7 ways to welcome spring in Spain

The days are lengthening, the mercury is shooting up and the flowers are coming into bloom. Spaniards crawl out of their winter dens and occupy terraces across the country. Yes, spring has arrived in Spain! Officially, spring begins on March 21 and ends on June 21. So put that jacket away. And welcome spring to Spain in these original ways. Before we get to the list, let's answer a frequently asked question. Is spring a good season to visit Spain? Count on yes! The sun is shining. The temperatures are pleasant enough for terraces. But the sultry, oppressive heat of summer remains out for a while. Between March and May, you can still get outside without immediately turning into a ripe tomato. Scoring airline tickets and booking hotels is cheaper in the spring than in the high season, summer. Now that that has been cleared up, there is nothing stopping you from enjoying spring in Spain. In these ways, for example:

1/ Celebrate the Semana Santa

In Spain, Easter is at least as important as Christmas. Holy Week, or Semana Santa, is all about tradition, reflection, togetherness and culinary enjoyment. Christian processions roam the streets all over the country, for example in Seville. People take time off to dine extensively with family and friends. Some regions are only too happy to extend their festivities. For example, in Murcia, the spring festival takes place the week after Easter. A seven-day event filled with live music, dance performances, and... meat pies. Read more about Easter in Spain.

2/ Go on a city trip

[caption id="attachment_37459" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] San Sebastián, ideal for a city break in spring[/caption] From June to August, Spanish cities turn into roasting ovens. All who can, then trade concrete for sand and water. However, spring lends itself perfectly to explorations of such gems as Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid, Seville, Cordoba and San Sebastián. Do you immerse yourself in the culture of world-class museums? Do you see the seasons change in parks and gardens, such as El Retiro in Madrid, Park Güell in Barcelona or the botanical gardens of Marimutra? Or are you admiring the lengthening of the days from a strategically chosen table on a terrace? The possibilities are endless!

3/ Enjoy terrace weather

In Spain, all social life revolves around food and drink. As soon as spring is in the country, it happens as much as possible outdoors. Roof terraces open in cities, on the coast the shutters of beach bars disappear, in parks the first picnic baskets appear. A tinto de verano as an aperitif, tapas at sunset or a long-drawn-out meal among friends... All taste better in the open air.

4/ Admire the spring blossoms

Instagrammers of the world, gathers! In spring, Spain is a great setting for your photo sessions. It starts as early as February with almond blossoms. This is followed by peaches, including in Cieza (Murcia), and cherries. The latter cover the hillsides and slopes of the Jerte Valley in March or April in a sea of white. You can also marvel at thousands of cherry trees in bloom in the Las Caderechas valley in Burgos or the Mágina mountains of Jáen. If you haven't seen enough flowers after that, you should travel to Asturias in late April. In the Spanish cider region par excellence, the apple trees then blossom. Then, in May and June, Spanish broom turns landscapes yellow in Avila. And then comes summer, which includes lavender in Guadalajara.

5/ Behold the awakening nature

[caption id="attachment_37455" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Ordesa y Monte Perdido[/caption] No season lends itself more to an outing in green than spring. In Spain's fifteen national parks, fauna and flora awaken. In the Andalusian national park Doñana you can spot birds, deer and, with luck, lynx. Ordesa y Monte Perdido (the Pyrenees) and the lakes of Covadonga (Asturias) are also picture perfect between March and June. Waterfalls also show themselves at their best in the spring, when sufficient water supplies them. Think El Pozo de los Humos (Salamanca), Salto del Nervión (the highest in the Iberian Peninsula, on the border between the Basque Country and Castile and León), the waterfall of the Rio Mundo (Albacete) and that of the Rio Cuervo (Cuenca).

6/ Go for a brisk walk

[caption id="attachment_37452" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Camino de Santiago[/caption] In the summer, you already belong to the courageous when you trudge from your folding chair to the beach bar. The heat does not allow for long walks unless you want to test the limits of the human body. No, then spring is much better. Not too hot, but usually with a nice sunshine. Whether you want to venture out on the entire Camino de Santiago or opt for a block around, Spain has something for every hiker. Fans of GRs - in Spain they are called Gran Recorrido - can indulge in more than 200 long-distance trails. Well-known examples are GR 11 (from the Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean, across the Pyrenees), GR 100 (the Silver Route, from northern Spain all the way to Andalusia) and GR 330 (through the hinterland of the Costa Blanca). The latter leaves near Dénia.

7/ Celebrate

In the spring, the fiesta season gets underway all over Spain. Many cities hold festivals to welcome spring and the blossoming of flowers. In Cordoba and Girona, residents decorate their courtyards, courtyards and city gardens with flower pots full of geraniums and carnations. And in June, during Corpus Christi, streets in places like Toledo, San Cristóbal de la Laguna (Tenerife), Sitges (Barcelona province) and Ponteareas (Pontevedra province) are decked out with huge carpets of petals.