Holy Week fills the province of Almería with the scent of incense, a time of year that combines tradition and devotion with the first visits to the beach in a destination immersed in eternal spring.
With Holy Week on the horizon, travelers are beginning to plan their next vacation. In the search for the perfect destination, a unique destination emerges that combines nature, culture, and beauty during a time marked by the traditions of Lent: the province of Almería.
Holy Week is the religious tradition shared by all 103 municipalities in the province of Almería. Once the Holy Week begins, the Costa de Almería destination showcases its rich artistic and architectural heritage in one of the few celebrations that shines under the sun due to the favorable weather conditions in the province of Almería.
From west to east, from the Mediterranean shore to the highest peaks, the Almería Coast is an ideal place to intensely experience the liturgical ceremonies and processions that make Holy Week one of the highlights of the year. From snow to the beach, from Europe’s only desert to the clearest skies, Holy Week in Almería offers visitors the chance to enjoy all four seasons in a single day.
Unique traditions are spread throughout the Almería region.
From the north of the province, the spectacular Holy Week of Vélez Rubio, declared a Festival of Andalusian Tourist Interest, looms. Also listed as a Festival of National Tourist Interest is the Passion Festival of Huércal-Overa. The ancient carvings housed in its churches are signed by great master sculptors such as Salzillo, Bellver, Prados López, Alanguas Puchet, Sánchez Lozano, and Bonillo Luque, among others.
Without leaving the east coast or the distinction of being a festival of National Interest, we arrive at Cuevas del Almanzora, which is fully immersed in the celebration of the Passion, in which four brotherhoods, eight bands, and more than a thousand Nazarenes make its Holy Week splendid.
Following this journey of passion and devotion through the Almería region, we arrive in Sorbas, where Holy Week awaits, and with it, the return of many members of the brotherhood who had to leave and who return during these days to fulfill a long-standing tradition.
In Roquetas de Mar, the Christ of the Good Death will be mourned, as every year, by the legionaries in the church of El Parador in one of the most special events of Holy Week in Almería, comparable to that of other parts of the country. This is also the case in Berja, where these days are also celebrated in a very special way.
From the west to the Alpujarras, you can enjoy not only its processions and the beauty of its floats, but also its live Station of the Cross. Laujar de Andarax boasts the only station of its kind in the entire province. Its uniqueness lies in the route of its representation, when the theatrical Station of the Cross travels to the Via Sacra, surrounded by nature, to relive this more than 300-year-old celebration.
The Passion in the key of theater
Holy Week in Abla is one of the province’s most characteristic celebrations due to the dramatic representation of Good Friday events. On Easter Sunday in Adra, people dance, clap, shout, and cry as they watch the moving encounter between the Virgin and the Risen Lord in one of the most moving dramatizations with images and costaleros in western Almería.
This tour cannot be missed by the Bajo Andarax region, where the residents of Gádor participate in the «Living Representation of the Passion.» This is one of the most important events of Holy Week in Gador, featuring hundreds of actors dressed in period costumes to give greater realism to the performance and consolidate it as one of the province’s biggest attractions during this time of year.
What better way to experience Holy Week than in this natural setting, which transports visitors to a world of sensations thanks to its spectacular landscapes, brilliant sunshine, fresh air, and a coastline that has earned recognition as one of the premier seaside spots in which to lose yourself.
Almería, capital of feeling
The intense and exciting Holy Week in the capital doesn’t have a single day off, nor a moment to stop enjoying a city that is thoroughly decorated to welcome tourists with all its heart during this special time of year.
From Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, you can experience the fervor of the processions and liturgies thanks to the work and excellence of the more than twenty brotherhoods that make their penitential journey through the city streets, turning it into a true open-air museum.
This celebration, which has gained importance over the years until it became a Festival of National Tourist Interest, has brought splendor to such important moments as those experienced on the Paseo de Almería and in the Plaza de la Catedral, which give life to Holy Week in the capital.
Summer arrives early in March
The warm t
emperatures that characterize the Costa de Almería destination year-round make it possible to enjoy both the beauty of its coast and the highest peaks in the province, where the sun spends the winter.
If there’s one thing that characterizes the province’s tourism offerings, it’s its versatility and the ability to travel from snow-capped peaks to the seashore in just over an hour. Starting the journey from the sea, the «Costa de Almería» destination offers more than two hundred kilometers of coastline filled with magical spots and charms that captivate thousands of tourists each year.
Coves, beaches, and coastline serve as a showcase for a landscape that will forever impress even the most discerning eye. All of this is accompanied by the world’s healthiest cuisine, the birthplace of the Mediterranean diet, and the excellence of the products available at the ‘Sabores Almería’ Gourmet Space at Paseo de Almería, 34, or at the online store saboresalmeria.store. Not to mention the extensive cultural offerings, which this year have been enhanced by the Museum of Contemporary Spanish Realism (MUREC) in the former Provincial Hospital.