FALLAS DE VALENCIA
They say that fácula from the Latin meaning torch, is celebrated every year from March 14 to 19 in honor of the patron saint of the city, St. Joseph, who is also the patron saint of carpenters. It has its origin in the custom of the carpenters to burn all the useless wood on March 19 in honor of their patron saint.
As early as the last Sunday of February, parties, bonfires and fireworks begin to be seen. The festival consists, among many other things, in the parade of the fallas or floats made up of the ninots, which are mostly smiling figures. The two most important nights are the Nit de Foc (night of fire) on March 18 with an incredible fireworks display and the Crema de las Fallas (burning of the fallas) on March 19.
Apart from the parades and fireworks, gastronomy is a very important part of the festivities, with two guests of honor, paella and fritters which is the typical dessert of these festivities.
CORPUS CHRISTI TOLEDO
Religious and popular festival that is celebrated every year on Thursday in the city of Toledo in Castilla la Mancha. Although it lasts two weeks, its great celebration is on Thursday. Its establishment as a popular festival in Toledo dates from the thirteenth century. The procession parade is on Thursday, however, the night before is the processional race that starts from the Plaza del Ayuntamiento and is the preparation for Thursday. The day before there are also parades of tarasca and gigantones. You can make the route of the courtyards of Toledo, where residents open the courtyards of their decorated houses and is only done on these dates.
This festival can be combined with visits to the windmills of Consuegra, Avila and Segovia. Reservations are recommended one year in advance.
CORPUS CHRISTI GRANADA
It is a worldwide Christian celebration, but in Granada, Andalusia began to be celebrated as a popular festival every year by order of the Catholic Monarchs after the reconquest of the city to celebrate the Christianization of the Arab lands. It takes place in the fairgrounds in the neighborhood of Almanyájar.
It has booths for tapas, flamenco dances and typical food and drink. It can be combined with visits to the Alhambra, Cathedral, Albaicin neighborhood and planned visits to olive oil factories in the Jaen area.
THE DESCENT OF THE SELLA RIVER
The descent of the Sella River is a sporting event that takes place every year on the first Saturday of August from Arriondas to Ribadesella in the Principality of Asturias. It is done in canoes or kayaks. For a small fee you can participate and includes registration and food.
Like all Spanish festivals it is surrounded by good food and drink, especially cider, which attracts many local and international tourists. You can visit the beautiful coastal villages in the area, as well as the mountainous areas of Cangas de Onis, Covadonga, the lake region and cheese producing villages such as Cabrales. Of course you can enjoy a delicious fabada or a good Asturian cachopo, not to mention all the rich seafood gastronomy of the area.
CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL
It can be seen every year from March to May in the Jerte Valley in Cáceres, Extremadura.
It is the time when the cherry blossoms bloom in that area and is accompanied by festivities with excellent food and drink. You can take walks along the Jerte River where you can contemplate the cherry blossoms. Each pass through a village brings surprises such as the cherry museum, the factory of Sayales (which today is a museum but originally was a typical loom of the area), the Cathedral of Plasencia (which in fact are two, the new and the old), and the aqueduct. From there you can easily reach Avila or Salamanca. You can’t miss the migas extremeñas made of bacon, peppers and chorizo, tomato soup and gazpacho.
TOMATINA OF BUÑOL
This small town in Valencia is home to one of the most peculiar fairs in Spain and the world. It is held every year on the last Wednesday of August: La Tomatina de Buñol. This festival has existed since 1945 and has been declared of international tourist interest. In that year, some young people got among the participants of a parade in the Plaza del Pueblo and caused the fall of one of the participants, who in retaliation threw at them what he found closest, which was nothing more than tomatoes from a vegetable stand. The rest is history. There is a tomatina for children from 4 to 14 years old and there is also a museum where the history of this festival is told in videos and photos.
In Buñol you can visit the castle, the Turche cave, which is a natural amphitheater with a lake and waterfalls. In addition to the cave, the Natural Bridge that is crossed in dry season and beautiful stalactites and stalagmites can be observed. It can be combined with a visit to Valencia and enjoy all that the Mediterranean Sea has to offer at this time of the year.
THE CIDER ROUTES
– There is a homemade natural cider contest on the penultimate Sunday of August in Villaviciosa.
– A cider festival is held on the first Saturday of September in Villaviciosa.
– There is an apple festival in odd-numbered years during the weekend of the 12th of October in Villaviciosa.
No matter which route you choose to enjoy this wonderful place that is Asturias, in the program we will visit Burgos, Santillana del Mar, Colombres, Llanes, Cabrales, Cangas de Onis, Covadonga, Villaviciosa, Gijon, Oviedo and Madrid.
On our tours you can visit beautiful natural and archaeological sites, beaches and hiking, cheese factories and llagares (cider factories in Asturias), pre-Romanesque and Gothic churches and cathedrals, as well as enjoy the gastronomy and the warmth of its people.
