Long before you see it, you can smell it. L’Aplec del Caragol, the most significant gastronomic celebration in Catalonia and an annual highlight for the people of Lleida, a city located 130 km west of Barcelona in northwest Spain, is where columns of smoke rise from the barbecues. As you approach, you can hear music emanating from the 119 penyas, which are party tents with bars, wood-fired grills, and dinner tables inside. These are where families and friends gather together into groups known as colles, or crews, eat snails, and dance till the wee hours of the morning.
It makes sense that over 200,000 people attend and 15,000 people participate in the three-day event every spring (24–26 May 2024; 23–25 May 2025). People are eager to sample the local speciality and learn more about the largest snail-eating event in the world. According to Antonieta Solé, a local who met her husband at Aplec 34 years ago, “the best part is to eat, drink, and dance.”
The penyas all eat lunch together at 14:30 and dinner together at 22:00 on the same timetable. Chief of the penya Lavativa for 14 years, Arantxa Contreras Blazquez, notes that some larger penyas employ professional chefs, while others distribute work among their members. Even though the cuisine is vital, the finest aspect is to it.
