Almuñécar Fiestas, Ferias & Holidays

Fiestas are an integral part of life here in Spain, with each neighbourhood (or "barrio") celebrating at least once a year - and often more than once.  Ferias are simply fairs - but we have fairs for our tropical fruits and for horses as well !

A sensible approach is taken, with pragmatic decisions such as the "puente" or bridge, whereby if a holiday falls on, say, a Tuesday or Thursday we "bridge" it to the weekend by taking the Monday or Friday off as well.

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Local Fiestas, Fiestas Nacionales, Ferias and Holidays

The following fiestas and public holidays are just some of the main ones we celebrate each year:

Jan 1 - New Years Day National Holiday

Jan 6 - Epifania del Senor  (Epiphany) National Holiday

Jan 19  - Majuelo Park. 12:00  Asociacion Solidaria Amigos De Baracoa - CUBA.  Giant paella on wood fire, Flamenco shows, Grupo De Salsa "Cubanisimo", etc + raffle.  Tickets €6 (inc paella, drink & bread & raffle). 

Feb 28- Día de Andalucía Andalucía Day.  Holiday for Andalucia which marks the recognition of Andalucia as an autonomous community in 1981.

Mar 19  - San Jose.  Fiesta to honour the Patron Saint of La Herradura.  Religious procession in old part of town, with various sporting events on & around paseo & bars on sea front.  Firework display on beach at night.  NB Fiesta moved to 27th - 3oth for 2008 to avoid Easter Week.

Semana Santa (Easter Week) processions.  Beginning Palm Sunday and culminating on Easter weekend (21 - 24 March 08) a week of incredibly moving spectacle remembering the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.

Large wooden floats are carried by brotherhoods (hermandades) commemorating various aspects of this holy week, adorned with fantastic statues and decorations depicting the passage of holy week, until the early hours of the morning.  These are preceded by penitents in their hooded robes, bearing candles and religious regalia, as well as bands.  The processions can stretch for blocks.  An amazing and very emotional sight and one for which folk return to their home towns.  As a result hotel and other accommodation is at a premium.

Viernes Santo (Good Friday) is a national holiday.   

May 1 - El Dia de Trabajo (Labour Day).  National holiday celebrating workers rights. 

1 May - 3 May. Fiestas de Barrio San Sebastian.  Local fiesta for the barrio de San Sebastian area which runs from Plaza Mayor then is just to the north of the N340 and alongside the road to Jete. 

May 3 -  Dia de la Cruz - May crosses.  Celebrating the solstice, local children produce elaborate crucifixes adorned with mantillas, flowers as well as an astonishing selection of household implements and kitchen utensils.   Keep your eyes peeled for an apple with scissors embedded in it!

May (Date TBC but normally Fri - Sun) - Gastronomic Fair in Majuelo Park next to the Roman Factoria Salazones.   Local restaurants & bars set out their finest wares to sample as a showcase to the delicacies available in and around the town - as well as the famous giant paellas!

June 23- 24  - San Juan. Birth of John the Baptist - and Summer Solstice (approx) A special day & night in Almuñécar as it generally marks the start of the summer holiday season and is also the only day and night when (officially) we can light fires and barbeques on the beach.  From mid day onwards every beach in town gets filled with tents and family gatherings.  At night bonfires are light - symbolically the fires are used to burn old memories and to mark a new start.  At midnight one is meant to wash your face in the sea - though by then some have been known to go the whole hog - with celebrating continuing until the sun comes up!

July 11 - 19 -  Jazz En La Costa.  As part of the annual Granada Jazz Festival Almuñécar hosts some 10 days of open air jazz festival staring around 23:00 every evening in Majuelo Park.  A great night, especially as the backdrop to the stage is the floodlight castle and palm trees with a great range of music to enjoy from world class artists.  Programme now announced - see Jazz En La Costa for the line ups - click on the "+" symbols to expand the band write ups.  If booked with us for that week let us know ASAP if you want tickets.

July 16 - Fiesta for Virgen de Carmen, the patron saint of mariners.  Centred around the Los Marinos barrio (towards the west of San Cristobal) and usually involving a maritime procession culminating in a firework display.

Aug 15th (and all week prior).  Fiesta de la Virgen de Antigua.  Patron saint of Almuñécar and a week long party with fair ground, live music, dancing and much partying all night long.  Supporting activities and events take place in and around Majuelo Park, Casa de Cultura as well as a beach volleyball competition near the Los Bajos beach bars.

This all comes to a frenzy on the 15th (also Assumption Day which is a national holiday) with the statue of the Virgen being solemnly carried from the church down to the beach at La China.  She is then sailed around the rocks of the Peñon, escorted by a small armada, to arrive back on land at Playa Peurta del Mar around 23:00.  This then triggers a truly amazing firework display from the beach, castle, sea and all points of the compass!  When this finishes everyone heads back to the feria to eat, drink & dance the night away.

Sep 28 -30th - Fiesta de San Miguel.  A local fiesta for the barrio de San Miguel (which basically forms the old town below Castillo San Miguel).  A small feria takes place up by the castle for the children, while the adults pack the sports ground for feasting, music and dancing.  Many of the smaller plazas also have impromptu bars setup, and stalls line the cobbled streets.  Usually a firework display on 29th following a religious procession of the Arcángel, starting from the castle .

Oct 12 - Fiestas de Chirimoya and Columbus Day (Día de la Hispanidad - National holiday celebrating discovery of America by Cristóbal Colón).  Also sometimes referred to as Fiesta de Virgen de Pilar.

Fiesta de Chirimoya is the week preceding 12th Oct, with the main day being the 12th which marks the start of the chirimoya harvest.   The Costa Tropical proudly holds its own Denominacion de Origen for chirimoya, which is one of our largest exports.  The fiesta is based under the arches of the Roman aqueduct in Torrecuevas.

Nov 1 - All Saints Day or Day of the Dead.  More of a date for locals, but those staying in town may notice a mass exodus to the cemetery on the road to Jete, where the graves are decorated with flowers and ones relatives are both discussed  and remembered with friends & family.  Also a national holiday.

Nov (TBC - usually 3rd week)- Andres Segovia international guitar competition in La Herradura.  Five days of the very best Spanish guitar from all over the globe, held in La Herradura.  

Dec 6 - Spanish Constitution Day.  National holiday

Dec 8th - Dia de La Immaculada Concepcion.  National holiday marking the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary.

Dec 25th - Natividad del Senor National Holiday

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