Festivals

Málaga's Semana Santa (Holy Week) processions are dramatic. Nerja and Estepona celebrate San Isidro (May 15) with typically Andalusian ferias with plenty of flamenco and fino (sherry). The feast of San Juan (June 23 and 24) is marked by midnight bonfires on beaches along the coast. Coastal communities honor the Virgen del Carmen, the patron saint of fishermen, on her feast day (July 16). The annual ferias (more general and usually lengthier celebrations than fiestas) in Málaga (early August) and Fuengirola (early October) are among the best for sheer exuberance.