The year ends and has to be celebrated in a way it deserves. Do you prefer a formal dinner at a good restaurant or an outdoor party in a bustling square? An unforgettable stay in a country house or a party at an elegant hotel? Think of some New Year resolutions for 2017 and we give you the keys to enjoy New Year's Eve on the Costa del Sol.
Twelve strokes in Malaga
How about changing Trafalgar Square for a place "a bit closer" to the authentic Cape of Trafalgar? What about eating twelve lucky grapes instead of singing 'Auld Lang Syne' at midnight? If you choose the capital of the Costa del Sol to receive the New Year, visit the Plaza de la Constitucion on the night of 31 December. The most popular place to meet the Spanish tradition of eating twelve grapes to the sound of the twelve strokes at midnight. In a square that becomes a huge party where thousands of people congregate.
Surrounded by music, laughter and drinks, the fun continues in bars and pubs of the historic centre of Malaga until the early hours of the morning. Would you hold out until dawn? You will then be able to welcome the first day of the year with a delicious chocolate and churros, the typical local breakfast for these long nights that join with the day.
Gala dinners, parties and balls
A perfect alternative for a lively New Year's Eve are the cocktail parties of the hotels on the Costa del Sol. Most of them organise elegant dinners where there is no shortage of lucky grapes, champagne for the toasts and lots of dancing, all in especially decorated rooms.
Many restaurants also offer special menus for this magical night. Although if you are looking for a unique alternative to bid farewell to the year, you can opt for the parties that some equestrian and nautical clubs in Malaga prepare. They are pure glamour.
A rural New Year's Eve
From the Serrania de Ronda to the mountains of the Axarquia, passing through the region of Antequera, the possibilities to enjoy the rural world are innumerable... also in New Year's Eve. Would you like to celebrate it in a typical village house, in an Andalusian farmhouse or in a hotel nestled in the middle of nature?
The rural accommodations of Malaga are one of the best options to say goodbye to the old year with family or friends. In addition, you can take advantage of your stay to visit charming villas decked out with Christmas motifs and discover beautiful places, such as those of the Sierra de las Nieves, which honours its name at this time of the year.
Traditions and customs
The arrival of the New Year is celebrated in the main squares of the towns and cities of Malaga. Tradition dictates that, at midnight on 31 December, at every stroke a grape must be eaten. In El Borge, however, it is customary to eat twelve raisins, since they are the typical product of this locality of the Axarquia.
In Coin, locals and visitors substitute gala dresses and formal clothing for New Year's Eve costumes. A peculiarity that fills this town of the Guadalhorce Valley with colour and fantasy. Like Carnival in December.
