Since I'm still stuck on bed rest, we've begun planning our next European excursion and have settled on Spain, Spring 2007!

When we did France, Spring 2005, a huge highlight of our trip was a bullfighting festival in Nimes. The food and the music were so much fun. It was cool to be a part of the French culture during a time of celebration. We want to have the same type of experience in Spain.

So does anyone have any sites (in English!) listing Spanish festivals? Our dates of travel don't really matter, so I'd like to book things around some festivals, bullfighting or other. Right now we are thinking April, but a month earlier or later would be okay.

Thanks all!

Semana santa is a great time in most Spain, Sevilla being most famous for the celebrations. I suspect you will have a newborn with you, so I think that going to the more temperate South would be preferable to places like Salamanca where it can be really cold.

Another beautiful place for semana santa is in Elche, the palm capital of the world. There they have the palm processions that are beautiful to see and there is also a parade where they throw little pieces of devotional paper at statues of the virgin, making being on the street like being in a psychadellic rainstorm.

There is also Sevilla's Feria de abril, which consists of a lot of sevillanas dancing, drinking, horse shows, a fair (complete with rides and delicious carnival food), and all kinds of fun. That is at the end of April and is really an interesting cultural experience.

I know you said the site has to be in English, but if you can navigate it, the site festivales.com is the best site for Spain info.

I could translate for you if need be, it details categories of festivals you are looking for, region (cities), and time of the year.

Thank you for the replies. I will be looking up those festivals and trying the Spanish site. I've had 2 years of college Spanish, but I had to cheat to pass.

The baby will be staying home with grandma and grandpa. We left the same age baby at home for the France trip and everyone had a much better time than if we'd brought her with us.

We will be looking for warm weather having just endured another Michigan winter, so definitly the southern regions for us.

TTT

Las Fallas in Valencia in March!

Unbelievable festival. Five days of fireworks all day and night all over the city.

I can't even begin to describe Las Fallas. There are large paper mache statues all over the city, huge parades, and of course the pyrotechnics.

All the statues are burned the final night before the grand finale fireworks.

It is an amazing celebration.

Well now I'm torn. Las Fallas is March 12 -19 and Feria de abril is April 1-8. I don't think we can stay in Spain quite long enough to hit both of them (but that would be nice) so I will have to figure out which one fits our interests more. Fireworks will definitly peak my husband's interest. We were on Aruba for New Year's and we've never seen so many explosions in our lives!

Spaniards do amazing firewords at festivals. I mean, the 4th of July has nothing on even small towns in Spain. The Fallas are interesting and a lot of fun, but if I were you I would go to Feria. Lincasanova can help with this a bit, but Valencia during Fallas is a pretty congested place. Not that Sevilla isn't, but it seems less so, as the fair grounds are not in downtown Sevilla.

Fallas: many streets are cut and there are a lot of temporary detours because huge, painted cardboard sculptures go up. They are funded by neighborhoods and organizations and there is a competition to see who has the best (there are judges). Lots of girls are dressed up as bellezas del foc (little fire beauties), which is (in my opinion) the most beautiful regional constume in Spain (search images on-line). At night everyone goes out partying and in the early afternoon there is a mascletà, where tons of firecrackers (the really noisy ones) are hung up over a plaza and set off. They are so loud your insides vibrate and locals told me to cover my ears and open my mouth to alleviate the noise.

On the last night there is a huge fireworks display and then everyone heads off for the last night of dancing and festivities.

Feria: an actual fair with rides and all. Little casetas set up for dancing and lots of sevillanas. Women and girls dress up on polka dot dresses and costumes and walk around with their fans looking like movie stars. There are horse shows and lots of manzanilla drinking.

I know my description of Fallas has been more elaborate than that of Feria, and that is because I have only seen Feria videos and talked about it with friends, and only got to go for a few hours one day years ago. So, perhaps my wanting to go for real is why I am telling you to choose it over Fallas. . . in any case, that is what I say. Feria!

Claire..you are describing Alicante's Fogueres de Sant Joan Yes, they are the same in essence but belleas del foc..are only in Alicante In Valencia they are Falleras And for kelliebellie..I will choose Fallas undoubtedly. It's a much more popular fiesta than Feria , Feria is beautiful to see but the fun it's not so much in the streets but in "casetas" (kind of bars where people meet) and these are private, you have to have an invitation to join. In Valencia , the fun is in the street..wherever you look at

Well, now we've gotten to thinking that taking two weeks might not be so bad after all! We are looking at a very prelimanery plan, but it has us flying into Madrid, making our way to Valencia, traveling the coast to Seville and flying back out of Madrid. Would we be hitting the Spanish highlights with this plan? Hubby is an avid scuba guy and the idea of doing the Mediteranean appeals greatly to him. (I shop while he is under water so it works out well)

Well..if you travel the Mediterranean Coast you will not get Seville Seville is inside, not the coast and if you attach to the coast..no highlights
So, I suggest Madrid-Valencia-Granada-Cordoba-Sevilla-Toledo-Madrid