Easter Week (Holy Week). Detail of drums during a procession.

Easter Week in Spain: destinations to live it intensely

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When is Easter celebrated in Spain? In March or April, because the dates change every year. Spain transforms over these days. Everybody, everywhere, turns out to experience one of Spain's most traditional events to the full. Do not miss the opportunity to travel to Spain during this week: you will experience truly special moments and a totally different atmosphere.

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There are many ways to discover Spain: enjoying the coast and beaches, going on sightseeing tours, exploring the countryside, playing sports like golf... However, if you've never visited Spain during Easter Week then you simply have to come. And even if you already know this famous fiesta, it's well worth making another trip, as each region of Spain has its own way of celebrating the event.In Spain, Easter (or Holy Week) is celebrated with a great deal of emotion. People take an active role in its events and traditions. All day and night the streets are filled with the beat of the drums, masses of colourful flowers, and the consummate art of religious sculpture, all combining to produce a highly moving atmosphere.

World-famous fiestas

Easter Week is celebrated in every city, town and village in Spain. Nevertheless, there are some fiestas that are especially well known for their uniqueness and beauty, and have received the International Tourist Interest designation.During Easter Week in Seville you will see how the “cofrades” (lay brotherhoods) manage to bear the colossal weight of elaborately decorated statues of the Virgin Mary and Jesus as they parade through the narrow streets of the old town. Easter Week in Malaga includes the ritual privilege of the freeing of a prisoner, and one of the most moving moments of all is when the figure of Jesus “el rico” blesses the convict. During Easter Week in Cuenca you can also enjoy the concerts in the Religious Music Week festival, which take place in historic buildings such as the Cathedral.

Popular image of the “Esperanza de Triana” during Easter Week in Seville

If you go to Easter Week in León, you will find one of the highlights is the encounter between Saint John and the Virgin Mary in the Plaza Mayor square, which marks the end of the Ronda and the Procession of the Pasos (processional sculptures). During Easter Week in Zamora, the sound of Gregorian chant provides an incredible atmosphere for the nocturnal processions. During the Easter Week processions in Valladolid make sure to look closely at the religious statues, some by Juan de Juni or Gregorio Fernández, and all priceless works of Baroque art. Easter Week in Salamanca is spectacular thanks to the backdrop of the city's stunning built heritage.

The Palm Sunday Procession in Elche features the customary palm leaves and is one of the most beautiful of any held in Spain. During Easter Week in Cartagena, the culmination of the processions is especially moving, with thousands of people joining their voices in song to intone the “Salve Maria” to the Virgin Mary.Easter Week in Lorca is especially unusual – the processions include figures and scenes from the Bible and ancient civilisations. In the province of Albacete, the crowning moment in Easter Week in Hellín is the Tamborada, when the sound of up to 20,000 drums invades the town. Easter Week in Cáceres is unique for its cofradías dating from the 15th century, and Easter Week in Murcia includes breathtaking moments, such as on Easter Saturday, when the procession of “Cristo Yacente” passes beneath the Santo Domingo Arch.

Each of the celebrations is special, unique and different, along with the other Easter Week celebrations also declared Festivals of National Interest for Tourism in Spain, which are held in: Andalusia: Granada. Aragón: Zaragoza, Albalate del Arzobispo, Alcañiz, Alcorisa, Andorra, Calanda, Híjar, La Puebla de Híjar, Samper de Calanda and Urrea de Gaén. Region of Valencia: Crevillent and Orihuela. Castile and Leon: Medina de Rioseco, Medina del Campo, Ávila and Palencia. Castilla-La Mancha: Toledo. Extremadura: Mérida. Galicia: Viveiro and Ferrol. Murcia: Jumilla and Cieza. Once you have been, you will want to return to Spain for Easter Week