Turn the summer siesta into a Spanish fiesta

With spring in full swing and summer well under way, it’s time to celebrate travel’s peak season with Cheapflights.co.uk’s Top 5 Spanish summer festivals.

The UK’s leading website for flight price comparison helps travellers kick off the holiday season with one big Latin party.

“A British favourite, Spain is always top of mind as a holiday destination, particularly in summer, but the country has a lot more to offer than just its glorious beaches,” says Nadine Hallak, Travel Expert for Cheapflights.co.uk.

“Festivals are very much a part of the Spanish culture whether they’re religious or part of the local culture. They’re a great way to get an authentic experience and party like a true Spaniard,” adds Hallak.

Here we explore five of the country’s top festivals, starting with Easter and continuing right through the summer.

‘Moros y Cristianos’ in Alicante

Taking place over the Easter weekend from 21-24 April, ‘Moros y Cristianos’ or ‘Moors and Christians’ in English, is celebrated in more than 150 places throughout the country. However, the most famous depiction of it is in Alcoy - home also to the Battle of Alcoy, which this festival represents. Preparations for this four day fiesta are carried out all year, culminating in a colourful display of 28 costumed armies at battle all over the entire town. The event promises fun, noise and plenty of colour. Flights to Alicante start from £62 return.

‘La Feria de Abril’ in Seville

‘La Feria de Abril’ takes place in Seville from 3 - 8 May and is its biggest annual festival. The city is lined with more than 1,000 marquees which come complete with flamenco shows, music and bars. At noon, girls parade, riding decorated horses resplendent in colourful regalia, while the evening hosts some of the year’s most renowned bullfights. Partying typically carries on until dawn every night, culminating on a Sunday with a glorious display of fireworks. Flights to Seville start from £77 return.

‘El Grec’ in Barcelona

‘El Grec’, the most famous and most popular festival of Barcelona takes place from the end of June until start of August, lasting for five weeks in total. Hosted in the city’s famous El Grec theatre, this festival serves up everything from theatre, music, film and dance to a renowned Circus Night. The event features not only performances local to Spain, but also renowned artists from all over the world. Flights to Barcelona start from £119 return.

‘La Tomatina’ in Valencia

Paint the town red with the world’s biggest tomato fight in the town of Bunyol near Valencia. ‘La Tomatina’ takes place on the last Wednesday in August and is a veritable vegetable bloodbath. Lorries drop off oceans of tomatoes while hoards of visitors come in from other parts of Spain just for the festival, which starts at 11am. It goes without saying that travellers should wear clothing they’re happy to throw out. Flights to Valencia start from £79 return.

‘El Festival de Jerez’ in Andalusia

Taking place on the first Saturday of every September, the Sherry Festival of Jerez de la Frontera is a celebration of the region’s wine harvest. As one of the country’s main sherry producing towns, Jerez likes to make a fuss over the harvest, celebrating it with masked courtiers who throw sweets into the air for children to catch as well as an array of colourful activity in the form of races, exhibits, dances, bullfights, and all out partying. ‘El Festival de Jerez highlight is the blessing of the vines, which is carried out during a special mass in church. Flights to Jerez start from £86 return.

For more information and reservations, visit: cheapflights.co.uk