Romería: Every Spanish village has its own Virgin. Once a year the effigy of the Virgin is carried out of the church and bought by oxen cart to an important point out in the fields. The villagers, many of them dressed in traditional costume, follow behind the Virgin, on foot or on horseback, singing and dancing. Once at the field, a huge picnic gets underway. As the afternoon moves on people begin to wander from group to group, enjoying conversation, tapas and plenty of fino with their hosts, and join in the singing and sevillanas. In the evening the Virgin is carried back to the church, accompanied by the happy but exhausted villagers.

Feria de Abril en Sevilla: The Feria of Sevilla is the most important in the whole of Spain. A huge area is decorated and prepared and small tents called casetas, elaborately adorned with lanterns and flowers, are erected on the side of the road. The casetas are usually owned by families, businesses and entrepreneurs, and you must have an invitation to join one (which can be arranged for you at Los Cerrillares). There are also a few big public casetas belonging to the main political parties. From the comfort of the caseta you can enjoy Spanish food and wines as you watch the spectacle on the streets and take part in the singing, dancing and general festivities. 

The feria starts on a Sunday with the world’s largest horse-carriage parade in the bull-fighting ring. The competition includes carriages from each century – they must be at least 100 years old to qualify – and harnesses from all over the world, and is also a showcase for the women’s traditional ornate costumes. After the presentation, the carriage owners go to the casetas and join the feria.

Your hosts at Los Cerrillares can arrange two days at the feria, one a day session, the other a night session. The day session begins around 12 noon with the huge procession of typical Andalusian riders, carriages and traditional costumes. Around 3pm lunch will be served in one of the casetas, from where you can continue to watch the procession of passers-by until about 7pm when preparation begins for the night session. The second session, at night, begins at 1am once all the horses and carriages have left. The streets and casetas are filled with singing and dancing – sevillanas and flamenco – and of course drinking and eating, until about 8am. Note that guests planning to attend the feria should bring smart clothes.  

Feria de las Cruzes: During this feria, crucifixes from various pockets of the captivating city of Cordoba are adorned and, in a joyful act of homage, the people wander through the city from place to place. The streets of the city are filled with singing, dancing, wine and tapas.  

Festival de los Patios: It is largely Cordoba’s Islamic architecture, abundant courtyards and balconies dripping with flowers that make it feel so romantic. During this festival, which is an old tradition, the elaborately adorned patios in the winding streets of the old town are judged in a competition and the public has the opportunity to see aristocratic Andalusian houses from inside.  

Romería del Rocío: Taking place on Pentecost, this romería involves the pilgrimage of more than 70 brotherhoods (Hermandades). Each has its church with its own Virgin which they carry to El Rocío to worship the Virgin Blanca Paloma in El Rocío. Starting from different places up to 100 km outside of Rocío, they travel 12-14 km a day, either on horseback, by carriage or on foot, some even barefoot. The journey lasts up to 14 days and at stops along the way, the horses and carriages are used to form a chorale for drinking, singing and dancing around the campfire from dusk till dawn. When the pilgrims finally arrive in El Rocío on the Sunday, the Virgin Blanca Paloma is carried out of the church for veneration and up to 500,000 people take part in the ensuing celebrations. Day trips can be made to accompany one of the Hermandades as they cross the sandy ways in Las Marismas.  

Saca de las Yeguas (mustering the mares): In June there is the special opportunity to witness the saca de las yeguas. Once a year, in June,  the herd of wild horses that live in Las Marismas in the Coto Doñana are mustered by a group of up to 400 specially licensed horsemen who own horses in the mob – the only people allowed to enter the Reserve. From the delta of the Guadalquivir, water travels in streams 80 km to the Atlantic and the horsemen drive the herd to the town of El Rocío, where the horses are taken to the local church for blessing by the Virgin Paloma Blanca. Shortly afterwards, the horsemen begin the journey to the village of Almonte, driving the wild horses through sand and pine woods. Just before Almonte the group stops and the horses are divided into small groups of 50-100 to be driven through the village where the town’s feria is underway. The streets are filled with horses and people, noise and festivity, a truly remarkable event. At the other side of the village the herd is closed in a large chorale and allowed to reform again so that mothers and foals can find each other. The horses are then sorted into smaller chorales by their owners. The following day is something like a rodeo: the horses´ manes and tales are cut and the foals are branded, to be sold at market the next day.

Trips are arranged to meet the riders and travel with them by car along the sandy roads and through the pine woods to the reception in El Rocío and the final destination in Almonte, and later to go to the market where the foals are sold.

Racing week in Sanlucar: The village of Sanlúcar is famous for its Manzilla (a light sherry), which rivals those of Jerez. Sanlúcar is situated on the Barameida river – which comes from Las Marismas – at the point where it  flows into the Atlantic. Each year, two weeks of races for pure-blood English horses are held on the long sandy beaches at the mouth of the river, beginning each day after the high tide has left the sand hard. As with any horserace, there is the chance to bet, to get dressed up, to see and be seen. Between races you can go swimming in the sea, or simply relax in one of the beach bars or restaurants.