Experience the magic of Christmas lights in these Spanish cities
Travelling at Christmas is always special. There’s a atmosphere in the cities like no other time of the year. From the end of November, the streets of Spain start to light up with thousands of sustainable bulbs and traditional street markets. You can also admire the stunning Nativity scenes, the Procession of the Magi on 5 January, skating rinks and the wonderful aroma of roast chestnuts and churros for sharing in good company. We reveal to you which cities in Spain have the most incredible sparkle about them. Happy holidays!
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Madrid
It’s impossible not to include the Spanish capital in this list. In addition to its legendary centuries-old market in the Plaza Mayor, its streets, squares and buildings are lit up by fabulous lighting displays for several weeks, transforming the city into a beautiful Christmas postcard. Usually, over 200 locations are decorated with coloured lights specially created for the occasion by artists and designers. Millions of LED bulbs illuminate places such as the entrances to the Plaza Mayor and Plaza de España with string lights, cherry trees of light and large nativity scenes. These are in addition to the enormous Christmas trees that preside over the main squares of Madrid, including the iconic ones in the Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor.More ideas? Visit the parks that become Christmas gardens and offer shows with illuminated figures at this time of year, such as the Enrique Tierno Galván Park and the Alfonso XIII Royal Botanical Garden (in the Ciudad Universitaria area). You can also hop aboard the ”Naviluz“ Christmas bus for a tour of the dazzlingly lit city, see out the year with 12 lucky grapes as the clock chimes midnight at the Puerta del Sol, enjoy the Procession of the Magi as if you were a child or savour hot chocolate and churros at San Ginés chocolate shop. You’ll have the time of your life!
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Barcelona
With the arrival of Christmas, different parts of the city transform into a real fairy tale. The Christmas lights are switched on at the end of November. You can enjoy the lighting that adorns many of Barcelona's spaces and districts from then until Epiphany. One option for discovering the city's Christmas lights is the Barcelona Christmas Tour on a double-decker bus. If you want to visit a very special Christmas market, don't miss the one at Santa Llúcia, which has taken place around the cathedral since 1786. There is also a Christmas market next to the Sagrada Familia and another in Port Vell, with a fair installed by the sea presided over by a tree of LED lights and a large Ferris wheel. Also, at the Fira de Reis on Gran Via, you can stroll among stalls with decorations, sweets and toys... and on Epiphany it is open until dawn!In the theme park on popular Spanish architecture, Poble Espanyol, you can visit the house of Father Christmas and the Magi. Looking for more Christmas experiences in Barcelona? Be enchanted by classic melodies at the Palau de la Música Catalana or Liceu or attend light shows such as “Els Llums de Sant Pau” (The lights of Sant Pau), in the Modernist Sant Pau area.
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Malaga
This image of Calle Larios has made its name as one of the most famous Christmas scenes in all of Spain. No one wants to miss how this shopping area is lit up with an incredible show of light and music that surprises everyone who visits it. This is usually inaugurated in late November. The city glows with more than two million LED lights with different decorative figures such as chandeliers, while the façade of the Cathedral is usually used to display a videomapping audiovisual show. Plus, in Malaga you will be able to buy souvenirs at the artisan markets of La Malagueta or in the bohemian neighborhood of Soho. And naturally, you simply can’t miss the municipal Nativity scene in the area of the Patio de Banderas at the City Hall,which is reinvented year after year. Another option is to enjoy the Christmas light show that usually decorates the Botanical-Historical Garden of La Concepción.
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Vigo
In recent years, this Galician city has become a Christmas icon thanks to the more than 11 million LED lights that usually illuminate its streets from mid-November. Among the lights distributed throughout Vigo, one of the highlights is the Christmas tree in Porta do Sol, which stands more than 40 metres high. Various giant decorative figures also shine out, including a carriage, a Christmas forest, a large snowman, a box of presents and a fantastic illuminated castle-palace. Vigo also has other Christmas activities to have a great time. Among the most striking is the giant Ferris wheel installed in the Praza de Compostela, perfect for contemplating the city from above. There are also Christmas markets such as the ”Cíes Market“ and the one in O Calvario, where you can buy Christmas products and artisan craftwork, ride with the little ones on children's rides and attend street shows. The Christmas activities in this Galician city do not end here – you can also go ice skating next to Samil beach, take a ride on a tourist train that runs through the city centre or attend shows such as the Circo de Nadal (Christmas Circus).
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