Majorca, the largest of the Balearic Islands, is so well-known as to be practically synonymous with sun, sea, sand and summer holidays. Tourists from all over Europe flock to the Mediterranean, and about ten million each year follow the lead of the Spanish Royal Family and spend their holidays in Majorca.

Visiting Majorca in winter, on the other hand, can provide a good way to avoid the crowds and excellent chances to explore more of this beautiful island, particularly for travellers who are looking for sporting activities and adventures. The mild climate lends itself to year-round outdoor activity, so the popular pastimes of hiking, cycling, horse riding, sailing, diving and watersports – jet skiing is much loved – are still available in the winter months and generally more comfortable to take part in when the weather is a little cooler. Away from the beaches, the island boasts some stunning mountain scenery, pine forests and caves to explore.

Throughout the Christmas and New Year period, as with all the Catholic Spanish territories, Majorca has a wonderfully festive atmosphere with lots of entertainments and treats especially for children. And the party is by no means over in January – early in the New Year, Spanish children celebrate the arrival of the Three Kings (los Reyes Magos), with a huge parade in the evening, gifts and sweets being given the next morning. Then for a whole two weeks (14-29 January), the Balearic capital of Palma comes alive with celebrations of its patron saint, Sebastian – it’s a perfect opportunity for visitors to see and take part in a traditional Spanish fiesta. The festivities include street parties with live music, bonfires and fireworks, fancy dress parades and huge outdoor barbecue feasts.

Prices for accommodation drop by around €20 per night in the ‘low season’ after the summer rush. Some of the most tourist-focused establishments may be closed during winter but a massive selection of quality hotels in Majorca remains open throughout the year. Along with the scores of three and four-star all-inclusive beach resorts – most suitable for large groups of holidaymakers – there are some exclusive, five-star designer hotels, aparthotels and around cities, converted mansions, manor houses and villas are found.

Many of these locally-owned hotels boast excellent cuisine, so are a good place to sample local specialities such as seafood paella, the spicy, warming Sobrassada sausage, wild mushrooms and olives, and the locals’ pride, almond cake and almond ice-cream. There are also some fine local wines, mainly using the Tempranillo (grenache) grape and the local varietals Callet and Manto Negro.

About the Author:

Elisha Burberry is an online, freelance journalist and keen traveller and watersports enthusiast. Originally from Scotland, she now resides in London.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/winter-on-majorca-is-fiesta-time-266046.html

Our journey begins in the east of the country in the town of Bunol in the Valencia region where a week long festival in honour of the town’s patron saint, San Luis Bertran, ends in the famous “Tomatina”, a two hour tomato fight where lorries bring in 120,000 kg of tomatoes for the locals to pelt each other with. It’s all a bit of a free-for-all and it’s usually girls pitted against boys for two hours of madness from 11am to 1pm. Participants can expect to get extremely messy and it’s advisable to wear something old, and preferably red, if you don’t want the stains to show up. Despite the “Tomatina” clearly being the highlight, there are many other facets of the festival to be enjoyed throughout the week with fireworks, parades and a paella cook-off amongst the most notable.

Not so far away in the city of Valencia, townsfolk revel for a week in the festivities of “Las Fallas”, another one of Spain’s more unique festivals. The raucous week of celebration takes place in March and is most notable for “Las Fallas” which are huge papier-mâché figures up to 60 feet in height. Built in the streets, the figures often have a satirical edge; Tony Blair and George Bush’s effigies graced last year’s festival. The culmination of the merry-making comes on the “Night of Fire” when all 700 of “Las fallas” are burnt to a cinder turning many of the city’s streets into huge bonfires. Undoubtedly the local fire services busiest evening of the year and certainly one not to be missed by visitors to the region.

Next stop is Catalonia and the town of Valls located about 100km south west of Barcelona, where every year townsfolk gather for the legendary “Calcotada”. A celebration of food and in particular the “calcot” (similar to a spring onion) with road side bbq’s char grilling piles of them for locals to eat. There’s even a hug pot of dipping sauce on hand to spice things up a bit. The main event is the eating competition as burly local champions from all over the region line up to see how many onions they can put away in 45 minutes, apparently it’s not uncommon for the victor to eat in excess of 300! After a winner has been decided the town decamps to huge local cafeterias where for a small fee the “calcots” are served in plentiful numbers alongside grilled meats and washed down with as much red wine as you can drink. It’s certainly off the beaten track a little bit and for that reason you won’t see many tourists but expect a warm welcome from the locals who will, undoubtedly, be in high spirits.

29th June, the day of San Pedro and we’re deep in Spain’s wine producing heartland, La Rioja, where for one day every year the medieval town of Haro is host to the famous “Batalla de Vino” (literally “Wine Battle”). Apparently the battle’s origins lie in an ancient dispute with between Haro and its neighbours. These days the fight is pretty good natured with thousands of gallons of wine being hurled around the battleground (a hillside overlooking Haro). Like the Tomatina, this is going to be a messy one and I’d suggest coming prepared with some ammunition of your own, the locals have been doing this for years so expect to take a few shots early on.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/a-guide-to-spains-quirkier-festivals-45499.html

About the Author:

Mike McDougall works for Babylon Idiomas, a Spanish language institute with schools in Spain [Barcelona, Madrid, Sevilla, Valencia], Argentina [Buenos Aires] and Costa Rica. Click here to learn more about Spanish courses.