Palm Sunday
La Borriquita
The week opens in a luminous key: palms, children and the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. It is the procession of families, the one that fills the pavements with olive branches.
The declaration
A week ranked of
National Interest
In January 2019, Almería's Holy Week was declared a Festival of National Tourist Interest, the recognition Spain reserves for its most deeply rooted and far-reaching celebrations. The title crowned a journey begun in 2003, when the city obtained the Andalusian regional declaration.
The distinction rewards not a single parade but an entire week: from Passion Saturday — the Saturday before Palm Sunday — to Easter Sunday, more than twenty processions wind through the historic centre. Behind them stands a human fabric that works all year round: according to the city council, twenty-five brotherhoods, twenty-one of the Passion and four of Glory.
During those days the city is transformed. Chairs line the pavements, balconies are dressed, the scent of orange blossom mingles with incense and, as evening falls, the beat of the drums fills streets that belong to traffic the rest of the year.
2019
declared of National Tourist Interest
+20
processions across the week
25
brotherhoods: 21 of the Passion and 4 of Glory
The processions
The order
of the week
A selection of the most notable moments, as highlighted by the tourism office. The full programme, with each year's routes and times, is published at turismodealmeria.org.
The great days
Gran Poder and Macarena
Two of the city's best-loved devotions. Wax drips, the bands set the pace and saetas fall from the balconies onto the hushed crowd.
Deep into the week
El Silencio
The city switches off its voice. No music, only the creak of the poles and the rustle of the tunics: the most striking procession for anyone seeing it for the first time.
Good Friday
Santo Entierro and Soledad
The great day of mourning. The cortege of the Santo Entierro and the Soledad of the Virgin close the Passion with the deepest solemnity of the whole week.
Easter Sunday
El Resucitado
The bells ring out again. The week ends as it began, in full daylight: the city celebrates the Resurrection and bids farewell to its most intense days.
Living it
Experiencing the week
from Alhama
The natural stage of Almería's Holy Week is the historic centre: the narrow streets around the Cathedral, the squares where the pasos turn slowly while the crowd holds its breath. No itinerary is needed: simply take up a spot near the cathedral as evening falls and let the sound of the drums guide you.
From Alhama de Almería, the capital is 24 km away, about 25 minutes by car: the perfect distance to go down for the evening and night processions and return to sleep in the calm of the village. Those seeking quiet contemplation will find the week's most intimate face in the madrugada processions and the central days; those travelling with children will enjoy Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday most.
Practical information
Planning your visit
Dates
Variable · March or April · from Passion Saturday to Easter Sunday
Place
City of Almería · historic centre and cathedral surroundings
Distance
24 km from Alhama · about 25 min by car
Programme
Annual official programme, with routes and times, at turismodealmeria.org
Photographs: Bluebird.pictures, Benreis, Sema MzB · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA