The tradition
A cross dressed
in flowers
In the first days of May, flower crosses blossom in streets, squares, patios and association halls across the city. Red carnations, geraniums, potted plants and embroidered shawls around a cross: an ephemeral altar that turns every corner into a small celebration of spring.
It is a rite shared by much of Andalusia: Córdoba and Granada boast famous versions, and every city dresses its crosses in its own way. Almería has its own — a lively spring tradition the city keeps alive year after year.
Here the fiesta is called "Cruces de Mayo y Mayas": a celebration organized and promoted by the Almería City Council, with an official contest inviting associations and groups to deck out their crosses — and in which mayas take part alongside them.
14
crosses in competition (2025 edition)
3
participating mayas (2025 edition)
11
days of spring festivities (2025 edition)
The contest
From cross to cross
across the city
Every spring, the Almería City Council holds its official Cruces de Mayo y Mayas contest. In the 2025 edition, 14 crosses and 3 mayas competed, from 30 April to 10 May, with refreshment stands ("ambigús") authorized on the Rambla Federico García Lorca.
The visitor's plan is simple and delightful: stroll. From one cross to the next, from a square to a patio, stopping at the stands for a tapa and something cool. The whole city becomes a flowered itinerary where each cross competes in grace, colour and wit.
The season
May, the month Almería takes to the streets
Few seasons suit Almería better than the first days of May: long light, gentle temperatures and a city that lives outdoors. The Cruces are the perfect excuse for a spring weekend — and the stroll from cross to cross calls, almost by itself, for a good tapas run and an evening of flamenco compás.
Practical information
Planning your visit
Photographs: Josefina Lucia Avendaño Isla, Kent Wang, Ismael Olea · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY / CC BY-SA