SPAIN ,,,,*
A Coruña,SCQ,SCQ,,*
A Coruña city,,SCQ,SCQ-10,*
Alava,VIT,VIT,,*
Albacete,ABC,ABC,,*
Alicante,ALC,ALC,,*
Alicante city,,ALC,ALC-99,*
Almeria city,,LEI,LEI-13,*
Almeria - Costa de Almeria,LEI,LEI,,*
Altea,,ALC,ALC-13,*
Asturias,OVD,OVD,,*
Avila,AVA,AVA,,*
Badajoz,BJZ,BJZ,,*
Barcelona,BCN,BCN,,*
Barcelona Airport Area,,BCN,BCN-48,*
Barcelona Surroundings,,BCN,BCN-14,*
Basque Country,PAISVASCO,,,*
Benicassim,,CAZ,CAZ-40,*
Benidorm,BEN,BEN,,*
Bilbao,BIO,BIO,,*
Bilbao city,,BIO,BIO-99,*
Burgos,BRG,BRG,,*
Caceres,CRS,CRS,,*
Cadiz - Jerez,CAD,CAD,,*
Cantabria,SDR,SDR,,*
Cartagena,,MJV,MJV-20,*
Castellon,CAS,CAS,,*
Ciudadela,,MAH,MAH-20,*
Ciudad Real,CRE,CRE,,*
Cordoba,ODB,ODB,,*
Costa Adeje,,TFS,TFS-84,*
Costa Blanca,COSTABLANC,,,*
Costa Brava and Maresme,LLM,LLM,,*
Costa Daurada,SAL,SAL,,*
Costa de la Luz,LUZ-LUS,,,*
Costa del Sol Area,COSTASOL,,,*
Costa de Valencia,CVA,CVA,,*
Cuenca,CCA,CCA,,*
Denia,,ALC,ALC-24,*
El Arenal,,PMI,PMI-75,*
El Hierro,VDE,VDE,,*
Extremadura,EXTREMAD,,,*
Formentera,FOR,FOR,,*
Fuerteventura,FUE,FUE,,*
Galicia,GALICIA,,,*
Gerona,GRO,GRO,,*
Gijon,,OVD,OVD-20,*
Granada,GRX,GRX,,*
Gran Canaria,LPA,LPA,,*
Guadalajara,GUJ,GUJ,,*
Huelva,HUE,HUE,,*
Huesca,HUS,HUS,,*
Ibiza,IBZ,IBZ,,*
Jaen,JEN,JEN,,*
La Gomera,QGZ,QGZ,,*
La Manga,LMN,LMN,,*
Lanzarote,ACE,ACE,,*
La Palma,SPC,SPC,,*
Laredo,,SDR,SDR-52,*
La rioja,LOG,LOG,,*
Las Palmas,,LPA,LPA-10,*
Leon,LEO,LEO,,*
Logroño,,LOG,LOG-99,*
Lugo,LGO,LGO,,*
Madrid,MAD,MAD,,*
Madrid city,,MAD,MAD-99,*
Magaluf,,PMI,PMI-30,*
Mahon,,MAH,MAH-10,*
Majorca,PMI,PMI,,*
Malaga,MAL,MAL,,*
Malaga City,,MAL,MAL-10,*
Maresme,MARESME,LLM,,*
Menorca,MAH,MAH,,*
Merida,,BJZ,BJZ-90,*
Murcia,MJV,MJV,,*
Navarra,PNA,PNA,,*
Oropesa,,CAZ,CAZ-60,*
Ourense,ORE,ORE,,*
Oviedo,,OVD,OVD-10,*
Pamplona,,PNA,PNA-99,*
Pontevedra,,VGO,VGO-50,*
Pontevedra - Vigo,VGO,VGO,,*
Pyrenees - Aragón,ARA,ARA,,*
Pyrenees - Cataluña,PIR,PIR,,*
Salamanca,SLM,SLM,,*
San Sebastian,EAS,EAS,,*
Santander,,SDR,SDR-99,*
Santiago de Compostela,,SCQ,SCQ-99,*
Segovia,SEG,SEG,,*
Seville,SVQ,SVQ,,*
Sierra Nevada,,GRX,GRX-23,*
Sitges - Costa del Garraf,STS,STS,,*
Soria,SOR,SOR,,*
Tarragona,,SAL,SAL-80,*
Tenerife,TFS,TFS,,*
Teruel,TER,TER,,*
Toledo,TOL,TOL,,*
Tudela,,PNA,PNA-10,*
Valencia,VLC,VLC,,*
Valladolid,VLL,VLL,,*
Vigo,,VGO,VGO-99,*
Vila Real,,CAS,CAS-3,*
Vitoria Gasteiz,,VIT,VIT-20,*
West Majorca,,PMI,WESTMALL,*
Zamora,ZAM,ZAM,,*
Zaragoza,ZAZ,ZAZ,,*
In Holy Week, the processions of the Maritime District of Valencia are especially interesting, as are the ones in Benetúser, where Passion performances take place in the street and brotherhoods as well as the resident population participate; or those in Gandía because of their rich costumes and in Moncada, which are officially held to be of interest to tourists with scenes of the Passion taking place in natural surroundings. With the arrival of Easter Saturday in April, "les Pascües" or Pascua Florida begins, celebrating nature with picnics in the countryside to eat "la mona" (pastry incorporating a hard-boiled egg) and fly a kite (catxerulo in the vernacular). This is a splendid part of the festive calendar followed by the celebrations in honour of San Vicente Ferrer with the performance of his miracles on altars raised by the brotherhoods in the street. After the feasts of La Santa Cruz (Holy Cross), popular enthusiasm reaches its peak during the "traslado" or transfer of La Mare de Deu dels Desamparats from the Basilica to the Cathedral (2nd Sunday of May). Also typical is the "fira de l'escuraeta" (popular Valencia ceramics), a fair held on Zaragoza Square.
June sees the traditional Corpus Christi procession which has taken place since 1355 and includes many biblical figures preceded by "Las Rocas", carriages which are many centuries old.
Especially outstanding in the popular July Fair (fira de Juliol) is the already 100-year old International Musical Bands Competition which ends with a flower show (Batalla de Flores).
In August and September there is an endless succession of festive occasions in the whole province, including Patron Saint celebrations which would be incomplete without processions, "romerias", ie, festive-religious excursions, popular dances, driving young bulls through the streets (encierros de vaquillas) or "el toro embolado" (a bull whose horns are decorated with wooden balls).
Since their attraction surpasses local boundaries, in August the following celebrations stand out: la enramá de la murta in Almácera (2nd fortnight); les alfábegues (basil plants) feast in Bétera, from 15th to 22nd; la carxofa and la dansa dels porrots in Silla, from 4th to 20th; el torico de la cuerda in Chiva, from 15th to 25th; and in the last week of August, la tomatina (tomato battle) in Buñol and la cordá in Paterna, while the Grape Harvest Feast in Requena lasts into the first week of September. Especially outstanding in September are La Moixeranga and all the other dances performed in Algemesí, from 6th to 8th: les festes de l'arrós in Sueca, in the first fortnight; San Miguel Arcángel in Liria on September 29th, which has been celebrated since 1466; and the Patron Saint celebration in Gandía dedicated to Frances Borgia and first celebrated in 1673. On October 9th. the feast of San Dionís allows Valencia to commemorate the conquest of the city by Jaime I. This particular event has become a local celebration of the Valencia Community. This is a crowded, but still incomplete summary of a lengthy calendar of celebrations and festivals which is brought to a close with La Fira de Nadal, the Christmas fair in Valencia, a fair especially designed for the entertainment of children.
Los Realejos
Los Realejos (pop. 32,588) is under the shade of the great slopes of the Las Cañadas del Teide mountain range.
La Laguna
San Cristobal de La Laguna is the historical town par excellence of the Canary Islands.
It was founded in 1497 on the shores of a lake which finally dried up during the last century.
