September is one of our favorite months of the year in Spain. The end of August and the return to work and their daily routines of most Spaniards bring a change to all tourist attractions in Spain. Temperatures drop, but you will be able to enjoy a beach holiday. Prices and this is good news, also drop (except for some exceptions like San Sebastian due to the film festival). You will not find so many festivals in September compared to July or August (in those months most villages take advantage of summer holidays to enjoy their local festivals), but do not worry. There are some exciting things to do. In this section you will find the best things to do in Spain in September.
The patron saint of Barcelona is the Virgen de la Mercé, and is celebrated every September 24TH since the nineteenth century to dismiss the summer solstice and prepare for the arrival of the colder months.
A Mediterranean feast that brings back all the inhabitants of the city to enjoy music, dance and street entertainment with Giants, Castellars and Sardanas that dance to traditional instruments such as the “chirimía” a kind of hornpipe.
The San Sebastian Film Festival is one of the most prestigious film festivals in all of Europe, held in one of Spain’s most spectacular cities. Discover the history of this unique award ceremony and what makes it so very special. The festival is a perfect moment to visit San Sebastian in September and one of the hot festivals to enjoy in Spain during this month.
This is a fantastic celebration to revive the history and enjoy Cartagena. Cartagena is located in the region of Murcia and is home to a large and well-preserved roman theatre (not as famous as Merida´s theatre but also worth a visit!) . In 209 Bc, the legion of general Escipion defeated the troops of Carthago. In our days, always in the second half of September, and during a bit more than a full week, you will be able to enjoy war games, parades, and battles between the Carthaginian and the Romans. These battles were an important event in the second punic wars. This festival in September has been declared a National interest event. Both the local harbour and the football ground are used to re-enact the battles. The Romans arrive from the sea, and most battlefields take place in the football stadium. Great fun but also lots of historical interest!
The Fiestas of San Mateo in Logroño take place in September during a week (September 21st has to be included in the week of celebrations). The origin of this Fiesta is connected with the grant of the title of Villa to Logroño. Logroño became increasingly visited around these dates, and this week an essential week for trade in the city. Since the fiestas coincide with the harvest and Logroño is the capital in Rioja, San Mateo increasingly became a Fiesta to thank for the harvest every year. Since 1956 it has be known as the grape harvest festival (Fiesta de la vendimia).
San Mateo is one of the best known-fiestas in Northern Spain, and since wine is involved, it receives a large number of visitors every year. Grape stomping activities, lots of food, wine. During this week, a gastronomy festival also takes place.
Locals are organized in “chamizos”, a sort of club to enjoy the festival. Chamizos prepare a local drink known as Zurracapote (a kind of sangria with cinnamon), and they offer this drink for free in the streets. If this sounds like fun, we recommend you to include Logroño in your September itinerary in Spain. You may also want to learn about the wine battle in Haro which takes place every year in July also in Rioja.
