The Vaqueiros de Alzada or simply Vaqueiros are an ethnic or social group that lives in some councils in western Asturias, comprising a region extending from the coastline to the border with the province of León.

One of their defining characteristics is the nomadic lifestyle. At certain times, the Vaqueiros "raise" their homes and belongings and leave with their cattle to summer high brañas or low brañas in winter.

Although basically livestock is their way of life, they are also involved in agriculture or mule. This nomadic lifestyle leads to a series of events such as the absence in the population censuses, unpaid taxes, not attending religious services, release of militias, etc. Making it difficult to control by the civil and ecclesiastical authorities, and promotes continuous friction with sedentary villagers.

If we add to this their geographical isolation, the consequence is a distinct social group that practices a group inbreeding, almost by obligation, which causes increasingly more narrow link between its members while they are marginalized as a social group. In this group you always see the same names: Feito, Jaquete, Gancedo, Bueno, Parrondo, Mayo, Berdasco, Riesgo, Gavilán, etc.

This leads to a series of social behavior patterns and cultural characteristics to be perpetuated since the fifteenth century until almost 30 or 40 years in that society in general and, in particular, rural society starts to turn. The Vaqueiros drop transhumance for agriculture and sedentary, slowly losing its identity as a group. Today the communications and technical advances are gradually imposing a uniformity that facilitates the removal of any ethnic group.

However, a party that is held every July last Sunday, is "La Vaqueirada" on Aristébano's braña, between Tineo and Valdés councils. See more on our Events section (Section What to do).