A spectacle of pure beauty
Every year, during the Feria de Almería —the late-August festival in honour of the Virgen del Mar—, the Batalla de las Flores winds through the centre of the city. A dozen decorated floats parade from the Rambla along streets such as the Puerta de Purchena, accompanied by music, giants and big-heads and folk groups from across the province, the rest of Spain and abroad.
From the floats, red and white carnations are handed out, and the crowd throws them back: a peaceful, joyful "battle" in which the air fills with petals and the street turns into a carpet of flowers.
20,000
Carnations handed out
12
Decorated floats
120
Years of giants and big-heads
A tradition passed down the generations
Six of the floats feature distinctly Almería motifs —the Alcazaba, the Lighthouse, the feria booth, the peineta comb— and just as many are reserved for the youngest. Behind them come the giants and big-heads, a tradition with more than a century of history in the city that still draws smiles from children and adults alike.
Each year the route may change depending on works in the centre, but the spirit stays the same: the building of the floats is handed from one pair of hands to the next, and on parade day the asphalt ends up covered in red and white petals.
Where to watch it?
Centre of Almería (Rambla and Puerta de Purchena)
Puerta de Purchena, 04001 Almería