This year, Easter in Malaga takes place from Sunday 13th April until 20th April. According to the search engine ebooking.com, this year Malaga is among the top 3 most booked Spanish destinations to visit at Easter.
These dates, which vary each year, not only mark the beginning of the tourist season on the Costa del Sol. It is also probably the most important date in the religious calendar.
In fact, Malaga’s Holy Week is considered one of the most important in Spain. This celebration attracts thousands of worshippers and tourists every year in a deeply moving spectacle.
Whether you want to come to Malaga at Easter to enjoy the good weather and perhaps take your first dip. Or you are attracted by the magnificent processions in the centre of Malaga, here you will find everything you need to know.
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Table of Contents
The weather in Malaga at Easter
As mentioned above, the dates of Easter vary from year to year and can therefore take place in either March or April.
This year we have a very late Easter Week in the middle of April. At this time of the year, we tend to have very sunny weather with an average of 20ºC during the day. But it still tends to cool down at night.
It’s also a good idea to pack a mackintosh, as historically it always rains one day or another. And don’t forget short-sleeved shirts and sunglasses because the sun is already shining brightly.
If the weather is good, you’ll see many locals enjoying the beach to work on their tans. You won’t see as many people swimming, as the sea is usually quite cold with an average temperature of 15/16ºC. However, a short dip in the sea makes you feel like new-born and also boosts your immune system!
What if it rains?
Normally, if there is some instability, it will be of short duration. And rather than rain, it will be showers and then the sun will come out again. In fact, this happens so often that we also have some glorious rainbows in Malaga at this time of year.
If you really do get caught out on a bad day during your stay in Malaga, remember that you are on holiday. So what better way to make the most of the day than to soak in the warm waters of one of the best Spas in Malaga!
Easter in Malaga 2025
Traditionally, the Malaga Holy Week begins with the first procession called ‘La Pollinica’ on Sunday 13th April at 9:45 am. It ends with ‘El Resucitado’, at 10 am on Sunday 20th April.
There are many processions every day in the centre of Malaga. Except on Saturday, when there are no processions.
In total, during this week there are 45 processions: On Palm Sunday there are 9, Easter Monday 6, Holy Tuesday 6, Holy Wednesday 7, Maundy Thursday 8 and Good Friday 8. The Holy Week concludes with a single procession on Easter Sunday, which starts at 10 am and ends at 3.15 pm.
This video, shot in Ronda, gives you a very good impression of the enormous emotional intensity with which the devotees live this event.
Official route for Easter Week processions in Malaga 2025
Each brotherhood departs from its own church. However, they all have a common route that passes through the historic centre of the city, passing through the following points:
Plaza de la Constitución, Calle Larios, Calle Martínez, Calle Martínez, Atarazanas, Alameda Principal, Plaza de la Marina and Calle Molina Lario.
- At this link you can find all the times and routes of the Easter Week Malaga 2025
App for Easter Week in Malaga 2025
Many places in the city traditionally provide printed leaflets with the routes. For those who are better acquainted with new technologies, there are several apps for routes such as:
Ser Cofrade App. Also available in English. It allows you to follow the Holy Week in Malaga in real time. It has geolocation of all the brotherhoods. You can follow their itinerary at any time and calculate the distance that separates you from each procession. Available for iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch) and Android devices.
Tips for seeing the processions in Malaga
First of all, don’t even think about driving into the city centre on these dates.
Although the central car parks are open, your car can be locked inside for many hours, as the streets are blocked off during the processions (which is basically from 4 pm until late at night).
When you go by suburban train (which has a special timetable throughout the night), be prepared for crowded trains.
Which brings us to the next point: If you’re agoraphobic and crowds aren’t your thing, don’t go to Malaga, it’s just madness.
Be prepared to walk (albeit at a snail’s pace), so comfortable walking shoes are a must.
It wouldn’t hurt to take a bottle of water with you. The bars and cafés are also packed with people and you may have to queue for a drink (or the toilet).
Did you know that… ?
Tribuna de los pobres (Poor People’s Tribune)
At the beginning of Calle Carretería there are steps that are popularly known as Tribuna de los pobres.
Historically, people who could not afford to buy a seat in the official grandstands (very coveted) used to sit on the steps there.
Today, it is one of the most popular places to see the thrones. An authentic place to feel the popular fervour. However, you will have to go in good time to get a spot (standing, of course).
The coveted chairs
As an interesting fact, the Malaga Holy Week Brotherhoods Association places around 20,000 chairs and several grandstands along the official route. The largest (and most expensive) is located at Plaza de la Constitución.
The prices for these seats are considerable and it is also very difficult to get one: The cheapest seats start at 83 €, while the most expensive seats cost 164 €. In the grandstand, season tickets start at 103 €, and the boxes start at 624 €. The most expensive is €980, in Molina Larios, for six people in the front row.
The Thrones
In Malaga a procession generally consists of two “thrones”: that of Christ and that of the Virgin.
With the exception of the very impressive Servitas procession on Good Friday, where the lights are switched off as the procession passes by, accompanied by a single drum.
The thrones themselves are solid wooden structures weighing several tons. The average weight carried by a man on a throne is about 20 kilos for many hours; in some cases exceeding this weight.
The throne of the Virgen de la Esperanza weighs 5,700 kg, making it the heaviest throne in Spain and it is carried by 257 throne men!
The throne of Christ is carried by 260 people. And the throne of the Virgen María Santísima de la Paloma, which is carried in procession on Holy Wednesday, is carried by no less than 280 people.
Long hours
Many processions begin in the afternoon, but the spectacle becomes even more impressive at nightfall, when the passing of the thrones is accompanied by hundreds of candles.
The average length of the processions is between 6 and 12 hours, during which time the men on the thrones carry this considerable weight.
Not surprisingly, the culminating and very emotional moment is the enclosure, when the throne finally returns to the parish from which it left.
Why are there characters in the procession that look like the Ku Klux Klan?
This pointed cap is very similar to what this American racist group wears. It is called Capirote and in fact has its origins during the dark years of the Spanish Inquisition.
Than, the condemned had to wear it to submit to public humiliation. The cloth in front of the face ensured the anonymity of the penitent’s identity.
Easter always falls on a full moon
The fact that Easter is celebrated every year on different dates. That is due to the fact that it is governed by astronomical variables of pagan origin. These were adopted by the Catholic Church.
Thus, Easter Sunday is always celebrated on the Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox (21 March). Interesting, isn’t it?
Antonio Banderas
Antonio Banderas is a fervent devotee of Holy Week and an active member of the brotherhoods of thrones. He joins them every year.
Unusual
The pandemic left us with such unusual images as this one.
Since Easter Week 2021 had been cancelled, it was held in November. Coinciding with Halloween and the Christmas lights already installed in Calle Larios.
Easter activities in Malaga
As we mentioned before, these dates mark the beginning of the season in Malaga and we can enjoy a great variety of Beach Bars in Malaga, the best Beach Clubs open their doors again.
Due to the generally good weather and mild climate, there are endless possibilities to enjoy the outdoors: Whether we dare to take the first dip of the year, as if we want to enjoy nature.
Discover the inland of the province of Malaga
Due to the current situation, nature destinations in the interior of the province of Malaga have become very fashionable. We can enjoy many places with a very high natural value in the province, although we advise you to avoid certain natural places during the weekends due to overcrowding. Yes, we are not exaggerating.
In addition to the excursion destinations already available on our Blog, we are going to publish more articles about beautiful inland places in the province of Malaga that are worth visiting, especially now, in spring, discover more in our Blog!
- Sierra de las Nieves National Park
- Wine Tourism in Malaga
- El Saltillo pathway Malaga
- Genalguacil, the open air art museum
- Tandem Paragliding in Malaga
- Caminito del Rey
- Active tourism and adventure sports in Malaga
- Torcal de Antequera
- Ronda
- The most spectacular caves in Malaga
- White Villages of the Genal Valley
- The most beautiful villages of the Axarquia
- Spanish Fir Routes in Malaga
- The Nerja Cave
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