What is Fromago?
Fromago is Zamora's International Cheese Fair and a massive playground for cheese lovers like us. Held every two years right in the historic centre, it brings together cheese makers from all over the world to sell straight to the public. It started in 2022, and the 2026 event was its third edition. The organisation is led by EILZA, the Zamora dairy industries school, supported by the local provincial council.
The 2026 fair took over 40,000 square metres of the city between 17 and 20 September. Plaza de la Marina and Plaza de la Catedral were the main hubs. With around 300 producers and more than 1,200 cheeses available, trying everything is practically impossible. We gave it our best shot and tasted about 60 different varieties.
We went to both the 2024 and 2026 editions, so everything we share here comes from our own experience. Walking into the fair is completely free, and you can stroll through the streets and squares tasting samples straight from the stalls.
The schedule in 2026 packed in over 200 activities. This includes the Premios Cincho awards to crown the best cheeses, alongside competitions for the best cheesecake and cheeseboard. Industry professionals get technical talks and masterclasses, while the general public can enjoy guided tastings, live cooking shows, music and kids' activities. Just keep in mind that a few attractions require advance booking and a separate ticket.
When will the next Fromago take place?
The fourth edition will take place from September 14 to 17, 2028, in Zamora.
Countdown
The Cheese Galleries
The Cheese Galleries are the official tasting areas. In 2026 there were four of them spread across the city centre. Each space had its own theme, covering national, international, European cheeses with PDO and PGI status, and the Cincho award winners.
Getting into each gallery costs €7, paid on the door with no booking needed. That ticket only covers one space, meaning you have to buy a new one to visit the others. The price gets you five cheeses of your choice from the available options, served on a small plate with grapes and breadsticks. This year they even offered gluten-free breadsticks.
To be completely honest, we found the price a bit high for the portion sizes. However, the experience and variety are so good that it felt worth every euro. We ended up visiting all of them. Cheese is quite expensive in Spain right now, and these galleries give you the chance to try very special varieties you would struggle to find normally. You discover plenty of experimental cheese makers producing really interesting and delicious things.
A master cheesemaker curates the selection, and we were lucky enough to catch him at one of the galleries. He explained everything in great detail, walking us through coagulation, cutting and maturation techniques. It felt like a proper masterclass.
We did miss seeing more cheeses from outside Europe. We tasted one from the United States at a gallery, but that was about it. It would be brilliant to try Brazilian, Peruvian or Asian cheeses too.
Demand is massive. The organisers reported selling 10,150 gallery tickets in 2026, up from 8,000 in 2024. The fair was absolutely packed on the days we went. If you visit, do not be afraid to start eating cheese early in the morning. Anyone who waits until later in the day will face huge queues.
What else is at the fair besides cheese?
You can easily spend the whole day eating and drinking other things too. The gourmet food stalls sell cured meats, chocolate, seasoned olives, cheesecake and much more. We took some fuet and chocolate home, and every single thing we tasted was delicious.
For a more substantial meal, you can head to the two main food areas located at Plaza del Lechacito in Plaza de San Martín, and the Castle Gardens. We ate octopus, boiled pork shoulder and barbecue meats at Plaza del Lechacito, and we really enjoyed all of it. The queues get huge during normal lunch and dinner times, though. Because the dishes are prepared in advance and stacked to keep the service fast, your food might arrive a bit cold if you are unlucky. It is definitely worth having your meals a bit earlier.
Some stalls scattered around the fair also serve hot food outside these main areas, so keep an eye out. We found one making rice dishes and tried the Zamoran rice. This is similar to paella but made with various cuts of meat.
You will find plenty of stalls selling wine and other drinks. From what we saw, each stall sells its own beverages rather than being tied to a single main sponsor. This means you can try different options until you find something you really like. We tasted some very good wines, a few quite poor ones, and even different things like mead.
How to get to Fromago and where to stay in Zamora
Zamora is a small city and welcomed over 400,000 visitors during the 2026 event. Early planning is essential since each edition grows and attracts more people than the last.
By train or coach
- Train: the station is about a 20-minute walk from the main fair area. Trains run from various points across Spain, including Madrid, Galicia, Alicante and Valladolid.
- Coach: the station is located almost right opposite the train station. Companies like Alsa, Avanza and Monbus operate services from Madrid, Salamanca, Barcelona and other Spanish cities. Alsa also runs routes from Porto and Bragança in Portugal.
Compare train and bus schedules and prices to Zamora using the search tool from Omio, our partner.
Car parks
The city centre becomes fully pedestrianised during the fair with traffic restrictions, so you cannot drive right up to the stalls.
- Official car parks: the organisers usually set up parking areas outside the centre. It is a good idea to check the official website closer to the event. There were so many cars in 2026 that they had to open extra space on the Saturday, so arriving early is highly recommended.
- Where we park: we leave our car near the train station area, which is a white zone, meaning street parking is free without meters. From there we walk to the fair in about 20 minutes.
Where to stay
Zamora is compact and you can walk to the fair from almost any hotel. The specific neighbourhood you choose makes very little difference. The critical factor is exactly when you book. The city gets full quickly and hotel occupancy reached 100% during the 2026 edition. Leaving it until the last minute almost guarantees you will find no vacancies or end up paying significantly more.
We tend to book as soon as Booking release the dates. On both of our visits, we secured our accommodation almost a year in advance. You can also look for places in neighbouring cities like Valladolid, Tordesillas, Simancas and Salamanca.
Is the Fromago fair worth a visit?
We absolutely love cheese and our answer is a massive yes. We would even go as far as saying it is our favourite street festival. We always have a brilliant time, and tasting over 60 cheeses in a single weekend is brilliant fun. We also brought home several pieces from small dairies that are very hard to find in traditional supermarkets.
What about the guided tasting?
That is another big yes. We highly recommend doing one. We attended a European cheese tasting featuring 14 different types for €10 per person, and we learned so much about the techniques and what to expect from each style. This took place at Plaza de la Catedral. Upon arrival everyone received a small box containing all the cheeses, and the expert guided the session by sharing the history behind each one. It was a wonderful experience.
Make sure to book well in advance if you want to join a guided tasting. The spots for these sessions in 2026 sold out before the fair even started.
One final piece of advice is to join the official Fromago WhatsApp group before your trip. This helps ensure you do not miss the registration dates for tastings and other activities. Pay attention to the announcements over the loudspeakers during the fair, too. The organisers announce various pop-up events and you might miss something if you are not listening.
If you love cheese as much as we do, put the dates in your diary and go. Yes, yes, yes.
More cheese events in Spain
We've compiled a list of other cheese festivals and events in Spain.
