Attractions

Culture and Tradition

Events and Festivals

Towns and Cities

The best time of year to go to Spain is during spring. Not only is the weather more forgiving but the fabulous Easter celebrations take place at that time.

Holy Week (Semana Santa) is the highlight of Catholic festivals wherever you are in the world but the celebrations in Seville and Malaga are particularly special. In Malaga Holy Week has been going for over 500 years and the Baroque processions involve carrying statues of Jesus and processional thrones down the street, swinging incense and throwing flowers. In Seville there are also processions and wooden figures such as the Virgin Mary who are carried on floats. Religious brotherhoods lead many of these processions while wearing hoods, so the spectacle is really quite something.


Another popular event is the noisy and explosive Fallas Festival which takes place in Valencia and involves plenty of fireworks and the burning of effigies. The festival is a celebration to St Joseph and participants usually dress up in Medieval clothing. Fallas lasts for five days and some of its main events are historical processions. There is a satirical bent to the festival which involves making puppets and then burning them in mockery. Although it is an old celebration that does not stop the Valencians from making fun of modern day characters like the former American president George W Bush. Don't go to Fallas if you were hoping for a resting and recuperative holiday. Each day starts with a wake-up call known as La Desperta where brass bands and firecrackers are employed to begin things with a bang. To see videos of the Fallas Festival visit www.fallasfestival.com. Also near to Valencia in Bunol is La Tomatina, an unmissable event in which ripe tomatoes are used for a massive food fight.


In Madrid the Festival of San Isidro is a major pastime and on May 15 the locals make a pilgrimage to Saint Isidro's meadow. Saint Isidro was the patron saint of peasants and labourers so it is believed that driving the holy water from his fountain will help all those who have hard lives. The festival is supposed to last for a week but ends up taking about three as it is stretched out before and after. During the festival traditional clothes called Chulapo are worn and these are supposed to make the wearer look dapper. The Festival of San Isidro is a very musical affair with all sorts of bands playing and so visitors are sure to