From Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, Málaga affords a handful of unforgettable, heartfelt scenes. The whole province transforms into a magical setting where you can smell incense at any time of day, hear the beat of drums or listen to someone singing an improvised saeta from a balcony.
Easter in Málaga City
There is an official procession route in Málaga City where you can watch all the different brotherhoods when they come out, without missing a single detail. Accompanied by bands of bugles and drums, they carry their floats and images, with a high historical and artistic value.
But when in Málaga, do as the Malagueños do. For a genuine Easter experience, the processions to attend are those of the brotherhoods of Tears and Favours, and Humiliation of Christ, Christ in Captivity across the Bridge of La Aurora on Holy Monday, and the legionnaires singing praise to the Christ of Mena from Tribuna de los Pobres.
Easter highlights in Málaga include the pardon granted to a man in jail by the brotherhood of Father Jesus the Rich or the rustling rosemary under the solemn feet of the brethren of Holy Christ of Hope. There are a thousand and one corners to experience the Holy Week in a special way in Málaga. And after religious activity, you can drink a glass of wine and eat some delicious tapas with friends.
Easter in Málaga Province
Easter processions are quite striking in Ronda as well, where the backdrop of the impressive gorge and majestic buildings only enhance their beauty. In Antequera they stick to a very peculiar tradition known as Correr la Vega: the members of most religious brotherhoods take their floats to the highest point of a climb and then go down at fast pace to have them blessed in the meadows.
From Vélez-Málaga to Campillos, Archidona, Álora or Arriate, brotherhoods and their processions are a common sight in Easter across the province. Even small villages like Cartajima have their own traditions, like the burning of Judas dolls or the reunion of Virgin Mary with Her Son in the Garden of Olives.
In other towns – for instance, in Benalmádena or Istán –, locals recreate the Passion of Jesus by performing scenes from the Bible on Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Riogordo is famous for this performance, known as El Paso – a tradition dating back to the eighteenth century.
