We could call it the most traditional event of Ponte de Lima, since the origins of this unique celebration are lost in the mists of time. It happens on the eve of the celebrations of Corpus Christi, in the late afternoon, thousands of people impatiently wait in front of the gates of the Casa da Nossa Senhora de Aurora for the Vaca das Cordas(«cow of the ropes», actually a wild bull) to come out into the streets and continue the tradition. To the delight of all, guided by ropes it runs to the Parish Church, where tradition has it circle three times and then it is led towards the Largo de Camões, where many less cautious spectators are liable to end up in the water of the Fountain. Until the sun goes down, on the sand bank by the river, the running, tumbles and falls continue frenetically, in a spectacle of excitement unique to the Vaca das Cordas. It happens at the end of May or in June.
Location: Ponte de Lima
