Christmas by region
Living nativity scenes
Buitrago del Lozoya (Madrid), Beas de Segura (Jaén), Arcos de la Frontera (Cádiz). Entire villages transform into Bethlehem: neighbours as shepherds, blacksmiths at work, authentic inns. An immersive experience.
Traditional markets
Not shopping centres, but village squares with stalls of handmade turrón, convent sweets and clay figures. Pedraza, Sigüenza, Albarracín decorate their medieval streets.
Snow and mountains
Villages in the Pyrenees (Aínsa, Bielsa), Sierra Nevada (Capileira), or the Sierra de Gredos offer white Christmas without going to crowded ski resorts.
Olentzero and Basque traditions
In the Basque Country the Olentzero (coal man) brings presents. Villages like Lesaka, Zugarramurdi maintain traditions that blend the pagan and the Christian.
Tip: Many living nativity scenes only open at weekends. Check dates. Bring very warm clothes: December nights in inland villages are genuinely cold.