The month of July brings summer to the Iberian peninsula. From Galicia to Murcia, temperatures start to rise and the Spaniards blood starts to boil. In this article, we will cover the best things to do in Spain in July.
The whole country starts to celebrate. Everywhere you go you will find a fair, a festival, a concert, etc. celebrating the arival of the summer months and the good times they bring with them. All the bars and restaurants in the country open their “terrazas” and begin serving outdoors so patrons can enjoy the warm weather with a cold drink.
Definitely pack some cool clothes and pair of sun glasses and get ready to enjoy the bubbling Spanish culture and the amazing nightlife Spain has to offer.
The city of Pamplona owes a lot to Ernest Hemingway, who portraited San Fermin in his famous novel Fiesta. Thousands of people, locals and foreigners alike, get together every year in Pamplona to enjoy and experience the risk, excitement, party, and fun of one of Spain´s most colorful festivals. Get ready to wear the typical white and red costume and enjoy the festive spirit that invades Pamplona and its streets during this period of July. The famous “Chupinazo” takes place on the 6th of July at 12:00
The running of the Bulls of San Fermin, known as the San Fermin Festival, is celebrated each year in Pamplona from the 7th to the 14th of July.
The start of these bull runs at any town festival goes back to the necessity of transporting the animals from the holding pens outside the city to the plaza where they will engage in the San Fermin bull fights later in the evening.
This popular festival is celebrated in Santiago de Compostela, the capital of Galicia. The celebration is mainly about Santiago Apostle (Saint James), since he is the patron saint of Santiago as you have probably guessed. This festival usually takes place between the 15th and 31st of July.
This is one of the most famous festivals in Spain due to the importance of El Camino in Spain´s history, and in the culture and history of Galicia. The festival of Santiago combines religion, popular culture, fireworks shows, and art demonstrations. We should not forget food and local gastronomy, which are very present through the 2 weeks of activities: albariño wines, delicious seafood, and fish, octopus tapas, or the famous Padron peppers to name but a few… This festival offers the perfect moment to enjoy the city and the many attractions of Santiago de Compostela.
Santiago de Compostela became famous as a result of the great medieval pilgrimages to the tomb of the apostle James the Great. Santiago de Compostela is today a vibrant university town, with lots of heritage, fantastic gastronomy and the end of El Camino. Located in the North-west, Santiago is for sure of one of Spain´s top cities
There are different Festivals that involve moors and Christians in Alicante. The one of Villajoyosa is one of the top ones and it takes place during eight days of July. This festival was declared of international interest. The most exciting part of this festival of Moors and Christians is the recreation of the ship battle that took place in 1538 when the beber pirates tried to occupy the town. The legend says Saint Marta came to aid Villajoyosa. The festival includes parades and an impressive ship battle on July 28th!
The Moors and Christians celebrations are religious festivals in Spain that are recreated each year in many villages of the east of Spain. During these three or four days of celebration, the end of the Christian Reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula in the XVI century is commemorated, after it was dominated for centuries by Muslim troops.
For tourists, the most spectacular thing of these festivals are the battles between Moors and Christians with colorful costumes and weapons of the time, scimitars, swords, cannons and muskets.
This music festival has taken place since 1978 in Ortigeuira, in A Coruña (Galicia). It has been declared a Festival of international interest.
This music festival takes place in July every year and it brings together recognized Celtic music stars as well as new artists. But the festival is not just about music: photographic exhibitions, craft fairs, dance workshops, and parades are organized. If you love Celtic traditions and music, this festival is the perfect excuse to organize a trip to Galicia. There are many things to enjoy in Galicia, far more than el Camino… if you want a hint of what you can find, have a look at the paradise-like beaches in the Cies islands national park.
The cities signature summer music and performing arts festival, with more than 90 spectacles taking place all over the city.
From July 11th to the 13th, just outside of the city, in an amazing natural setting, the BBK music festival takes place. Some of the top rock and pop acts in the world flock to Bilbao to put on one hell of a show.
The great fair of Valencia lasts the whole month of July and brings tons of live music, parties, delicious street food and plenty of good times.
The Malaga fair, La Tomatina Festival in Buñol, la Semana Grande, San Lorenzo – Lavapiés, Grácia festival are just some of the best things to do in Spain in August
The San Juan Bonfires, the wine battle of Rioja, the music and dance festival of Granada, are just some of the best things to do in Spain in June. Check out our top picks!
