Here is a guide to the major fiestas which take place each year in Andalucia.

The Three Kings
Fiesta de Los Reyes. This is the moment when the three kings of Orient bring their Christmas presents to the children, on the evening of the 5th of January. Three men dress up as the kings, one with a black face, and ride about the town in a procession, scattering sweets to the crowds of excited children. The 6th of January is the public holiday in all Spain.

Carnivals
As elsewhere in the Catholic world, carnival is celebrated before the 40 days of Lent. Most Andalucian towns stage some kind of parade, and there is usually a dance and a "Carnival Queen" contest. As one of Spain´s major ports during the 16th century, Cadiz copied the carnival of Venice, a city with which it had much trade, and since then it has become the liveliest and most dazzling carnival town in mainland Spain, famous for its amusing and creative figurines and satirical song groups.

The Carnival centres around Shrove Tuesday (March 4th 2003, February 24th 2004, February 8th 2005, February 28th 2006) Most towns celebrate the carnival with processions either the weekend before or after. Larger towns have festivities lasting all week.

The best-known celebrations being those of Cadiz Carnival. Other nearby towns such as El Puerto de Santa María, Rota, San Fernando, Chiclana, Algeciras, Medina-Sidonia and Trebujena. have lavish carnivals. Isla Cristina and Ayamonte, are also famous for their elaborate costumes and excitement, drawing visitors from throughout the region and the other side of the Portuguese border as well.

The carnival is the fiesta of the people. It is a reaction against the abstentions and prohibitions of all types. This fiesta attempts to break social order and liberalise instincts, helped by wearing masks and fancy dress. During the Civil War, General Franco abolished the Carnival in rebel areas. After the war there was still much opposition to the Carnival by the rulers so Franco abolished the Carnival in 1937. It continued in however in Cadiz and some other towns namely, Ayamonte, Isla Cristina, Fuentes de Andalucia, Trabujena, and Benamajoma.

Easter - Semana Santa or "Holy Week"

The most outstanding Easter week processions are those of the cities of Sevilla, Malaga and Cordoba and Granada, though the spectacle is worth seeing in any town or village. in particular, Estepona, Ronda, Arcos de la Frontera, Luque (Saturday), Baeza, Cabra, Jerez, Rio Gordo, Ubeda, Puente Genil, Huercal.

The processions take place during the week leading up to Easter Sunday. (April 20th 2003, April 11th 2004, March 27th 2005, April 16th 2006). The best days are Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Saturday. Easter Sunday itself has less intensity generally. Exceptions being the towns of Castilleja de la Cuesta, Pillas, Coria del Rio, Almaden de la Plata, and Setenil.

Seville Spring Fair
The first of the summer fairs, festivities of the April Fair were born in Seville in 1847 and are a perfect expression of the Andalucian personality. Always two weeks after Easter Week.

May Crosses
May is a month of festivities in Cordoba, starting with the Crosses of May Festival (1st, 2nd and 3rd of May which is Santa Cruz day). The crosses identify distinct zones of the town which compete for the prize of the best florally decorated cross. The preparations take place secretly in the preceding months when women and children use this opportunity to sing and dance. In older times it was an excuse for young single people to meet. The event is organized by brotherhoods and financed by voluntary contributions in the neighbourhood. With the preparations made the crosses are dressed and the fiesta lasts various days. Representatives from each brotherhood act as judges to vote on the best dressed cross. The local tourist office will give you a map, as in Cordoba you may need help to find the crosses. Other village the dress crosses are Condado de Huelva, Sierra de Aracena, Andevalo, Almonaster la Real, Bonares, Ubrique.

Patio contests
The famous Cordoba Patio Contest (about 4th to 16th May), in which home-owners compete for the prize awarded to the most beautifully decorated patio. The map provided by the local Tourism Office will help you find the competing courtyards which are open to the public during the day. This one is not to be missed for those that like flowers and gardens or are just interested to look inside the patios of private houses.

San Lucar Manzanilla (Wine) Fair
A lively fair dedicated to the Manzanilla which is a special dry sherry wine produced in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. This intense fair which is organised by the town council and supported by the local wine producers last for several days about the third week in May.

Rocío Pilgrimage
Andalucia is famous for its pilgrimages or "romerías" - so called because pilgrims traditionally walked to Rome, and therefore became known as "romeros" - to popular shrines, around which fiestas are held.
Many towns celebrate their Romaria to a local shrine a few miles away. It is a day in the countryside visiting a chapel or a sanctuary. Interestingly it is one of the few fiestas that are celebrated outside the nucleus of the town. The sanctuary is a physical and a spiritual point of reference. The departure from the town for the sanctuary is a proud public ceremony with all the necessary elements in a certain order. Flags and standards are carried by horsemen, decorated carts, men or women who are serving a pennance, then tractors, lorries and all sorts of agricultural vehicles. The municipal band usually provides the music. Perhaps the most spectacular is the one devoted to the Virgen del Rocío, popularly called "El Rocio" for short. Nearly a million people from all over Spain and Andalucia make long journey to gather in a small hamlet of El Rocio in the marshlands of the Guadalquivir River delta (south of Almonte), where the statue of the "Madonna of the Dew" has been worshipped since 1280. The pilgrims come on horseback and in gaily decorated covered wagons from all over the region, transforming the area into a colourful and noisy party. The climax of the festival is the weekend before Pentercost Monday (9th June 2003, 31 May 2004, 16 May 2005, 5 June 2006). In the early hours of the Monday the Virgin is brought out of the chrurch. This remarkable event is always televised.

The Corpus Christi festival was created in 1246 in Liege, Belgium, and after the Archbishop of that town was elected Pope it was later adopted throughout Europe. It reached Toledo 1280 and in Sevilla 1282 and all Spain by XIV century. It was particularly popular in XVI and XVII centuries. The solemn processions represent the power of the church. The civil and military authorities also take part. All in their commemorative uniform, a colorful spectacle. and takes place in most town in Spain.

In Granada it lasts three days where is one of the most important of festivals in the towns calendar. Actually Corpus Christi is celebrated in most towns in Andalucia but of particular note are Zahara de la Sierra, Seville, Cadiz, Malaga, Casabermeja, Marchena, Torreperogil.

Early Summer Pilgrimages
The Madonna known as La Virgen de la Cabeza is enshrined in a forbidding sanctuary on a cliff overlooking the wild hills of the Sierra Morena, north of the city of Andújar in Jaen Province. The pilgrimage is celebrated on the last Sunday of April. This celebration has its origins in the 13th century, and some half a million people gather to see the Virgin paraded among the forests for over 30 kilometres.

Cabra Gypsy Festival, province of Córdoba by gypsies to the hermitage of Santa María.

San Isidro on 15th May. San Isidro is the patron saint of the farmers, and many villages celebrate his day with a procession through the fields and a fiesta, as well as agricultural trade shows. A fine place to attend this charming festival is the rural town of Montefrio, in Granada Province or Estepona. El Cristo del Paño The pilgrimage to the shrine of El Cristo del Paño, in the castle town of Moclin, in northern Granada Province, not far from Montefrio. This painting of Christ bearing the cross is believed to heal aged people of their cataracts (el paño, or the cloth, is the popular name for this condition, which "veils" one´s sight). Touching the painting is also supposed to make childless women fertile, and the miracle is mentioned in Lorca´s tragic play Barren.

Fishing towns
La Virgen del Mar (Virgin of the Sea) is the patron saint of Almería, and her statue is born on a carriage decorated with flowers to the hermitage dedicated to her. The most stirring moment of the procession is when she is taken from the lighthouse to the dock by boat.

La Virgen del Carmen is the protectress of seamen, and at the end of day on July 16th the towns and fishing villages of the coast parade their statues of her by the water, and set sail in gaily adorned boats, accompanied by the blowing of horns and bursts of fireworks in the night sky. A good place to see this fiesta is Estepona, also Marbella, and Benelmadena where the Virgen del Carmen is one of the town´s most beloved saints.

Saint John´s feast - San Juan - is held on the night of the 24th of June, and is celebrated on Andalucia´s beaches with bonfires and fireworks. For good luck, the tradition is to dip their feet in the sea just after midnight. Tread carefully as sometimes the lively ones end up in the sea fully clothed.

Town Patrons' Days
Each town has one or two patron saints. There will be a local bank holiday and celebrations on the day of the patron saint of the town according to the catholic calendar.

skirmishes and dances, the conversion or the death of the moors, and finally homage to the patron saint.
Nowadays with greater affluence the uniforms are more spectacular. The Christians wear the uniforms of the soldiers of the re-conquest. The moors wear basic short sleeved cotton jackets.

Winter Festivals
All Saints Day On November 1st, fiestas called "Tosantos" (contraction of "todos los santos", or "all saints") are celebrated in the markets of Cadiz and the surrounding villages.

The feast of San Martín, on 11th November, is the occasion for the slaughtering of pigs, in preparation for the winter-time drying of hams and sausages, at a fiesta called la matanza - literally, the killing - in all the towns and villages of the mountain areas of Andalucia. The day begins with the killing of the pigs and is spent butchering the carcass and stuffing sausages and black pudding. A great deal of eating and drinking accompanies these events.

Chrismas Eve is the quietest evening of the year in Andalucia. Even most of the bars are closed. An evening reserved for a family dinner.

If you are looking for a local market then why not try the markets in Marbella & Puerto Banus.

Marbella Market – Las Albaizas 9.00am – 2.00pm weekly
(Street market of Marbella: Every Monday from 9 am to 2 pm, next to the Recinto Ferial Marbella (Zona de Las Albarizas). Included food, flowers, clothes and shoes.)

Marbella Medieval market 5.00pm – 10.00pm weekly
– more than 70 stalls in and around Los Candiles (old town) Marbella

Puerto Banus' street market
Situated near the bull ring and it is held every Saturday. The bull ring is situated in the area of Neuva Andalucia about 1km from the Marina. It is one of the largest markets on the Costa del Sol.
Ways to arrive at the market of Puerto Banus:
Puerto Banus central square:- There is a car park underneath the central square and then from there it is just a short walk to the market.
Buses:- The bus from Marbella arrives directly into Puerto Banus and then it is just a short walk to the market from the bus stop.
Car:- There is parking around the market area but you would need to arrive early and be aware that there will be many people arriving for the market making drive hazardous.

The market offers every type of goods for sale, but the most interesting opportunities that could be found range among: Spices, Paintings, Crafts, Furniture, Textiles and Antiques. The market is a great place to visit especially if you are looking for a bargain or two. There are also café bars around the market place where you can relax and have a beer watching all the people and the world go by.

Marbella's amazing micro-climate

Positioned between the beach and the Sierra Blanca mountain range behind it, Marbella enjoys an unusually pleasant micro-climate. Winds may be buffeting the Straits of Gibraltar just across the bay, flattening the waves in Fuengirola just up the coast, blowing spray onto the Paseo Maritimo of Estepona just down the coast but the day will be calm and pleasant in Marbella. A mild temperature throughout the year, shorts and hats for summer and generally a light jersey will do fine for many days in winter.

Weather records show that the average temperature is 19º C and the sun shines for 320 days a year with only 45 days of rain. Rains fall on some winter days from November through to March. Given the closeness of Marbella to the deserts of Africa just across the Mediterranean, residents value every day of rain however unseasonable it may be!

Average Temperatures, Hours of Sun, Sunny and Rainy days in Marbella

		Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Mean Temp. °C °F		12° 54°	13° 55°	14° 57°	16° 61°	19° 66°	22° 72°	25° 77°	26° 79°	23° 73°	19° 66°	15° 59°	13º 55°
Hours of sun per day		6	7	6	7	9	11	11	11	8	7	6	6
Sunny days		26	23	24	26	28	28	31	31	27	27	23	26
Days of rain		5	5	7	4	3	2	0	0	3	4	7	5
Note 1: Maximum daytime temperatures typically 4°C (7°F) above the Mean Note 2: Minimum nightime temperatures typically 4°C (7°F) below the Mean

Shopping

Puerto Banus offers all types of shops and shopping centres. The marina has many types of shops such as Calvin Klien, Zara, Mango, Dolce & Gabbana, Luis Vuitton, Hugo Boss, Puma, Karen Millen, Hermes, Loewe and Christian Dior. All the shops in the marina are spread along the sea front looking out over the harbour.( Calle Ribero). There is a large department store, similar to Jon Lewis, called El Corte Ingles (www.elcorteingles.es ) just opposite the marina banus shopping center, with parking underneath 1.50€ per hour first 2 hours and is open Monday- Saturday 10am to 10pm. Buses stop at the ground floor with routes to Marbella Fuengirola and Estepona and there is a Taxi rank outside the store.

Marina Banus Small compact shopping center opposite El Corte Ingles which is open Monday- Saturday 10am to 10pm and as per El Corte Ingles you can park your car underneath The shops inside include Zara women kids and men Massimo Dutti, Jackie Jean, Andro, Berska, Gost, Pull and Bear, F and Co leather, Oysho, Ana Sousa, New Yorker, Tous Jewellery, Tobacco shop, Misako bags, Jose Maria Shoes, Sun Planet glasses and Inter Sport. There is also a cash point ground floor next to lifts.

Ekseption Muelle de la Ribera, Local 21 Puerto Banús Marbella 29660 Two kinds of Moschino, Couture and Chip & Chic, are the main cloths on sale at this famous shop, which has branches all over the Costa del Sol. They also have Naf-Naf, E-Play, Replay, Armand Basi, Versace Jeans, Dolce & Gabanna, Modesto & Lomba, Amaya Arzuaga, etc, a hundred of the makes which are well-known to young and very fashionable people in particular. There's a section devoted purely to denim, and the windows give you a very good idea of what you'll find inside, amusing dummies dressed in the most ingenious clothes. You can buy a t-shirt for, a dress for and shoes.  Monday-Sunday 10am-9pm Gianfranco Ferré Muelle de Levante, Local 1 Puerto Banús Marbella 29660 One of the main designers in the Dior empire just had to have his own boutique in Puerto Banus. This store sells exclusive designs by the couturier aimed at women with class. Of course, you'll find his perfumes in the shop, with Ferre Ferre, the favorite of more than one famous face. The Italian designer has the latest fashions, for the most daring and uninhibited, including striking evening wear, plunging necklines, ruffles, and crepe, tulle and brocade for really spectacular dresses. There are also incredible high-heeled shoes, strappy sandals and precious stones.  Monday-Saturday 10am-9pm Parah Muelle Ribera, s/n Puerto Banús Marbella 29660 It's worth wearing the right clothes for sunbathing and taking a dip in the Mediterranean on one of Marbella's beaches. That's what you'll find in this swimwear boutique in Puerto Banus, specialising in both men and women, it sells Parah clothes and lingerie exclusively all over the country. There are seasonal colours and, of course, all the prints and fabrics imaginable, including flowers, spots, stripes, brocades, see-through fabrics and plastic. There's something to suit all tastes and pockets, and they have all the sizes on the market. Daily 10am-9pm Superga Store Plaza Marina Banús, s/n Puerto Banús Marbella 29660 This famous Italian supplier of trainers has recently opened its own boutique in Marina Banus shopping centre. The decor is really original with wide shop windows with colourful displays of trainers and shoes. Inside, the trainers are hung on little hooks made to look like feet on the shelves.  Monday-Saturday 10am-10pm MARBELLA As you can see from the map, Marbella is situated in the heart of the Costa del Sol,between the sierras of the coastal mountain range and the sea, and has very good road links to the main airport at Malaga, approx 45kms away, to Ronda, Gibraltar, Cadiz and Seville. Marbella county covers a total area of 114.3 sq km and 26 km along the coast. It comprises several important urban sites: Marbella, San Pedro de Alcántara, Puerto Banús, Nueva Andalucia and Las Chapas, as well as several suburbs. According to recent data the population has grow to over 105,000. What was just a small Andalusian fishing-village has been turned into one of the most exciting holiday resorts along the Mediterranean coast and one of the favourite places of the rich and beautiful. It was, however, in the 90's when Marbella began to be recognized as a "Universal City". The political action carried out by the Mayor Jesus Gil in the last decade of the 20th Century has set important sights for the development of the city. Infrastructures, Cultural Centers, sporting installations, Municipal Offices, Golf Courses, New Avenues, Parks, etc and the encouraging of investors to the city have made Marbella a city to be visited by ALL. Great beaches, great climate (with an average temperature of 18,7 deg.C all the year) and it only rains occasionally in November and March (the rain being insignificant the rest of the year), the wind blows frequently from the East and the weather is sunny more than 320 days a year. Marbella offers a never-ending list of places of natural beauty mixing with avenues, parks, botanic gardens, the promenade, leisure areas sports, gastronomy and entertainment that will make your stay highly enjoyable. So come with us and discover what Marbella has to offer. San Pedro San Pedro de Alcantara is in an ideal situation, just 10 kilometres west from all the glitz and glamour of Marbella, yet just a few minutes drive away from the natural beauty of the Sierra de Ronda mountain range and 20 km from the town of Estepona An ancient farming community, once famous for sugar cane, today San Pedro is a refreshingly unspoilt village with an appeal all of its own. Be sure to head for the central plaza here with its gracious parish church and surrounding narrow streets which are packed with intriguing small shops, sidewalk cafes and bars. Thursday is street market day with all the associated hustle and bustle; a veritable bargain shoppers paradise. A pleasant walk is from the centre of town to the beachfront along the Avenida del Marques del Duero which is a particularly attractive wide avenue flanked by palm trees. And the modern wide promenade is ideal for continuing your stroll (or skateboarding!) with several excellent chiringuitos (beachside restaurants) specialising in fish dishes. Visit Bora Bora if only for a drink at the bar. It is one of the best beach clubs on the coast, with a superb restaurant and all the usual beach facilities. a tropical paradice. San Pedro also has the last summer fair ( feria ) in Andalucia being in the second week in October. History buffs will enjoy the Paleochritian Balisilica Church by the sea and the third century Roman Baths, Las Bovedas. Check at the local tourist office for timings. The Paleochritian Balisilica Church and Necropolis is located in the woods next to the Bora Bora Beach Club that is on the sea front directly infront of the town. A little further west along the beach to Guadalmina is located the restored remains of the Roman Baths. If driving leave San Pedro westward towards Estepona. Stop at the tourist office in the Arch for the keys. After passing under the Marbella Arch, turn right and double back under the road tunnel. Head down to the sea and the Roman baths are next to the Guadlamina Beach Club.