Semana Santa in Style: a Holy Week Itinerary in Andalucia by Ben Cooper
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Hotel Casas de la Juderia
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Swirling clouds of incense drift through the night air. A glittering float comes swaying into view. Behind it, row after row of sinister-looking Ku-Klux Klan-like figures hold candles aloft as they advance slowly through the narrow street. The crowds of people look on awestruck.
The occasion is Semana Santa in Andalucia – Holy Week in Southern Spain. One of the most dramatic events in the travel calendar, not just of Spain, but the whole of Europe, it gets underway in just a matter of weeks.
The itinerary below starts in chronically underrated Malaga, before moving onto Moorish Granada and rising to a stunning climax in Seville, taking in some typical places to eat (no sit-down meals here - just eating on the move!) and a few sights away from the processions, too.
All told, it will involve eight days of back-to-back processions – by turns flamboyant, theatrical and (even for the unreligious) moving – with a healthy dollop of eating, drinking and all-night partying thrown in for good measure. It’s quite a week...
A Light Starter: Semana Santa in Malaga - March 28th-30th
Rightly or wrongly, Malaga owes its reputation as a tourist destination to its year-round sunshine. Add to this the fact that it's one of the friendliest cities in Andalucia, and it's hardly surprising that Semana Santa celebrations in Malaga are the most upbeat in Andalucia. In terms of the grandeur of its processions, though, it’s really bettered only by Seville.
Where to Stay - Luxury Hotels in Malaga for Semana Santa:
Room Mate Larios: the best address in town. Rooms are smartly uniform and communal areas are stylishly decked out with a few sharp Art Deco touches. Space in the restaurant/bar and up on the fifth floor terrace is fiercely competed for – you can watch the processions as they sway mournfully up Calle Larios, dripping little droplets of red wax all over the gleaming marble paving stones as they go...
Another Room Mate offering, Room Mate Lola, can be found on the other side of the Alameda Principal; surrounded by the up-and-coming docks area, it offers a more futuristic, fashion-forward feel.
(See all luxury hotels in Malaga.)
What to See - Semana Santa in Malaga Highlights:
To catch one of the most impressive Palm Sunday highlights in Malaga - watching ‘El Señor de la Soledad’ leave the Plaza de Capuchinos - you have to leave the attractive confines of the Old Town. On Holy Monday, meanwhile, the best bet is an early rise to see the mounting of ‘Jesus Cautivo’ and ‘La Virgen de la Trinidad’ at the Church of San Pablo across the river in the Trinidad neighbourhood.
Refuelling - Where to Eat and Drink in Malaga:
Malaga has a broad hedonistic streak, and its city centre isn't short of a few places to eat and drink (and that's before you even get out to the lively eastern suburbs of La Malagueta, El Palo and Pedregalejo). Las Garrafas (Calle Mendez Nunez 6) is a noisy, high-ceilinged hall serving substantial plates of typical tapas fare. Nearby, Quitapenas (Pasaje de Chinitas, 5) is the archetypal ‘spit n sawdust’ seafood joint; if you can get in, the tiny Lo Gueno (Calle de Marin Garcia 4) is nothing short of a Malaga institution.
Away from the Processions - Other Things to Do in Malaga:
It might not have the most comprehensive collection of the great man’s work, but swathed in an atmospheric old palace, the Museo Picasso is more than worth a visit anyway. The city's other main attraction involves a steep climb up through the Alcazaba (a heavily restored Moorish fortress) to the Gibralfaro. It's a fantastic way to escape the crowds and find yourself a bit of a breathing space; on a clear day, the views also are stunning.
A Solemn Turn: Semana Santa in Granada - March 30th-April 1st
Head inland on the morning of Holy Tuesday and the mood takes a turn for the sombre. Granada’s a place with a soulful, even slightly mournful feel to it at the best of times, and its Semana Santa processions, though less elaborate than Malaga's or Seville's, are (arguably) the most solemn. The tone of ‘La Marcha’ (the accompanying music) tends to be particularly glum, and the streets echo and hum to the low funereal moan of bassoons all week.
Where to Stay - Luxury Hotels in Granada for Semana Santa:
AC Palacio de Santa Paula is the city's best high-end option. Housed in a refurbished convent that hides behind a 19th-century facade on the main thoroughfare, Gran Via, it's a reliable five-star option. Smaller and more intimate, but still standing toe to toe with Santa Paula in terms of grandeur, is the Palacio de los Patos. Finally, tucked away in the lower Albaicin, and quite a bit cheaper than both the above, Hotel Casa del Capitel Nazari offers simple, comfortable rooms wrapped around a gorgeous 16th-century patio.
(Read more travel writing about the best places to stay in Granada. Or see all luxury hotels in Granada.)
What to See - Highlights of Semana Santa in Granada:
The paso of 'Los Gitanos' is the must-see for Wednesday. Watching it struggle slowly past the Alhambra, turn the corner at the end of the Paseo de los Tristes and head up the hill into the gypsy quarter of Sacromonte in the small hours of the morning is one of the most impressive spectacles of the entire week. The saetas (unaccompanied devotional songs) that break out from time to time as it passes can be spine-chilling, too; flamenco great Enrique Morente has often 'performed' to the procession and its rapt onlookers.
Away from the Processions - Other Things to Do in Granada:
It would obviously be a travesty of a trip to come to all the way to Granada and not at least nip into see the Alhambra. But there are plenty of other things to draw you away from the processions: the crumbling streets and alleyways of the Albaicin and the Realejo (the former Moorish and Jewish quarters of the city, respectively) should both be thoroughly meandered through. A little way away from the city centre, the slightly doleful Monasterio de San Jeronimo and the Hospital de la Cartuja are both well worth checking out.
Refuelling - Where to Eat and Drink in Granada:
As long as you steer clear of the more touristy spots on Plaza Nueva and the top end of Calle Elvira, there's plenty of good – and very typically Andaluz – foraging to be had in Granada. Secreted away in the back streets of the Realejo, Taberna la Tana (Calle Rosario, 9) is very much a 'for those in the know' sort of haunt. Casa de Vinos (Calle Monjas del Carmen) is another intimate little spot for light tapas and excellent wines.
If you can get in - and this is a big 'if' - Bodegas Castaneda (Calle Almericeros) is a top choice. Despite being firmly on the tourist trail, their boards of smoked fish, cheeses and pate - all eaten under the watchful eye of a huge bull's head - are superb. High up in the Albaicin, Los Caracoles (Plaza Aliatar) is a good place to catch your breath and wolf down some snails (the house speciality – from which it draws its name).
Semana Santa in Seville: The Climax of Holy Week in Andalucia - April 1st-April 4th
Moving on from Granada on the early morning bus, Seville is the undoubted highlight of Semana Santa in Andalucia: the scale and majesty of the occasion is ratcheted up several notches, with the processions of the city's 50-odd cofradias (brotherhoods) seemingly on never-ending rotation.
Where to Stay - Luxury Hotels in Seville for Semana Santa:
Hotel Casas de la Juderia is one of the most characterful hotels in the city, a mixture of understated style and grand historical touches. In keeping with is edgier Alameda location, Hotel Casa Romana offers a slightly more contemporary twist on its lovely traditional premises (and a rooftop pool!); up in the interesting Santa Catalina neighbourhood, Hospes Las Casas del Rey de Baeza has a range of spacious rooms in a suitably atmospheric old palace.
(See all luxury hotels in Seville.)
What to See - Highlights of Semana Santa in Seville:
On Maundy Thursday, things start to get serious. Even standing room can be hard to come by on the official processional route (which begins at Plaza Duque de la Victoria and ends up at the Bishop's Palace, taking in the Cathedral and the Giralda en route). In any case, the most rapturously received spectacles tend to be from the traditional working class barrios - Triana and the Macarena.
Trying to find some elbow room on the routes of Las Cigarerras from Triana, or El Gran Poder (which sets off from the San Lorenzo neighbourhood) is highly recommended. ‘El Silencio’, however, is perhaps the most impressive moment of the entire week: the procession of a cofradia dating back to the 14th century, its passage through the streets is observed in complete silence.
Really, though, with so much going on in the thronging streets at every hour of the day and night, it can all get a bit overwhelming. So the best bet is just to stroll around and wander wherever the fancy takes you. This is Seville, after all, so you won't walk for more than about five minutes without passing some church or other!
Away from the Processions - Other Things to Do in Seville:
Seville is by some distance the largest and most attraction-filled of these three Andalucian cities, with far more to see than you could possibly squeeze into a couple of days. The Moorish Alcazar with its gorgeous gardens (closed on Good Friday) and the cavernous cathedral with its dramatic Almohad minaret, the Giralda, are the blue riband monuments.
Across town, the Casa del Pilato is a stunning renaissance palace that most visitors somehow manage to overlook, while the Museo de Bellas Artes is worth nipping into for its impressive collection of religious masterpieces and lovely central patio.
As Semana Santa draws to a conclusion, though, many of the city’s sights are closed or on limited opening hours, so it's best to be prepared to pound the streets a bit. To the north of the city, the Macarena is one of Seville’s most interesting neighbourhoods. Far less touristy than the more mannered charms of the Barrio de Santa Cruz, it’s great for wandering and has some lovely churches and one or two well-preserved stretches of Moorish wall to explore.
Refuelling - Where to Eat and Drink in Seville:
The trick to a night out in Seville is to try and stick to a couple of distinct areas; it's got an extensive old core and the choice of bars is, frankly, likely to get a bit bewildering. The noisy Plaza de la Alfalfa is as good a place to start as any - knee-deep in scrumbled up napkins, with ice-cold beers and plenty of crowd-watching opportunities at scruffy local favourite, Bar Alfalfa.
From there, it's just a quick stroll up to the adjoining neighbourhood of Santa Catalina for brandada de bacalao (cod in sauce on a toasted baguette) and other top tapas at La Giganta (Calle Alhondiga, 6). Practically next door, El Rinconcillo (Calle Gerona, 40) is the oldest tapas bar in Seville and offers atmosphere in spades and a mean line in cheap rice dishes and revueltos (scrambled egg-like affairs).
Next, it's time to take a bit of a stroll. Having meandered westwards across town to El Arenal, you can drop by La Taberna (Calle Gamazo) and La Moneda (Calle Almirantazgo, 4) for a selection of top nibbles in a couple of typical neighbourhood joints. As the night lengthens, head down to the river where the bars that line Calle Betis (and the street running parallel, Calle Pureza) are guaranteed not to let up until morning. Then get up, and repeat the exercise for three nights.
As Semana Santa winds down, the last glass of fino is drained and the city wearily hauls itself back work. Then, without so much as giving its inhabitants a moment to catch their breath, the Feria de Abril kicks in. Exhausting.
Planning a trip to Southern Spain this Easter? See our full selection of hotels in Andalucia for Semana Santa - or see all our luxury hotels in Andalucia.
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