The month of July will be a time of celebration for nearly twenty municipalities in the province of Málaga, as they observe their local holidays. The majority of these festivities revolve around the significant celebration of the Virgen del Carmen, the patron saint of many coastal towns, which takes place mid-month.
In addition to the Virgen del Carmen, other notable dates include the feast of Santiago and Santa Ana, which will also be a holiday in several localities. These are complemented by various other local fairs and festivals held throughout the month.
Campillos will be among the first municipalities to celebrate its local holiday on Friday, July 10, coinciding with the Fiestas in honor of San Benito Abad, its patron saint.
July 16, the day of the Virgen del Carmen, is a shared holiday for about ten Málaga towns. In Benalmádena, this date includes the encounter between the Virgen del Carmen and the Virgen Chiquita, declared a Festival of Provincial Tourist Singularity. Other coastal towns such as Estepona, Fuengirola, Rincón de la Victoria, and Torremolinos also celebrate this day.
The festivity is not limited to the coast. Cuevas de San Marcos celebrates on this date the festivals in honor of its Patron Saint and Perpetual Mayor, while Montecorto, in the Serranía de Ronda, holds its Fair and Festivals in honor of the Virgen del Carmen.
In Manilva, where the Virgen del Carmen is the patron saint of sailors and fishermen, the local holiday has been moved to the following day, Friday, July 17, creating a three-day weekend.
The municipality of Sayalonga will observe its local holiday on July 20 (Monday), coinciding with the town's Fair. Previously, from July 3 to 5, the Fair of Corumbela is celebrated.
Gaucín will celebrate its local holiday on Friday, July 24, the day of the Valle del Genal Cork Festival, declared a Festival of Provincial Tourist Singularity since 2004.
On the same July 24, Vélez-Málaga is also a local holiday due to the celebration of Santiago and Santa Ana, the city's patron saints.
July 27 is another repeated date, being a holiday in six municipalities. Almáchar celebrates its fair in honor of Our Lady the Virgen del Amparo. Alozaina concludes its fair in honor of Santiago and Santa Ana, as does Cómpeta, which celebrates its Cultural Week coinciding with Santa Ana.
La Viñuela, Moclinejo, and Salares share this same holiday on July 27, celebrating their respective fairs.
Finally, on July 31, a Friday, it is a holiday in Villanueva de Algaidas, whose fair runs from July 30 to August 2, and in Parauta, coinciding with its patronal festivals.
