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Spain is possibly most famous country in the world for its Semana Santa (Holy Week) traditions with cities, towns and villages across the country turning out to celebrate the ‘Passion of Christ’. These celebrations range from simple devotions, to lavish processions involving thousands of participants.
The Semana Santa celebrations are notable for featuring the procession of "pasos", lifelike wood or plaster sculptures of Jesus or the Virgin Mary representing scenes from the arrest, crucifixion and resurrection. These pasos are physically carried in the shoulders of costaleros, literally "sack men", and can weigh up to five tonnes.

The pasos are set up and maintained by hermandades and cofradías, religious brotherhoods that are common to a specific area of the city, who bear the paso dressed in Roman military costumes or penitential robes. Those members who wish to do so wear these penitential robes with conical hats, or "capirotes", used to conceal the face of the wearer (these robes intentionally served as the basis for the traditional uniform for members of the Ku Klux Klan in the United States). These "Nazarenos" carry processional candles, and may walk the city streets barefoot, and also carry shackles and chains on their feet as penance. A brass band often accompanies the group, playing funereal religious hymns or "marchas" written for the occasion.

The Holy Week processions start on Palm Sunday and continue until Easter Sunday with the most dramatic and solemn on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.

For full details of times and routes for the various processions in a town near you see:

La Linea
San Roque
Estepona
Casares
Manilva and Sabinillas

Up to 2,000 residents took to the streets of Estepona last Friday, 22nd February, despite appalling weather to protest against the huge hike in local taxes.

A section of the Avenida España in Estepona will be closed this coming Saturday, 23rd February from 8.00 am to 7.00 pm as part of the demolition works of the Prasa building.

The road will be closed from the roundabout in front of Estepona Port to the Avenida Juan Carlos I roundabout.
Diversions will be in place.

A man shot dead in Estepona's La Cancelada area yesterday is believed to have been the subject of a gangland assassination.

Demolition works have finally commenced on Estepona's Prasa Hotel construction which has blighted the town's seafront for over six years.

Building works were brought to a halt in 2003 when it was discovered the building was in breach of the regional government's planning regulations, although it had been approved by the previous Town Hall administration, which was controlled by the GIL party.

After year's of negotiation with the promoter PRASA, a compensation deal was struck, and demolition has finally gone ahead.

The demolition works are expected to take two months to complete at a cost of 1.2 million euros, which is being met by the Provincial Coasts Department of the Junta de Andalucia.

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Make your medical appointment now via internet or text message from your mobile phone with the virtual office Intersas (‘INTERS@S’) of the Andalucian Public Health System. If you have visited your local health centre recently you may have seen leaflets giving some details of this service. 

We're only just into the New Year and already the tourist industry is busy planning its strategy for the coming months. One of the most important events in the industry's calendar is Madrid's International Festival of Tourism, held at the IFEMA Convention in Madrid.

Carnival Programme 2008

Friday, 1st February
5 pm Fiesta de Carnival in the Senior Citizens' Day Centre
Election of the Ninfa and the Momo.

Saturday, 2nd February
12 noon Children's Party at the Palacio de Congresos
Children's entertainment and activities, election of the children's Ninfa and Momo.

1 pm La Bacala at the Parque El Calvario.
Organised by the Carnival Association 'Tipo Tipo' of Estepona. Performances by various carnival groups, with carnival related workshops and activities for both young and old.

10 pm Grand Carnival Fiesta in the Palacio de Congresos.
Opening address 'Pregon' given by Jose Daniel diaz Contreras, President of the Carnival Association 'Tipo Tipo' of Estepona.
Brazilian dancing by the group 'Brazil Samba y Carnival'
Election of the Ninfa and the Momo.
Performances by various carnival groups including comparsa 'El Templo de la Luz' from Malaga, chirigotas 'Vamos a Saco' and 'Si Es Pa Trabajo no Bajo' both from Estepona.
The party concludes with performances by a number of groups from the Cadiz Carnival, namely the chirigota 'Los Monstruos del Pueblo' and comparsa 'Los Perfumistas'.

Sunday, 3rd February
From 5 pm Grand Carnival Cavalcade starting out from the Agricultural Co-operative in Calle Terraza, then following the route: Calles Terraza, Felix Rodriguez de la Fuente, Calvario, Ebro, Tajo, Pilar de Farinos, Avenida Juan Carlos I, Avenida Espana, finishing up back at Calle Terraza.

10 pm Entierro de la Sardina
The traditional Sardine Funeral at Playa de la Rada beach, with bonfire followed by fireworks spectacular.

Officers of San Roque’s Polica Local have seized 800 kilos of hashish in an operation on the 17th January close to the Carteia archaeological site near Guadarranque.