Easter is one of the most important holidays of the year in Spain. In Alicante this is the busiest and most expensive period.

What there is to see in 2025 during the Easter days in Alicante and where you should be in the centre — you’ll read it in this blog.

What is special about the Holy Week in Spain

Blog update: 27/03/2025

Semana Santa in Alicante goes far beyond hunting eggs, raclette grilling and visiting family.

In Spain the Easter week starts in the week **before** Easter. This week is called Semana Santa — also known as the Holy Week — with many Easter processions in Alicante.

During that week many businesses and shops are closed , so you may well find a closed door.

Easter holiday in Alicante

In addition, many Madrileños (people from Madrid) own a second home on the Alicante coast. They flock to Alicante for Semana Santa. As a Dutch tourist you won’t notice there are “even more tourists,” but that week it feels almost twice as busy in Alicante.

A typical example: balconies whose shutters are usually closed suddenly open, with flowers back on display.

TIP: Because so much (Spanish) tourism comes for this special week, hotels and airlines charge higher prices than the rest of the year.

Do you want to experience this week in Alicante? It’s definitely worth it. But are you planning to just lie on the beach on these days? Then I’d choose other dates to keep your holiday a bit more affordable and pleasantly busy. Check prices with Transavia .

Still looking for an affordable and typically Spanish accommodation? Take a look at Guesthouse Antonio . Or see the page with nice Bed & Breakfasts.

5 accommodation tips for the Easter week in Alicante:

→ Guesthouse Antonio — simple but neat guesthouse, right in the centre

→ Eurostars Lucentum — Good hotel in the centre

→ Marriott Alicante — Fancy something luxe? Rooftop pool, great breakfast!

→ Meliá Alicante — All‑time favourite. Central location, everything you expect from a good hotel.

→ Gran Sol — Central location, great views.

What to see in Alicante

In the week before Easter there are impressive processions in Alicante almost every day. During these parades, brotherhoods march through the streets of Alicante carrying images weighing hundreds of kilos on their shoulders. It’s quite a task — temperatures have already risen and the robes make it a true challenge! But for Spaniards it’s an important tradition. Even if they are no longer religious; it’s important to belong to the brotherhood and celebrate this week with friends, neighbours and family.

TIP : It’s definitely worth seeing one of the processions below in the centre. Do not drive your car into the centre — take the tram to Plaza Luceros or Mercado.

You’ll find specific tips and information about Alicante in my Alicante Like a Local e‑book.

Palm branches from Elche

If you visit a market in the Alicante area right now, you’ll see palm branches for sale everywhere. In Jerusalem they symbolised victory. For a few euros you can buy a beautifully woven palm branch that will last for years as a souvenir! Spaniards like to hang them on their balconies.

These woven branches come from the city of Elche (Valencian: Elx), inland on the Costa Blanca — a very special and fun city to visit. You can shop in the narrow streets with lots of little boutiques, visit the Basílica de Santa María and climb the tower — from the top you can see at a glance how many palm trees grow there.

Elche’s palm branches come from the leaves of the date palm, which grow in the famous Palmeral de Elche. What makes these branches unique is the process used to prepare them. The leaves are covered for months to protect them from sunlight. This keeps their white colour, which gives the branches their characteristic look. They are then hand‑woven into special patterns — true craftsmanship passed down from generation to generation.

Typical Easter foods

When you’re on the Costa Blanca you’ll recognise the date palm straight away. These are the palms with the large orange‑yellow dates hanging in huge bunches beneath the crown. They’re edible, but not as sweet as the Medjool dates we know from North Africa. They’re used in different regional dishes, which you’ll find especially in Elche.

Other typical treats you’ll find in Elche during Semana Santa and Easter are **torrijas** — what we know as French toast. You’ll also see **Mona de Pascua** in every bakery: a sweet bread with sugar and an egg on top. Sometimes a real egg, sometimes a chocolate one. It’s traditionally eaten on Easter Monday , also called Día de la Mona . People go out to picnic. Want to know public‑holiday dates on the Costa Blanca? Check the Calendar page.

These beautifully woven Palm Easter branches are called “Palma de Ramos” here and you can buy them at the market for a few euros. They’ll keep for years!

Programme in Alicante:

Palm Sunday — Domingo de Ramos (13 April 2025)

Procession of Jesús Triunfante
- 🕐 Start: 11:30 — Venia: 12:50 — End: 14:15
- 📍 Departs from Parroquia de la Resurrección.
- 🎺 Accompanied by music and the public waving palm branches along the Explanada — a real crowd‑pleaser!

Maundy Thursday (Jueves Santo, 17 April 2025) (the one where you see many pointed hoods) — the:

✝️ Hermandad de la Santa Redención y María Santísima del Mayor Dolor

⏰ Departure: 19:30
📍 Start location: Parroquia de San Antonio de Padua
🕯️ Highlights:
- Meeting between María Santísima del Mayor Dolor and Cristo de la Paz at the Teatro Principal
- The narrow exit of the parish makes the departure spectacular
- Full ranks of nazarenos with capirotes — the classic Semana Santa image

This brotherhood is very traditional, and this is one of Thursday’s most impressive processions.

Good Friday — Viernes Santo (18 April 2025)

La Sentencia de Jesús
- 🕐 Start: 10:15 — End: 14:15
- 📍 Starts at Parroquia de la Inmaculada del Pla.
- ✨ Highlight: Reading of the “sentencia” of Jesus on the official route.
Procession of the Holy Sepulchre (Santo Sepulcro) & Nuestra Señora de la Soledad
- 🕐 Processions between 17:45 and 23:45
- 📍 Depart from Concatedral San Nicolás and Basílica de Santa María.
- 🎖 The Soledad procession is closed by local authorities and the royal patrons — very solemn.
Mater Desolata
- 🕐 Start: 17:45 — End: 22:30
- ✨ One of the official “Santo Entierro” processions, with unique symbolism such as brothers carrying lanterns.

Easter Sunday — Domingo de Resurrección (20 April 2025)

Procession of “El Resucitado” and “Nuestra Señora de la Alegría”
- 🕐 Start: 10:45 / 11:30 — End: 14:00
- 📍 Start at Concatedral San Nicolás and Basílica de Santa María.
- 💃 Known for its colourful parade and the unique outfits of the carriers (foguerers & barraquers).

TIP : Here you’ll find the full programme (in Spanish). My tip if you want to see the most impressive processions: be around the Rambla, Plaza del Ayuntamiento and Alfonso Sabio. There are thousands of people in the city, so it’s easy to find the route. The processions last for hours.

If there are updates or important info, I’ll mention them here and on Instagram.

This is in the street of La Milagrosa off Calle Mayor. Here you’ll find, among others, Baja Bikes — provider of the City Highlights bike tour — and the lovely Hostal La Milagrosa with a great roof terrace!

“When is that procession with the KKK‑style pointed hoods?”

I get this question regularly. On Dutch TV the procession is often shown in which Spaniards walk with the well‑known pointed hoods (nazarenos), sometimes barefoot. This dates from the time of the Spanish Inquisition. Anyone who had committed a religious crime had to walk their path to heaven as a nazareno. This ritual therefore has nothing to do with American racism!

During the procession a **Paso** weighing hundreds of kilos portraying Jesus is carried first. This is followed by a Paso with Mary . Then comes the band, which sets the rhythm for the carriers of the images. And then comes the group of people wearing pointed hoods.

This is, in my opinion, the most impressive moment in Alicante: with so many people on one square, coloured papers with religious images thrown down from rooftops, music, and then the immensely heavy images carried under loud applause from the spectators.

Why is this week still so important for Spaniards?

Firstly, because this tradition is passed down from generation to generation in Spanish families. It’s a great honour if you are allowed to walk in a procession.

Secondly, it truly marks the start of the summer season. There’s a big spring clean because the family comes to eat at home. You can sit outside again, so terraces reopen. And it’s the moment to return to your hometown and catch up with old friends.

Fun Spanish non‑religious traditions

Thirdly, Easter Monday is **the** day in Alicante to head to the **campo** with the whole family — called Día de la Mona . People take chairs, picnic baskets, food and drink inland. Chairs are unfolded, barbecues lit, and people chat and feast for hours on lots of homemade food and drink. And the Mona de Pascua is eaten — a sweet bun with a boiled egg on top. You’re allowed to crack it on your neighbour’s forehead at the table — hilarious! For dessert there are torrijas (French toast). I think I’ll introduce a scoop of vanilla ice cream this year.

TIP : Buy your Mona de Pascua at the bakery on the corner of every street. Chocolate eggs can be found at Lidl and Aldi! Note: they melt faster here than in the Netherlands… So eat them quickly!

Want more local tips? Download my E‑book with the best local tips for the Costa Blanca!

Easter 2025 in Alicante — Semana Santa