garden, and continued on Sunday 13 September with the 4th Wine Fair, an appointment that consolidates the area’s growing wine-making industry. The big novelty of this edition will be the 1st Wine Congress, which will be held on 17 September alongside the “Gastronomic Days” from 11 to 20 September with special menus in the restaurants: Olimpo, Astuy, Campomar, Estrella del Norte and La Chata (menu and booking information at www.feriasdeisla.es)
Arnuero is once again turning to the primary sector as a lever to extend tourist activity into the final stretch of summer. At the threshold of autumn, the Trasmiera municipality launches a new edition of the Isla Fairs—this year’s event attracted 10,000 visitors—and it has already gone beyond the traditional village market to take shape as an all-in-one programme that brings together nearby produce, local hospitality, and cultural outreach in the setting of the Ecopark of Trasmiera.
This open-air event’s main hub was concentrated this weekend in the car park of Isla’s historic centre. On Saturday, the fourteenth edition of the Market Garden and Pepper Fair opened. The flagship crop that gave rise to this initiative thirteen years ago. The following day, on Sunday, the Wine Fair Costa de Cantabria took over, focused on the wine production protected under the Protected Geographical Indication and on the region’s artisan cheeses. The aim is to make it easier to buy directly from the producer, without intermediaries, and to attract visitors who are interested in the origins of the food.
From 17, 18 and 20 September, the town will host a new edition of “Isla Gastronomic Island”, with the prelude to the 1st Wine Congress of Cantabria. An innovative way to pair local produce with entrepreneurs and hospitality.
Isla Gastronomic Island will bring together gastronomic experiences, tastings, food tastings, and activities linked to local produce, hospitality, and the heritage of the Ecopark of Trasmiera. Tickets, with limited capacity, will be made available to the public shortly. The programme will start on Thursday 17 September with the following schedule:
Thursday 17 Sept.
18:00. Opening of Isla Gastronomy and the proposal ‘The market garden–hospitality marriage’. The event will feature Juan Luis Centeno, director of the ODECA, and Emérito Astuy, who will explain his commitment to cultivating an Isla pepper.
19:00 ‘Vineyards looking out to the sea’, a tasting of Bodegas y Viñedos de Isla presented by winemaker Jesús Sierra and led by Rubén Pérez, president of the Cantabrian Academy of Waiter Sommeliers.
20:00. ‘Blind Ocean’, a sensory experience that will combine storytelling, music, poetry, and a blind tasting of bites from the sea and the market garden. The Ecopark team, together with the chef Juan Manuel España, head waiter and lecturer at the Cantabria Hospitality Association,
Friday 18 September
18:00. ‘A sweet story to eat’, with Breixo Balboa and the team at JM Cakesss. Their business track record and their unique take on cheesecake
19:00. ‘Isla’s marine market garden’, a proposal by Ramón Ortiz, from Restaurante Olimpo and Conservas Mingo, which will focus on the distinctive combination of market garden, shellfish, and Cantabrian products.
20:00. ‘The dreamed-of vermouth’, an experience led by Destilería Siderit and directed by David Martínez, which will allow you to discover the history of this Cantabrian company founded in 2013 and turned into a benchmark for producing premium drinks.
Saturday 19 September
18:00. ‘The sweetest Cantabria’ will offer a journey through traditional patisserie, with Alfonso Fraile and Los Pasiegos de Diego.
19:00. ‘Isla’s stew pot’ will bring together chef Cristóbal Sierra from La Chata and Gabriel, from Bodegas Villa Carmina, in a presentation dedicated to one of the most representative dishes of Cantabrian cuisine. The recipe, made with Isla pepper, will be accompanied by the wines of Villa Carmina
20:00. ‘At the Mill, bread and wine’, a theatrical tour of the Molino de Santa Olaja by the Ecopark team, which will include a wine tasting from Bodegas de Isla and local produce, such as maize cake, cheese, and cured meats, and will end with a night-time view of the Marismas de Joyel.
All activities have limited capacity and require a ticket reservation at: https://reservas.ecoparquedetrasmiera.com/ret-ferias-de-isla
