Alarde de Hondarribia

Festivals and Traditions

Proud of an immortal legacy

All those centuries of history have left us with some great dates that we celebrate all over the town. Every 8th September, the whole town of Hondarribia joins in with holding the Alarde, our biggest and best-loved festival. A colourful, flamboyant parade with which we commemorate a pledge made to the Virgin of Guadalupe, the town’s patron, following its victory over the French army in 1638. Another date for your diary is 25th July, the Kutxa. On Saint James’s day in 1631, one of the world’s oldest institutions was founded in Hondarribia, none other than the Mareantes de San Pedro Brotherhood and Guild. On this day, members of the guild board boats and are taken to the institution’s headquarters. The whole town gets involved in the festival.

Another important date is Hondarribia’s Easter Week, which is famous across the entire Basque Country. For more than four centuries, on Good Friday, the town’s streets have fallen completely silent as ten images are carried through them. One of the most interesting sights during this celebration is the Roman soldiers who march alongside each of the images.