Patron Saint Festivities of the Virgin of Antigua – August 15

Every year, between August 9 and 15, the Patron Saint festivities in honor of the Virgin of Antigua take place.

During these days, recreational and sporting activities take center stage, along with religious ceremonies honoring the patron saint. Much of the festivities unfold at the fairgrounds, located on Paseo Blas Infante, where the booths and fairground attractions are situated.

This celebration has its origin in 1569, when the army of Philip II managed to repel the troops of the Moorish squadron Aben Humeya, who, coming from the Alpujarra, tried to seize the Castle of San Miguel.

The Virgin of La Antigua is a Gothic image given to Almuñécar by the Catholic Monarchs in 1489, patron saint of the city since 1569, Honorary Mayoress since 2010, and canonically crowned in 2016. According to popular belief, Our Lady of La Antigua appeared in a well, hidden there by a devotee before the Muslim invasion of Spain, but after a series of historical investigations we can conclude that this version originated later, as she had to be hidden several times to avoid the destructive actions of the invaders, both in the Moorish incursions and in the War of Independence.

The maritime-land procession of the patron saint takes place on August 15th. After a procession through the streets of Almuñécar, the image is placed on a boat at San Cristóbal Beach and begins its maritime journey to Puerta del Mar Beach, while a fantastic pyrotechnic and musical fireworks display takes place.