Folklore and Traditions of Malaga

Second to the climate, the Adalucian affability and friendliness of its people is a big attraction to tourists. Warm, friendly, open and welcoming, the locals accept and respect the tourist and are delighted to share their traditions and customs with you.

This affable and cheerful character finds them frequenting bars, taverns, restaurants and beach bars where you can enjoy wines and tapas regardless of the season of the year.

Fiestas and parties are frequent, colourful and steeped in tradition in Málaga. Many have a strong religious origin but still there is nothing solemn but rather the opposite with parades of joy and colour

Many of the fairs and festivals which occur in every corner of Malaga have been recognised and granted the local accreditation 'Feast of Uniqueness Tourism Provincial'. Events are a cocktail of fine food, drink, history and traditions. The tourist who visit Malaga should not miss the chance to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the fiestas.

On the 28th December Malaga hosts one of the most amazing of the winter, the Fiesta Mayor de Verdiales. Verdiales is a form of flamenco that first developed century ago in the Los Verdiales olive-growing region north of Málaga, near Almogía. The festival will bring together competing “pandas” as they are known. These are groups that practice one of three different forms of Verdiales singing accompanied by their traditional folk dance and unforgettable costumes.

Every 16 of July, locals come to the beaches to accompany the Virgin of the Carmen in its maritime procession. One of the biggest religious holidays of the summer celebrated in all towns of Malaga costa. In the evening the Virgen del Carmen makes its journey in a fishing boat adorned with flowers, while other boats accompany them.

The burning of Júas in the Night of San Juan is another celebration of the summer and is deeply rooted among the musicians. Figures are prepared from waste materials for the bonfire, which will burn in the middle of the night using the fire as a purifying element. In the coastal areas bonfires and barbecues take place all alongthe beaches.

A opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of bullfighting is the traditional "Corridas Goyescas" where they held bullfights in period costumes in honor of Pedro Romero.