Andalucia is a province of Spain steeped in tradition and what may seem to be a completely bizarre and crazy custom to visitors has been practised for centuries in this deeply ritualistic region of Spain and consequently the locals don’t bat an eye.

One such antiquated annual custom, which has remained unbroken for the last 400 years, is a pilgrimage made to the top of a mountain known as Mount Jabalcon near to the unpretentious yet characterful working town of Zujar in the Granada Province of Andalucia.

The ‘Romeria de Jabalcon” – Pilgrimage of Jabalcon – takes place on the last Sunday of April every year. This religious event attracts around 15,000 ‘pilgrims’ who slowly make their way up 15 kilometres of steep, rough and often treacherous terrain to the top of the mountain.

Heading the convoy of pilgrims is a figure of the Virgin Mary, who is righteously raised above the heads of six young strong ‘Zujarenos’ from the village below, in an ornate carriage decorated with flowers, crosses and euro notes – a tradition which is often used in Spain to represent prosperity.

The dutiful pilgrims are respectfully returning the Virgin Mary to her home, a hermitage on the top of Mount Jabalcon, where she will spend another year looking down and protecting the village of Zujar below.

From young and sprightly chaps in their 20s almost jogging to the summit, to old ladies in their 80s slowly edging up the mountain, often without shoes as a means of repenting their sins, the ‘Romeria de Jabalcon’, is a serious affair yet lacks the solemnity that often accompanies such a serious religious celebration.

Instead, Mount Jabalcon, on the last Sunday in April, is a hive of enthusiasm, happiness and excitement, particularly when you reach the top.

On the summit, Andalucian flags wave cheerily in the breeze with chorizo sausage and Cruzcampo beer dominating the tang in the air, as families and friends spread out their blankets and sit down to picnics fit for royalty!

With the blue skies this southern Spanish province is often blessed with in April, with the friendly hospitable locals serving you a tasty plate of tapas every time you order a drink, and with ancient religious traditions this heady and fun, there are plenty of reasons to visit Andalucia in April, and the ‘Romeria de Jabalcon’ is just one of them!

Whilst it would be impossible to report on every fiesta occurring in Spain during the months of January and February, our attention is riveted to Malaga and to the Fiestas de Carnaval Malaga 2012.

Each year the Andalucian coastal town of Malaga hosts a huge carnival celebration, where fireworks, parades and partying take priority for more than three weeks.

This highly anticipated event offers a range of activities, both traditional and new, ranging from Flamenco dancing typical of Andalucia, to the crowning of the Carnival Queen, best singer award and a highly amusing fancy dress competition.

Lovers of shopping will also be in their element at the Fiestas de Carnaval Malaga 2012, as stalls selling traditional, hand-crafted artefacts, unique pottery and ceramics and many, many other local delights, are scattered across this sophisticated Spanish city.

This year the Fiestas de Carnaval Malaga is already in full flow (from January 22) and runs until February 19. You should really witness the hundreds of street musicians, bands, parades, costumes, fireworks, entertainers and even join the Feast of February in the Hall of Mirrors, and do as the Spanish do, party at a time when other are wallowing in self-pity!

For more information on the Fiestas de Carnaval Malaga 2012 visit the official website at carnavaldemalaga.com.

The city of Girona, in the northeast of Catalonia, provides for a captivating and memorable visit for many reasons. Being cited as having ‘all the charm of a large city but without the crowds’, this “human-sized” city can be easily ‘accomplished’ in a day, but what an ‘accomplishment it proves to be.

On top of all the fascinating architecture, the quirky alleyway bars, the abundance of activities for all the family, and riverside picnics taken in the midst of the city, classical music in Girona 2012 offers so much.

Early 2012 is to see an explosion of classical events taking place in this river-bound Catalonian city. On 22 January, 2012, will Bavouzet & Kocsis: Hungarian national Philharmonic Orchestra will be playing at the Auditori de Girona, Symphonic Hall, where guests can experience an exciting programme of pure classical music with works by Ravel, Dukas, Listz and Debussy, filling the Symphonic Hall’s mighty walls.

On 19 February, 2012, the Vienna Chamber orchestra will take place in the Symphonic Hall, whereby the audience will be treated to audio delights with works by Shostakovich and Mozart.

By March the weather should be warming up in this beautiful inland Spanish city and so will the Sala de Cambra, when it puts on the Trio Ludwig, when the works of Beethoven, Mozart and Shostakovich will be heard on March 4, 2012.

Two weeks later, on 25 March, 2012, Arcadi Volodos will be taking place in the Symphonic Hall in Girona, delighting the audience with a great programme that includes the works of Brahms, Listz and Schubert but performed by the sensational Arcadi Volodos.

If your trip to this captivating Spanish city to experience a classical music ‘fix’ can wait until May, then on May 20, 2012, the Volodin & Fedosseiev: Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra will be enthralling an audience with works by Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky performed by Alexei.

Santiago de Compostela is the capital of Galicia in the north west of Spain. This World Heritage City is famous for its monumental cathedral, being the final destination for the annual Saint James pilgrimage, and is a fine example of historical, urban and environmental regeneration.

In March, the Santiago de Compostela Carnival 2012 is taking place. To mark the beginning of Lent, this cultural and historical capital in any historian’s eyes, is converted into a chaotic world of satirical fancy dress.

This vivacious event reaches its pinnacle at the grand cathedral’s gates where the carnival performs a painstakingly well-rehearsed show in front of the thousands of carnival revellers pouring onto the streets of Santiago de Compostela to witness a fiesta, flamboyant even in Spanish terms.

Traditional and delicious food features heavily throughout the carnival, with pork, conjured up in various forms, and savoury pancakes being handed out in abundance. On Shrove Tuesday itself, the city embraces itself for a Mardi Gras parade, which winds through the ancient streets comprising of floats, traditional Galician costumes and many loud yet talented brass bands.

To mark the end of the carnival, on Ash Wednesday the crowds of local, national and international carousers make their way to the Praza do Toural where the celebrations reach their zenith!

Here the crowds listen to the carnival verse that satirically mocks both the year’s events in the city as well as some of local characters. This heart-racing and spirited event finally concludes with the ceremonial burning of the Meco, which is the symbol of the carnival.

Laughter and fun is at the heart of this joyous event and if you are thinking of travelling to the gloriously green lands of Galicia next March, be sure to put its capital, Santiago de Compostela, on your calendar.

If you are looking for luxury villas in Galicia, make sure you check out Vintage Travel’s portfolio.

Being the twelfth day of Christmas and traditionally the day we take the Christmas decorations down, the day the kids usually go back to school, the adults back to work, we start the post-Christmas diet and realise just how much money they have spent during the festive season, the sixth of January has to be one of the most depressing days of the year, in the UK at least.

However, in many parts of Europe January 6, or Epiphany, is celebrated with a similar vigour as us Britons celebrate Christmas Day, making it one of the most anticipated, celebrated and joyous days of the year.

This is the case on the island of Mallorca, where each year, the day of Epiphany is celebrated across the island with colourful, flamboyant and spectacular Christian parades of the Three Kings. Mallorca in January 2012 will certainly lift your spirits.

The biggest and grandest Epiphany Parade is put on in Palma, where the Three Kings begin their journey on the Sagrera Promenade in the old port of La Llonja.

The Tree Kings and a following procession then walk down Palma’s streets, throwing sweets as they pass the crowds lining the paths and avenues. The procession consists of musicians, dancers, ‘royal pages’, a Santa’s sleigh where children deliver their Christmas wish lists, and a train providing gifts for the children – As you can gather Christmas is still very much alive on January 6 on the island of Mallorca.

So if the depressingly cold and miserable weather, the thought of having yet another turkey sandwich for your lunch and the general post-Christmas gloom that hangs over Britain in early January isn’t enough to make you book yourself on a plane to sunnier climes early next year, the prospect of celebrating this highly important date on the Christian calendar in such a traditional, spectacular and joyous manner, should be enough to persuade you to make Mallorca a top contender for a how to avoid the post-Christmas-blues-early-year escape!

Whilst its devotion to being the ‘art capital of Spain’ and even beyond, makes Barcelona a crucial place for art enthusiasts to visit, early next year would be an even greater time for art lovers to visit this captivating Catalan capital.

Why? Because until January 9, 2012, the International Festival of Recycling Art is taking place.

Founded in 1995 in Barcelona with the aim of encouraging creative recycling through its many projects, the Drap-Art is a non-profit organisation, which puts on exhibitions, festivals and workshops across the world. The International Festival of Recycling Art that is taking place in Barcelona from December 18, 2011 – January 9, 2012, and is possibly the organisation’s biggest events.

This inventive Barcelona Art festival encourages both members of the public as well as established artists to showcase their talents in the performance, art, design, audio-visual and handicraft genres, so long as it is associated with ‘creative recycling’.

The up and coming International Festival of Recycling Art will be awarding two works out of all the entries for the best “Professional Artist” and the best “Emerging Artist”.

The prizes will be sponsored by HERA, the environmental excellence group, which will award the best professional artist with 2000 euros and the best emerging artist with 1000 euros. The winning entries will then be used as background art to the HERA symbols.

The 2011/2012 International Festival of Recycling Art celebrates its sixth edition. In 2008 the event attracted more than 18,000 visitors and seems to be growing in prestige and popularity with each passing year.

Why not become one of them, and make this Barcelona Art festival part of your cultural itinerary for your early year getaway to the sun?

The ancient and aesthetically stunning walled city of Cadiz is home to mainland Spain’s premier carnival. In early March, this usually tranquil yet atmospheric town in southern Andalucia is transformed into an effervescent scene of colour, laughter, music and spectacle, as life within these ancient walls really heats up.

So significant and vital to the legacy of the town is the Cadiz Carnival that residents and officials close down many parts of the city a full month prior to the beginning of the event in order to prepare. Comedy and music is at the heart of this carnival and rehearsing for the comedies, musicals and plays is taken extremely seriously in the run up to the carnival de Cadiz, with many performers working hard all year round to perfect their act.

‘Going Loco’ applies to everyone who attends the festival, with men, women and children of all ages, dressing themselves in crazy costumes, wigs and makeup as they run wild through Cadiz’s many quant and charming streets until daylight embarks on this fascinating town. Satire and laughter epitomises the carnival de Cadiz, and even if you cannot speak the language, you will be guaranteed to be in stitches as the spectacles and performances unfold.

Parades, naturally adorn the streets throughout the carnival, but the three parades not to be missed are the ‘Great Parade’, which takes place on the first Sunday of the event, the ‘charangas ilegales’, whereby locals sought to ‘out-sing’ and ‘out-laugh’ the professional performers and comedians, and lastly, the ‘Comedy Parade’, which is held on the last weekend of the carnival.

If this doesn’t leave you breathless enough, the whole event is accompanied with fireworks, activities for children and all the family, food and drink on every corner and an abundance of open-air parties.

To experience a ‘party like no other’ be sure to attend carnival de Cadiz 2012 between March 3 and March 13.

Although just a mile off the Costa Brava, a tiny archipelago can be found, that boasts no sandy beaches, no neon, and, as the Spanish might say, “absolutely nada!”.

The islets are known as Illes Medes and are used mainly as a diving destination, which, being scattered around the mouth of the River Ter, rich with organic life, is home of a natural habitat of some 1,350 species of marine life, and ranks as one of the top diving spots on the Mediterranean.

But there is more to Illes Medes than scuba diving alone. A boat trip to this spot of immense natural beauty, where dolphins will occasionally dive out of the water and the only noise to be heard are the seagulls’ noisy caws, provides visitors to the Costa Brava with a touch of sheltered and isolated bliss.

Boat trips to Illes Medes take place from the lively coastal town of L’Estarit, as the seven islets are just a five-minute boat ride from this charismatic and thriving town.

It is also the location for the Pirates and Corsairs Fiesta 2011 featuring Pirate based plays with music, eating and drinking.

Despite its unassuming and peaceful appearance, Illes Medes hides a turbulent and fascinating history. Wreckages of ships belonging to the ancient Greeks and dating back as early as 500 BC were found in the waters surrounding these islets, alongside human bones also dating from this era, meaning there was once a small settlement here.

In the Middle Ages the islets were used as a hideout for pirates, who used Illes Medes as a base for raiding ships from the busy marine trade in the area.

In the 1400s, the king ordered a fort to be built on the biggest of the islets, known as Meda Gran and housed a handful of knights there to defend the shipping trade from pirates.

Later, in the eighteenth century, Meda Gran was used as a military prison, which remained until 1892 when it was abandoned.

To celebrate this fascinating history, seeped in bloodthirsty stories about pirates and knights, from September, 23 – September 29, the Pirates and Corsairs festival 2011 will be held at Illes Medes.

The event will be a spectacle of costumes, pirate-associated plays and activities, drinking, eating, dancing and merriment, and, for about the only occasion in the year, noise and fracas made by humans will disturb the islets massif of marine life.

And as a base, why not take a look at the luxury 3 bedroom villa in Costa Brava, Holganza. Secluded gardens, large pool and only 1.4 km from the beach, this is another great villa from Vintage Travel.

“Is there any month in Spain which doesn’t have any fiestas?” a slightly perplexed student asked his Spanish teacher during a class dedicated to fiestas in Spain.

“No”, replied the teacher, “barely a week goes by when there is not some kind of religious fiesta taking place”.

The word ‘fiesta’ has become almost as synonymous with Spain as sangria and paella, with locals and visitors celebrating fiestas with similar passion and vigour.

The island of Menorca is no stranger to almost “wall-to-wall” year-round fiestas, each one a unique and exceptional celebration of a religious, historical and cultural component of Menorcan life. Although it is perhaps the Fiestas de Sant Joan, which are the biggest, boldest and most vibrant annual fiestas on Menorca.

Held on 19 – 24 June in the town and municipality of Ciutadella on the western end of Menorca, the whole region comes alive with vivacious public displays of folklore dancing, children’s activities and games and music, as people travel from every corner of Menorca, Spain and beyond to soak up some of the tradition and culture this highly entertaining fiesta surmounts.

The Fiestas de Sant Joan dates back to the 14^th century and is in worship of Sant Joan de Missa, the patron saint of the town of Ciutadella, which has remained the island’s main religious centre since the bishop refused to move from the town many centuries ago.

Horses and horseback riding play a central role in the Fiestas de Sant Joan, with the annual “Jaleo” being one of the main attractions. A huge crowd gathers to witness the “Jaleo”, where horses and riders demonstrate their horsemanship skills to the rhythm of traditional “jaleo” music.

The following day the “convida” takes place, when a “noble rider” invites town hall officials to witness a series of medieval games, as horsemen joist dangerously in a series of equestrian trials, much to the delight of the highly captivated crowd.

This profoundly atmospheric fiesta is concluded on 24 June with a spectacular firework display, and really is an event not to be missed.

The marvellous 3 bed Menorca villa, S’Hortal from Vintage Travel would be the perfect place to stay during the Fiesta.

Want an excuse to sample as many local wines as possible for free on the island of Mallorca this May? Then look no further!

Simply step into the Santo Domingo Cloisters opposite the tourist information office in the town of Pollenca on Saturday 7 May 2011 or Sunday 8 May 2011 and sup some of the best wine the Balearic Islands have to offer.

The Pollenca Wine Festival 2011 is a highly exalted wine event which draws wine cellars from all over Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca to promote their winery skills and delights to a more than obliging crowd of wine enthusiasts.

For just a £5 entry fee, guests are given an empty glass of wine and can taste as many of the huge and diverse mix of wines from each of the Balearic islands.

Traditionally the island of Mallorca has been associated with beautiful sandy beaches, vibrant nightlife and some stunning vistas rather than its local wine, leaving top-class wineries producing some top-notch vino to mainland Spain.

This commonly perceived perception of Mallorca is rapidly becoming a misconception as the number of wineries producing quality wines to rival the likes of Torres, are rapidly increasing. The most widely planted on the island are Manto Negro, Giro Blanc, Prensal Blanc and Fogoneu, which, by all accounts, make up a unique and emphatic flavour.

Given this renewed sense of zest for wine production, Mallorca is attracting a new kind of traveller – the wine enthusiast.

The Pollenca Wine festival is open to the public between 10am – 8.30pm on the Saturday and from 10am – 2pm on the Sunday.

Vintage Travel warn that due to a likely shortage of at the Santo Domingo Cloisters, visitors are likely to find parking spaces at the Rooster roundabout and the sports centre.

And after all that wine tasting (!), you need the best luxury villa in Pollenca, Vintage Travel’s Ca Na Xidoia is the perfect oasis of calm.