April is the most awaited month of the year by many. The cities of the province prepare to host the most impressive event of the year for many people: the Holly Week. Whether you are a regular to the most religious and cultural week of the year or if it is your first time and you prefer other activities, Cadiz is waiting for you.
Weather
During the Holly Week’s procession, to have good weather is one of the best things that can happen. It will make our day more enjoyable! Sunny days and cool nights, and temperatures around 20 ºC will be a real trouble – you will never want to go to sleep!
Historical and cultural heritage
But the Holly Week in Cadiz it is not only for the “religious”. The antiquity of its brotherhoods, such as the Mayor Dolor de Jerez dating back to 1488 or the Vera-Cruz de Cadiz from 1566; the story that their procession’s religious sculptures tell, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday; the sculptures, the embroidery, the clothing of the religious images or the magnificence of the canopies will make even the most skeptical viewer immerse themselves in this experience.
More than 300 brotherhoods in the province
Spending your holidays in Cadiz during the Holly Week is a great option because you will get to know the whole province through its different processions. In Cadiz, the Nazareno (Thursday night) and the Buena Muerte (Friday nights) are a must-see. In Jerez de la Frontera you cannot miss the Prendimiento and the Amargura. You also cannot miss “los armaos” from Arcos de la Frontera, the Borriquita viviente from Alcalá de los Gazules, the way they bear the procession’s religious sculptures in the girdle or “cincho” in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Easter Sunday in Alcalá del Valle or the “Encuentro” of Holy Thursday between Our Lady of Sorrows and Jesus of Nazareth in San Roque. This is a different way to visit some of the most beautiful towns and cities in the province.
A different way to bear
While in other big cities like Seville, cradle of the Holly Week, the procession’s religious sculptures are carried on the back, being those who do it “costaleros”, in Cadiz they are called “cargadores“. These bear the weight of the religious sculptures on their shoulders, which gives the procession a special movement.
Music
The number of followers of the bands that play processional marches and the brotherly music is growing constantly. Many of them have specialized in this music so much and have been singing to their favourite procession’s religious sculpture for so many years that listening to them live is an incredible sight and a delight for the ears. You cannot miss the emblematic Banda de Cornetas y Tambores Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Cadiz or the occasional songs and saetas that personalities as José Mercé or Estrella Morente dedicate to the procession’s religious sculptures when they return to their designated church in Jerez.
Special gastronomy
After Carnival, Lent begins: forty days during which most believers are prohibited to eat any kind of meat or derivatives. But there are a series of special dishes for both this period and the Holly Week to not get too hungry. Cod is the protagonist of this celebration, and we can find it, for example, in chickpeas with spinach and cod, followed by other seafood such as our famous tuna, omelette and hake or prawn fritters. But the product par excellence is without doubt the French toast or, as we call it in Spain, “torrijas”, a sweet treat that can be made of milk or wine. You also cannot miss the Holly Week bread rolls from Victoria pâtisserie in San Fernando or the tradition of tasting buns from Arcos de la Frontera during the Good Friday procession. They will for sure fill your stomach during the Holly Week holidays in Cadiz.
Streets full of life
The people of Cadiz have a special devotion for this celebration. A passion that adds to our affable character and the humorous touch that distinguishes us. Tourists get caught up in the atmosphere that surrounds them, the streets full of people until late at night, life everywhere, bars and restaurants, squares. They even can enjoy the good weather on the beaches between processions.
Beaches
As you already know, the weather in the province during April is almost as hot as in Summer months Therefore, taking the first dip of the year during the Holly Week in Cadiz can be a good idea. In cities like Cadiz, San Fernando, El Puerto de Santa María or Sanlúcar de Barrameda you can go to the beach by foot. In others a little further from the coast, such as the beaches in Jerez, you can reach the nearest beach by car in just 10 minutes.
Active tourism
Another alternative plan to enjoy of this week is to get to know the province by sea or air. In the coastal areas you will be able to enjoy activities such as kitesurf, surf, paddle surf and a long etcetera. If you are in Sierra de Cadiz, you will be able to do paragliding, hiking o adventure sports. Wherever you are, you will not have time to get bored!
Accommodation in Cadiz
If the province of Cadiz has something good, it is that organizing your Holly Week holidays will be very easy. Throughout the province there are different types of accommodations: from hotels to apartments, hostels or campsites. You will find them both in the heart of the city and towns where the official processions happen, as well as in more remote areas if you are looking for a more quiet time. The only problem is that you need to hurry up to book a place to stay, so…
What are you waiting for? Book your Holly Week holidays in the province of Cadiz right now!