Monday Antas & Huercal Overa
Tuesday Los Gallardos, Albox & Cuevas del Almanzora
Wednesday Mojácar Pueblo & Bédar
Thursday Sorbas & Carboneras
Friday Garrucha & Turre
Saturday Vera
Sunday Villaricos & San Juan de los Terreros (San Juan Summer only)
Bank Holidays
Unlike the UK where a Bank Holiday is moved to the nearest Monday, in Spain a Bank Holiday usually sticks to the date.
For example if the original Bank Holiday was designated in the year “dot” to be on the 1st of a month then it will always be on the 1st of that month regardless of whether it is a Sunday or Wednesday.
Banks and official places will be closed on a Bank Holiday and so will the supermarkets.
Bank Holidays can also be local, regional or national and don’t necessarily all happen at the same time! Therefore, if you are going thinking of going shopping at Ikea in Murcia you may want to check that they will be open as they could have a holiday there that is not being celebrated in Almería.
We will endeavour to inform you if any are likely to occur during your stay.
Los Tres Reyes - The Three Kings
(4th, 5th & 6th January)
The celebration of The Three Kings in Spain takes place over January 4th, 5th and 6th with the last day being Epiphany, a national holiday.
The children may take letters to the Wise Men at the Ayuntamiento (the Town Hall) on the 4th asking for gifts and explaining why they should have them.
On the evening of 5th January many towns stage a parade of “The Three Kings” through the streets (as seen on the left) with colourful floats and fireworks and the children line the streets to catch boiled sweets thrown to them by Melchior, Caspar, Balthasar and their aids.
The Three Kings then make their way to a presentation of gifts to the children and then it it's “time for bed”!
Tradition has it that the children leave their shoes out for the Kings to leave their presents alongside. However, if the Kings consider that they do not deserve their gifts then they may find their shoes filled with coal.
The Day of the Three Kings is 6th January and the Spanish equivalent of a British Christmas Day. The children will awake to find their presents, the families will gather, attend church and celebrate with much food and drink.
On the morning on the 6th, in Los Gallardos the Three Kings, accompanied by camels, meet at a crossroads in the village, all arriving from different directions (as shown above).
They then proceed to the Plaza to perform a sacramental reenactment.
Los Gallardos also hosts a Medieval Market for the celebrations with arts & crafts stalls, food stalls and entertainment for the children (as shown on the left).