Fiesta, Fiesta, Fiesta in Costa Blanca and Costa Calida...

Fiestas are a very important part of Spain and the Spanish way of life. They are very colourful, vibrant, more often than not very noisy, often chaotic and always great fun. Many fiestas have their origins in religious feasts and often honour a patron saint.

• Fiesta All Year Round

The nature of each fiesta depends on its origin. Some involve serious, even mournful religious processions such as Easter but most are accompanied by street parties with marching bands and much general merrymaking. At many you will find that fireworks and fire crackers feature strongly so you can be assured they will be loud and exciting.

The Moors and Christians fiestas which take place all over Spain go back to the centuries of Moorish domination which made a major impact on the country's culture, cuisine, language and traditions.

• Christmas, Easter and Local Festivals

Every day throughout the year there are fiestas taking place somewhere in Spain, either at a local, regional or national level. Many revolve around the major religious festivals such as Christmas, Easter and Halloween but they can also be highly localised events, with their origins in obscure local folklore.

• And Spanish Markets are a Must

Another thing the Spanish love is their markets where they can stock up on fresh produce, clothes, leather goods and shoes amongst many other things. No matter where you are, you can be sure there will be a local market going on somewhere nearby.