17 Feb Spring in Spain
Spring in Spain is by far our favorite time of the year! The cold of winter in the north has passed and the south’s summer’s heat has not yet hit. Temperatures are mild and JUST right across the country! Although the weather may be similar throughout the peninsula, the same cannot be said for the way this lovely season is experienced in each region. From the excitement of Valencia’s Fallas to the colourful and festive feria of Seville or the sandy beaches of Mallorca, visiting Spain in the Spring is an incomparably unique and exciting experience! We invite you to discover some of the ways in which Spain celebrates this joyous season.
Ready to explore the 12 best plans to make the most of Spring in Spain?
A sea of Springtime blossoms
The blossom in Spain colours the land in a picture-perfect sequence which lasts from January to June. The spring in Spain blossoms on fruit trees and colourful flowering fields paint a pretty landscape across the country. The Andalusian cities of the deep south are scented by orange petals, and flower festivals brighten the patios of the prettiest towns.
Treat your senses to the most beautiful Springtime spectacle! No matter where you are in Spain, if you rare visiting at this time of the year, you absolutely cannot miss one of Nature’s masterpieces – blooming fields!
Cherry blossom in Jerte Valley (Extremadura): ten days between mid-March and mid-April
The Jerte Valley is the top place to see cherry blossom in Europe. When the cherry trees are in full bloom by the end of March, the Spring in Spain scene of dainty petals drifting across foothills makes of Valle del Jerte the most spectacular destination in Spain.
You might want to check out the Cherry Blossom Festival (March 19-April 3, 2022). This local festivity includes culture, music, gastronomy and exhibition events all revolving around the theme of the cherry tree.
Fruit tree blossom in Aitona (Lleida): Between end-Feb and mid-March
The plains of Aitona (Lleida province in north-east Catalonia), are cultivated with an array of stone fruit trees. As the spring sunshine brushes the cold winter mists away, apricots, nectarines and peaches flourish pinkly into an awesome blooming display.
A decade ago, the local city council of Aitona created the concept “Fruit Turisme” and aimed at shedding light on the beautiful yet widely unknown Segre region. Here, the essence of peach cultivation is highlighted while also preserving the local heritage, landscape, and culture.
Cider Apple Blossom in Asturias: end of April/beginning of May
The orchards of apple blooming trees can best be seen in the Cider Region (Comarca de la Sidra). This is where Asturias smells of apple…. There are six instagrammable apple-producing villages, namely Bimenes, Cabranes, Colunga, Nava, Sariegu and Villaviciosa, where you can wander through field after field of rosy apple buds clicking your camera to immortalize the moment. This blossom route takes in a pretty section of the Asturias coast and mountains which is easy to reach by car and it’s also a cyclist’s paradise. Spain’s famous walking route, the Northern Camino de Santiago (St James’ Way) also crosses these historic lands.
Interesting to check out: Nava Cider Festival – 2nd weekend of July
Las Fallas de Valencia: noise, fire and fun
From the 15 to the 19th of March, València is overturned by the famed Fallas celebration; a truly unique event that combines tradition, satire, and art. San José (Saint Joseph), the patron saint of carpenters, is the official focus for the festival. It all started back in the Middle Ages when carpenters used to hang up planks of wood called ‘parots’ in the winter to support their candles when they were working.
At the onset of spring these pieces of wood would be burned as a way of celebrating the end of dark, winter working days. Over time, this turned into a bonfire to which old belongings and rags were added giving these wooden structures a human form. Today, they have evolved into temporary works of art (called ninots) which, in some cases, cost millions of euros.
These five intense days of fireworks, parades, flower offerings and competitions end with the “cremà” when all the ninots are burned on the night of the 19th. One of our favorite plans for spring in Spain.
Easter in Andalucia: the passion of Holy Week
Semana Santa (Holy week or Easter week) is one of the most heartfelt and deep-rooted fiestas celebrated spring in Spain. This commemoration, centred around the passion and death of Jesus Christ has centuries of history and tradition. Although each Spanish region has its own customs and practices during this time of year, Semana Santa celebrations are nowhere else as elaborate and spectacular as they are in Andalusia.
Here, this very important Catholic holiday is commemorated with a week full of colour, art, religious fervour, and extravagant processions. By far, the most spectacular events take place in Málaga and Seville, where carved images and sculptures, are adorned with candles, flowers, and richly embroidered shawls for the processions that take them through emblematic places and streets. During the processions, they are accompanied by dozens of penitents and carried by costaleros, members of the various religious guilds or brotherhoods.
Sant Jordi, Barcelona: a book and a rose
This popular festival combines culture and romanticism. Sant Jordi is the patron saint of Catalonia and The Festa de Sant Jordi is held on 23rd April, the day St. George died. On this day the tradition is to gift books and roses to lovers, friends, and family. Barcelona was already holding a Sant Jordi rose fair in the 15th century and it was especially popular with engaged couples, newlyweds, and young married couples. Then, in 1929 during the International Exhibition held in Barcelona, booksellers decided to set up stalls in the streets, to present their new publications and encourage reading.
The initiative was so successful that the 23rd of April also became “Book Day” since it is the date when two of the great names in the history of literature died (Cervantes and Shakespeare). Today, when walking through the city at this time of the year, you’ll find book and flower stalls everywhere. It’s the occasion to find the latest publications as well as to spot well-known artists signing copies of their books while enjoying the scent of roses in the air. One of our favorite plans for spring in Spain
Sevilla’s legendary Feria de Abril: the quintessence of the Spanish fiesta
As the temperatures rise and the orange trees begin to flower, Sevillanos get together for the Feria de Abril (two weeks after Easter). This annual festival of food, fun, and joy takes place at every town in Andalusia between April and October. The April fair in Sevilla, like most fairs in the region, initially started as a cattle fair. It has since evolved and become a very popular and international event where people come together to have fun until the wee hours. During that festival week more than a thousand “casetas” (temporary bars) line the streets of the fairground El Arenal.
Most of them private with limited access for visitors and tourists, but don’t worry, there are also a number of public “casetas”, where you can enjoy the music and food. This is your unique opportunity to watch the fairgoers in traditional costume and the popular Flamenco dance known as “Sevillanas”. It is also the time where bullfights take place, every afternoon at the Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza. One of our favorite plans for spring in Spain
Spring in Spain, Córdoba: patios, flowers and more
The month of May in Cordoba is when the city comes alive, spring in Spain. The temperature is just right and the calendar is packed with festivals starting with May Cross Festival when the city is decorated with crosses adorned with colourful flowers. This is followed by the Battle of Flowers, a parade of floats covered in flowers from which carnations are thrown at the public and which the public then throws back… hence the name. This friendly battle marks the start of the famous Patios Festival when locals open their doors to their beautiful courtyards.
These patios not only offer a visual feast of colourful flowers, stone mosaics and ceramic decorations but also bring out the classic scents of Córdoba. The jasmine fragrance and orange blossom add another dimension to both the city and the festival. This month of celebrations ends on a high note with the Feria! Cordoba’s fair is considered one of the best in Andalusia. To get yourself into the spirit of things, we suggest trying the “rebujito”, a mixed drink made of white wine and lemonade. One of our favorite plans for spring in Spain.
Jérez: the perfect fusion of horses and sherry
The Jerez Horse Fair, known as the Feria del Caballo, is traditionally held during the first or second week in May. The history of the Fair goes back over 500 years, to the commercial livestock fairs that were established during the months of April and September, spring in Spain. What makes this Festival so special is its great equestrian tradition and entirely different venue. It is known for its refined atmosphere, due to the many aristocratic sherry families in the city which circulate the avenues with their beautiful horses.
A programme is designed with various equine events taking place throughout the week such as in-hand showing, carriage driving, doma vaquera (traditional working horse discipline) and acoso y derribo (rounding up of cattle). A highlight is to watch the informal horse and carriage procession which takes place every day in the fairground from 1:00 to 7:30 PM.
Sóller: a pretty town in a pretty island
If there is a place in Spain where we love to return to, this is Sóller! This charming little village of the Tramuntana mountain range in the North west of the island of Mallorca is the perfect spot to enjoy a perfect springtime getaway. Famed for its oranges, lemons and olive groves Sóller is very popular for hikers and cyclists who use it as a base to explore the surrounding Tramuntana mountains where you can enjoy of spring in spain.
Aside from walking there’s plenty of things to do and see around Soller:
– Have a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice while people-watching in Plaça Constitució
– Hop aboard the famous wooden tram, which runs from Soller to Port de Soller.
– Enjoy a pleasant hike to the pretty village of Deia, where spring wildflowers bloom.
– Visit the botanical gardens, spring in Spain.
San Isidro in Madrid: beyond bullfighting
Every year on the 15th of May, Madrid celebrates its patron saint, San Isidro Labrador. The traditional festival and feast are held in an open-air area known as the Pradera del Santo. Over one hundred miracles have been attributed to Isidore the Labourer, who was born and died in the Spanish capital. He was believed to have a special ability for finding water, and one of the festivities’ biggest traditions is to drink saint’s water from the springs next to the Ermita de San Isidro. Tradition meets modernity in the week-long festivities.
People go on a pilgrimage to San Isidro Church located in the meadow that bears the same name to spend the day with family and friends enjoying music, eating and dancing. Downtown, Madrileños dress up and dance chotis in the streets. Las Vistillas and the Plaza Mayor are other key spots during the nights of San Isidro with lots of live music and ‘verbenas’—popular night festivities. During the San Isidro celebrations, the other attraction is of course bullfighting. The San Isidro bullfighting festival is Spain’s most important. Tickets are sometimes hard to obtain and if you are interested, you better purchase in advance (we’ll of course help you with that!).
Experience a luxury train ride
Spain’s most famous tourist trains run between the months of April and May (although there are other departures during the rest of the year. There are several to choose from: the Transcantábrico around northern Spain, the Al Andalus around Andalusia, the Tren dels llacs around the lakes in the Pyrenees (in Lleida), the train devoted to the writer Cervantes, which runs from Madrid to Alcalá de Henares, just to name some….
Imagine a luxury hotel that effortlessly takes you from one enchanting location to the next, without you ever having to think about packing and unpacking. Make the journey your destination on a luxury train adventure and enjoy a wide variety of sceneries from the comfort of your private suite. Ease, glamour, gastronomy, culture, luxury and leisure await you on these unforgettable train trips around Spain, spring in Spain. This is slow tourism at its best! One of our favorite plans for spring in Spain.
Travelling Spain in such a different way is a real experience. For more information, please check out our blog “Discover Spain by train” (the dates posted were 2021 but please feel free to reach out for new dates in 2022 & 2023).
Enjoy Spring in Spain with Just Explore!
