Fiestas
Fiestas and Festivals are a big part of Spain, with everyday being a Saint’s Day and therefore an excuse for a party if you were born on that particular day!
The two biggest fiestas in Nerja are San Isidro who is Nerja’s very own patron Saint, and San Juan which is a huge fiesta all over Spain.
Nerja’s parties start in January with The 3 Kings and the last one in October with the Feria.
 Three Kings. The eve of the 6th January is the real Christmas Eve for Spanish children, and in Nerja like elswhere in Spain it is celebrated by a procession of decorated floats with people dressed up as the three Kings and children dressed in costumes, through the town, and the three kings throw boiled sweets, the occasional gift and confetti into the crowds where a mad scrabble takes place to get the sweets.People line the streets and watch from balconies. The date of the procession is always the same, the 5th of January, read more |
 The Nerja Carnaval procession for 2012 was Sat 18th FebruaryNerja’s version of Mardigras (Carnaval) is simply brilliant, where many hundreds of people go to extraordinary lengths to dress up in costumes (and political correctness hasn’t arrived here!) and make floats for the procession that starts around five pm Saturday. The carnival is usually held in February (but as it based around the date for shrove Tuesday it does move but is always held the weekend before) read more |
 The Burial of The Sardine Sunday 19th February 2012. To mark the end of the Nerja Carnaval (and another chance to show off your costumes) the burial of the Sardine takes place on the Sunday after the big Carnaval procession. The procession starts at Plaza de España behind the townhall. There is a misconception that the burial of the Sardine is unique to Nerja but this is not true, though the origin of the spectacle seems lost in time. read more |
 Semana Santa (Easter week) The dates vary for Easter, in 2012 Good Friday falls on the 6th April.The easter week processions follow large tronos (floats) which individually carry effigies of Jesus and the Virgin Mary and Saint John. A brass brand plays really mournful music, and the floats moved slowly out of the church, a very moving experience. The floats are obviously very heavy and need a lot of people to carry them. A lot of the streets that the procession goes through on the Sunday are decorated with mimosa which is in full flower and many of the balconies hang white lace from their terraces. read more |
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 The Festival of San Juan,June 24th
A sort of mid-summers party that is held on the beach (apart from San Juan overnight camping is not allowed on beaches in Spain) There are loads of tents all along the beaches and beside rivers in the country, with bonfires to cook the traditional Sardines. The bonfires were originally lit by farmers to stop the sun setting earlier (longest day is usually 21st but the sun does not start to set earlier until the 24th) read more |
 Virgen del Carmen 16th July. One of the many fiesta/holy days celebrated here in Nerja, on July 16th there is a procession from the San Salvador church on the Balcon de Europa through the town and then down Castilla Perez to the Torrecilla beach where the image of The Virgen del Carmen is loaded on to a fishing boat at dusk. Many hundreds of people follow the procession and a brass band leads the procession through the town and to the beach. read more |
 Nerja Feria 2nd week on October. Held in honour of Our Lady of Sorrows and the Archangel Saint Michael and currently held on the land between C/Carabeo and Los Huertos in the Parador area of Nerja. The Feria in Nerja is the last one of the season and is held the second week of October.Originally the Ferias were Romerias, a sort of horse market that small towns and villages held to attract people from other areas to visit. It was also a good way for boys to meet girls! read more |
| Christmas and New Years Eve. The Spanish really don’t celebrate Christmas on the 25th December but on New Year’s Eve Nerja most people head along to the Balcon de Europa to be there in time for the celebrations at midnight. Lots of bars close around eleven, but don’t worry many of them re-open later. read more |
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