El Ganso has a rich Jacobean tradition, having had a female monastery of the Order of Cluny and a hospital of Saint Catherine, both from the 12th century and now gone. The name of El Ganso already appeared in documents from the 14th century, and the town was under the lordship of the Marquises of Astorga in Turienzo de los Caballeros.
Its traditional architecture includes the so-called “tinted houses”, with thatched roofs, which are a clear indication of the Celtic substratum that inhabited this region. These characteristics make El Ganso a place with a deep historical and cultural connection with the region and the Camino de Santiago.
The population of El Ganso was 23 inhabitants in 2017, reflecting a significant decrease since the beginning of the 20th century when it had more than 200 residents.
Regarding its festivities, El Ganso celebrates two main events: the Festival of Santiago on July 25 and the Festival of Our Lady of the Assumption on August 15. During the Festival of Santiago, it is a tradition for the young people of the town to decorate the porch of the Church and the town's Christ with ivy, and at the mass that day, castanets and drum music plays.