Christmas in Marbella 2024
The sun is out the weather is unseasonably warm, yet it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Marbella! If like us, you have made the best decision of your life and bought a beautiful Marbella property, you’ll already know that Christmas can be magical on the Costa del Sol.
However, for the uninitiated, here are just some of the wonderful traditions, events, sights and sounds, that you can enjoy in Marbella and its environs over the Christmas period.
The Spanish Christmas Season
Most countries celebrate their own Christmas traditions and here in Spain there is a very unique flavour to the entire festive period. Firstly, Christmas goes on much longer, starting on the public holiday for Constitution Day on the 6th December, which is followed by the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on the 8th December, after which is the traditional time for families to put up their Christmas tree.
Christmas Eve on the 24th December is when family and friends get together to celebrate Christmas over a feast of mouth-watering festive dishes including the much-anticipated dessert tronco de Navidad.
Dining out at Christmas
Gourmands, will already know that Marbella is blessed with a multitude of high-quality restaurants, offering every type of cuisine, for every taste and budget. Most restaurants offer special festive menus, for a set price, with or without entertainment. However, if you plan to dine out on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve, you will need to book a table in advance. Some of our favourite options for the festive season are the Cascada Restaurant in Marbella which is offering a special menu on both evenings and the New Year’s Eve menu at Las Dunas Grand Hotel, located just a few minutes’ drive away on Estepona’s Golden Mile.
Need to buy last minute gifts or provisions?
Don’t worry if you need to do some last-minute gift shopping, there will be plenty of opportunities for picking up some festive treats, as shops and supermarkets are usually open on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, only closing on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, similar to opening hours in most European countries.
Spain’s largest department store El Corte Ingles has several stores located along the Costa del Sol, including Puerto Banús and Marbella’s New Golden Mile, serving some of the most prestigious villas in Marbella. Every year the store transforms into a Christmas grotto stocked with decorations, toys, gourmet produce and gifts, and of course the usual designer clothes concessions and much more.
Christmas Lights
Malaga city has a well-deserved reputation for having some of the best Christmas lights and 3D lights shows throughout Europe. Head to the area around the main shopping street, Calle Marqués de Larios, as this is the focal point of the displays, awash with LED lights and decorations including an ‘enchanted cave’ and five Christmas trees.
The lights were switched on 29th November and will now remain lit until midnight Sunday to Wednesday and then for an extra two hours on the weekend. Light shows take place daily at 18.00, 20.00 and 22.00 until January, excluding Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and Three Kings Day and Christmas carols. In addition, using the latest visual mapping technology to project 3D images on the city’s most historic buildings.
Nativity Scenes
As a predominantly Catholic country, Spain has proud religious traditions, one of the most impressive is the dedication to creating intricate nativity scenes on an almost epic scale. Every town and city have their own versions of the nativity depicting the birth of Jesus, in Marbella you’ll it in the Plaza de la Iglesia del la Encarnacion.
However, if you planning on seeing the lights in Málaga city, you could check out the city’s nativity scene displayed in the Town Hall, it is one of the most impressive we have seen (opens at 10.00).
Concerts
If you really want to get into the Christmas spirit you could attend a candlelit concert. What could be more festive that enjoying the music of a string quartet, playing favourite Christmas carols, old and new, from Jingle Bells to George Michael, Silent Night and Tchaikovsky’s Dance of the Sugar Fairy from the Nutcracker. Find out more here.
These are just a few tips of what to expect over the Christmas period in Marbella. If you are interested in learning more about the area or viewing real estate on the Costa del Sol, whether you want a luxury Marbella penthouse, new apartments in Estepona or a traditional townhouse in Mijas, we can help find your dream home. Call + 34 951 272 598, WhatsApp, email [email protected] or visit the website www.pardalisestates.com.
