Holy Week in Jerez and the White Villages
There is no doubt that of all the great Spanish Festivals, none is
more spectacular or more affecting than Holy Week. It has a special
flavour in Andalusia and few places celebrate Holy Week with more panache
or beauty than Jerez de la Frontera.
We spend seven nights in the Casa Grande, our charming home in this
most charming of Spanish towns. The processions start on Palm Sunday
and continue unabated until Easter Sunday. Holy Week in Jerez is rightly
regarded as second only to Seville in grandeur and spectacle. In addition,
the large Gypsy population give the Week a unique atmosphere!
DAY 1: We fly to Malaga driving through the mountains to our home for
the week: the Hotel Casa Grande set in a beautifully restored early
20th-century mansion in the heart of Jerez. Our purpose through the
week is two-fold: to explore Jerez, its heritage and that of the surrounding
region whilst devoting much of the week to savouring the many aspects
of Semana Santa. Everyday great floats take to the streets carried on
the shoulders of penitents and accompanied by marching bands and often
dramatic and moving processions. They are particularly beautiful after
dark when the thousands of candles, the haunting Holy Week marches and
the occasional, thrilling flamenco lament combine to unforgettable effect.
DAYS 2 & 3: Jerez has a major cultural patrimony: outstanding churches,
fine museums, a Moorish Palace and a lasting
tradition in horsemanship and Flamenco. We shall spend much of our first
full days getting to know the many faces of Jerez. Every church, for
example, will be open for visitors to view the Holy Week floats at close
quarters.
DAYS 4 & 5: Our itinerary takes us out of Jerez, firstly to the
spectacularly sited villages of the interior and then, on Friday, we
travel down to the atmospheric provincial capital Cádiz, crossing
the Bay on the legendary Vaporcito and lunching on sea-food in Puerto
de Santa Maria.
DAYS 6 & 7: We spend Saturday in Jerez for the last of the processions
and then, on Easter Sunday, we join most
Jerezanos as they travel to the coast at Sanlúcar for lunch on
the banks of the Guadalquivir.
DAY 8: We take our return flight.
THIS TOUR DEPARTS: 29th March 2010
OUR HOTEL: The incomparable Casa Grande
NUMBER IN PARTY: 12-16
THE PRICE OF THIS TOUR: £1550
(single supplement £150)