Christmas on the Costa del Sol 2026: Málaga Lights & Markets
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Christmas on the Costa del Sol 2026–27: Málaga lights, Christmas markets, kids' Christmas villages and Three Kings parades from Málaga to Sotogrande.
And it doesn't look much like the snowy scenes on Christmas cards. In December you might still be having lunch outside in a sweater, and once the sun goes down, the streets light up for the season. Here, Christmas means palm trees wrapped in lights, hot chocolate and churros on mild evenings, nativity scenes and zambombas, and, more and more, ice rinks and Santa's houses. Because the main gift-giving day in Spain is 6 January, the season also lasts longer than in northern Europe.
This guide brings together the Christmas events worth knowing about on this stretch of coast: lights, markets, children's Christmas villages, ballet, living nativity scenes and Three Kings parades. Events confirmed for 2026 show exact dates; for annual traditions, we have used last year's official dates and times and marked them as approximate.
1. Christmas Events Calendar 2026 – 2027 on the Costa del Sol
All the Christmas events in this guide in chronological order, from the first lights in late November to Three Kings Day. Save it, print it, don't miss a thing.
| Date & Location | Event | Details |
| Late Nov Málaga | Calle Larios Christmas lights switch-on | Traditionally the last Friday of November. Light-and-music shows every evening from 18:30. Free. |
| Late Nov – 06.01 Málaga | Muelle Uno Christmas market & Chocoland | Seaside Christmas village. Santa arrives by boat and collects letters. Free. |
| Late Nov – 06.01 Málaga | Botanical Garden Christmas lights | Evening light-and-music trail. Timed tickets (€17 in 2024). |
| Late Nov – 05.01 Marbella | Marbella Christmas market | Avenida del Mar and Parque de la Alameda. Free. |
| Late Nov – 04.01 Estepona | Christmas lights & Christmas park with ice rink | Park open 17:00–23:00 in 2025. Free on weekdays. |
| Late Nov – 06.01 Gibraltar | Christmas Festival of Lights | Light show in Casemates Square. Free. |
| Last weekend of Nov Los Barrios | Hacienda Almoguera Christmas fair | Crafts, pony rides, face painting. €2 in 2025. |
| 01.12 – 07.01 (2025) Málaga | Paseo del Parque Christmas market | Around 90 stalls: decorations, nativity figures, gifts, sweets. Free. |
| Dec – early Jan Torremolinos, Mijas, Marbella, Benahavís, Estepona, Sabinillas | Children's Christmas villages | Santa's houses, rides, ice rinks and workshops. Mostly free. Dates in section 5. |
| 06.12 Estepona | San Nicolás arrives by boat | At the marina around 12:00; children bring tin-can strings. Free. |
| 06.12 + Sundays in Dec Sotogrande | Christmas tree lighting & Sunday market | Tree lit at 19:00 with carols; Christmas-themed Sunday market in the marina. Free. |
| 06.12 – 06.01 Málaga | Municipal nativity scene & Cathedral belén | More than 400 figures at the City Hall; monumental belén in the Cathedral. Free. |
| 06.12 – 06.01 Puerto Banús | Puerto Banús Christmas market | First held in 2025 on Muelle Ribera. |
| 07.12 Estepona | The Nutcracker – Imperial Heritage Ballet | 19:00. Officially confirmed. Tickets: teatroestepona.com. |
| Mid-DecEstepona | Nativity scenes & Christmas cheese fair | Municipal, biblical and living nativity scenes; cheese fair on Calle Real (12–14.12 in 2025). Free. |
| Mid-Dec Casares | Living nativity (Belén Viviente) | One weekend: costumed scenes, old crafts, market and choir. Free. |
| Mid-Dec San Roque | Living nativity | Old town around Plaza de Armas. Free. |
| Mid-Dec Sotogrande | Carol service in English & Santa at The Beach | Nine Lessons and Carols with mince pies; Santa and workshops at La Reserva. |
| 19.12 Estepona | Giselle | 19:30. Officially confirmed. Tickets: teatroestepona.com. |
| Sunday before Christmas Mijas Pueblo | Certamen de Pastorales | Traditional Christmas carol groups. 11:30 in 2025. Free. |
| 22.12 All of Spain | El Gordo Christmas lottery | The draw runs on TV and radio all morning. |
| 26.12 Sabinillas | Boxing Day Swim | Charity dip in the sea, around 12:30 (2023). |
| 26.12 Estepona | El Payaso Tallarín | Clown show for young children, 16:30 and 18:30. Officially confirmed. |
| 28.12 Málaga | Fiesta Mayor de Verdiales | Folk music groups in Puerto de la Torre from 12:00. Free. |
| 31.12 Estepona | New Year's Eve party | Plaza del Reloj from 23:00, fireworks at midnight. Free. |
| 02.01 Estepona | Swan Lake | 20:30. Officially confirmed. Tickets: teatroestepona.com. |
| Around 04.01 Estepona | New Year's concert | Málaga Philharmonic Orchestra, Teatro Auditorio Felipe VI. |
| 03–05.01 Estepona | Royal Postman & Three Kings parade | Letters to the Kings around 03.01; parade on 05.01 at 17:00 (2026). Free. |
| 05.01 Málaga | Three Kings parade | The Kings come down from the Alcazaba; the parade ends at the Cathedral. |
| 05.01 Manilva, Guadiaro valley | Three Kings parades | Afternoon and early evening. Sweets for the children. Free. |
Christmas week in Spain can vary slightly from one place to another. In addition to the national public holidays, some regions and municipalities have their own local holidays during the festive season, so the days off may differ depending on where you are staying.
Two Sundays are particularly easy to overlook: 27 December and 3 January. Both fall right in the middle of the holiday period, and many supermarkets on this part of the coast normally close on Sundays. It's safer to shop the day before.
2. Where to Stay on the Costa del Sol for Christmas?
Not sure how and where to celebrate Christmas this year? Spend it in Estepona, Manilva or Sotogrande, close to the Christmas markets, children's Christmas villages and Three Kings parades in this guide.
With your own kitchen, Christmas Eve dinner is easy even when restaurants close or serve only set menus. Sunset Rental has apartments and villas in Estepona, Manilva and Sotogrande, many with beautiful sea views and a terrace for long, sunny Christmas lunches outdoors.
3. Late November and Early December: Lights and Markets Open
🎄 Calle Larios — the big Christmas lights switch-on in Málaga
For many visitors, Christmas in Málaga starts on Calle Larios, the moment a huge canopy of lights switches on and the music begins. The Málaga Christmas lights are among the most famous in Spain, and in 2025 the city also projected a video-mapping show onto the cathedral.
💡 Good to know: the switch-on is traditionally on the last Friday of November (28 November in 2025). In 2025 the lights were on 18:30–00:00, until 02:00 at weekends and 06:00 on 24 and 31 December, with three shows each evening from 18:30 (none on 24 and 31 December). Arrive half an hour before a show, especially at weekends.
🕒 Dates and times are approximate: we took them from last year's official programme. They are often repeated, but may change for 2026, so please check the Málaga city council website before you go.
🎁 Paseo del Parque — Málaga's classic Christmas market
Málaga's classic open-air Christmas market runs along Paseo del Parque, between palm trees and Christmas lights, a short walk from Calle Larios. Around 90 wooden stalls sell decorations, nativity figures, handmade gifts and sweets.
🧀 Good to know: during the December long weekend, the same promenade hosts the Sabor a Málaga food fair, with local cheeses, wines, olive oils and Christmas pastries. Hours are shorter on 24 and 31 December.
🕒 Dates and times are approximate: we took them from last year's official programme. They are often repeated, but may change for 2026, so please check the Málaga city council website before you go.
🍫 Muelle Uno — a Christmas village by the sea, with Santa's Chocoland
At the port, Muelle Uno turns into a Christmas village by the sea, with wooden cabins selling crafts, gifts and gourmet treats, plus music and children's activities. Santa's Chocoland, his chocolate shop, is where children can bring their Christmas letters (see Santa's arrival by boat below).
🕙 Good to know: in 2025 the market opened Monday–Thursday 10:00–21:00 and Friday–Sunday 10:00–22:00.
🕒 Dates and times are approximate: we took them from last year's official programme. They are often repeated, but may change for 2026, so please check the organisers before you go.
⛵ Santa arrives by boat — Málaga and Estepona
On this coast, Christmas gift-bringers arrive by sea. In Málaga, Santa traditionally sails into Muelle Uno at the end of November to open Chocoland, his chocolate shop, where children can hand him their letters until early January (as in 2024 and 2025). In Estepona, it is San Nicolás, Saint Nicholas, who arrives by boat at the marina every 6 December, his feast day, at around 12:00. Children welcome him with the noise of their arrastre de latas, strings of tin cans dragged along the ground, and then walk with him to the Capilla del Carmen, where he collects their letters.
💡 Good to know: in Estepona, the arrival is organised by the Hermandad de Nuestra Señora del Carmen, and in 2024 the best tin-can string even won a prize. In 2026, 6 December falls on a Sunday.
🕒 Dates and times are approximate: we took them from last year's official programme. They are often repeated, but may change for 2026, so please check the Málaga city council and Estepona town hall websites before you go.
✨ La Concepción Botanical Garden — a Christmas trail of lights
On the northern edge of Málaga, the historic botanical garden becomes an evening trail of lights and music every Christmas, with a new theme each year: "Ilusión" in 2024 and "Alice Christmas" in 2025. With children, it is one of the best things to do in Málaga at Christmas.
🎟 Tickets: timed evening entry, from 18:30 in 2024, when tickets cost €17. More info: lucesdelaconcepcion.es.
🕒 Dates and times are approximate: we took them from last year's official programme. They are often repeated, but may change for 2026, so please check the organisers before you go.
🎁 Marbella — Christmas market in the Alameda
Marbella's main Christmas market fills Avenida del Mar, the promenade of Dalí sculptures, and the neighbouring Parque de la Alameda with artisan stalls, gifts and seasonal treats. The Old Town nearby is lit up too, so the market is easy to combine with an evening walk through Marbella's historic streets.
🎅 Good to know: in the week before Christmas, children can visit Santa's house in the Alameda (18–24 December in 2025, after a parade through the Old Town on 17 December). More info: Marbella Christmas programme 2025–26.
🕒 Dates and times are approximate: we took them from last year's official programme. They are often repeated, but may change for 2026, so please check the Marbella town hall website before you go.
⚓ Puerto Banús — a new Christmas market at the marina
In 2025, Puerto Banús held its first Christmas market, adding a festive touch to one of the most famous marinas on the coast.
💡 Good to know: as a new event, it is not yet confirmed for 2026.
🕒 Dates and times are approximate: we took them from last year's official programme. They are often repeated, but may change for 2026, so please check the Marbella town hall website before you go.
⛸️ Estepona — Christmas lights and a Christmas park with ice rink
Estepona has one of the busiest Christmas programmes on this part of the coast, with more than fifty activities in 2025, many of them free. The lights are switched on in Plaza Antonia Guerrero at the end of November, and the flower-filled streets of the old town look their best after dark. In 2025, a new Christmas park outside the theatre added an ice rink, ice slide, carousel, bumper cars and Santa's house; in 2024 the ice rink was part of a free fair at the Palacio de Exposiciones y Congresos.
⛸️ Good to know: in 2025 the park was closed on 24 and 31 December, entry was free on weekdays, and at weekends it cost €5, including Santa's house and one ride.
🕒 Dates and times are approximate: we took them from last year's official programme. They are often repeated, but may change for 2026, so please check the Estepona town hall website before you go.
🐴 Hacienda Almoguera — a country Christmas fair near Sotogrande
Held every year since 2007 at a historic farmhouse in Los Barrios, this Christmas fair mixes artisan stalls with pony rides, tractor-trailer rides and face painting for children.
💶 Good to know: entry was €2 in 2025.
🕒 Dates and times are approximate: we took them from last year's official programme. They are often repeated, but may change for 2026, so please check the Hacienda Almoguera organisers before you go.
🌲 Sotogrande Marina — Christmas tree lighting and Sunday market
For many residents, Christmas in Sotogrande really starts when the tree on Ribera del Marlin is switched on and the Sotogrande International School choir sings carols, as it did in both 2024 and 2025. In December, the regular Sunday market in the marina also takes on a Christmas theme.
🧸 Good to know: the Sunday market has collected new toys for local families in need, so bringing a new toy is a lovely way to involve children. In 2026, 6 December falls on a Sunday. More info: sotogrande.com.
🕒 Dates and times are approximate: we took them from last year's official programme. They are often repeated, but may change for 2026, so please check the Sotogrande website before you go.
🩰 The Nutcracker — Christmas ballet in Estepona
The Imperial Heritage Ballet opens the theatre's Christmas season with The Nutcracker, the classic Christmas ballet for the whole family. The performance lasts about two hours including the interval and is recommended from age 6.
🎟 Tickets: teatroestepona.com
4. Mid-December: Nativity Scenes, Carols and Old Traditions
⭐ Málaga — the municipal nativity scene and the Cathedral belén
Every Christmas, Málaga City Hall builds a large nativity scene in its Patio de Banderas courtyard: more than 400 figures across 150 square metres, with the Gospel scenes in order and local touches such as a beach espetero grilling sardines and a biznaguero selling jasmine flowers. A few minutes' walk away, the Málaga nativity association La Alcazaba sets up a monumental belén inside the Cathedral. Both are free, and the city hall publishes a nativity route with dozens of belenes across Málaga every year (73 in 2025).
💡 Good to know: the Cathedral belén is quietest during the Calle Larios light shows, when the crowds are outside. In 2025 it closed on the afternoons of 24 and 31 December and 5 January.
🕒 Dates and times are approximate: we took them from last year's official programme. They are often repeated, but may change for 2026, so please check the Málaga city council website before you go.
⭐ Estepona — nativity scenes and the Christmas cheese fair
Every year in mid-December, the figure of the Child Jesus is blessed and placed in Estepona's municipal belén in Plaza del Rocío, at 20:00 in both 2024 and 2025. Don't miss the biblical nativity scene of the San Isidro brotherhood either: rather than a single scene, it walks you through the life of Jesus, from the Annunciation to the Flight into Egypt. In 2025 it moved from the Casa de las Tejerinas to the brotherhood's house on Calle Papuecas. On the edge of town, the neighbourhood of Nueva Atalaya stages a living nativity on a Saturday in December (20 December in 2025).
🧀 Good to know: around the same time, the Popi cheese fair "Sabor a Málaga" fills the Paseíllo on Calle Real with local cheeses and Christmas produce (12–14 December in 2025).
🕒 Dates and times are approximate: we took them from last year's official programme. They are often repeated, but may change for 2026, so please check the Estepona town hall website before you go.
🐑 Casares — a whole village turns into Bethlehem
Casares, the white village in the hills above Manilva, turns its streets into Bethlehem for one weekend every December. In 2022, around a hundred local performers took part, most of them children. Traditional craft workshops recreate old trades such as esparto weaving (pleita), pottery and sewing, and there is a Christmas market and a choir singing villancicos.
💡 Good to know: recent editions took place on 23 December 2022, 15–16 December 2023 and 13–14 December 2024. More info: Casares town hall.
🕒 Dates and times are approximate: we took them from last year's official programme. They are often repeated, but may change for 2026, so please check the Casares town hall website before you go.
🐑 San Roque — living nativity in the old town
Sotogrande is part of the municipality of San Roque, whose programme "San Roque, Ciudad de la Navidad" included more than thirty events in 2025–26. Its highlight is the belén viviente in the old town, with residents in costume, crafts and animals.
🕒 Dates and times are approximate: we took them from last year's official programme. They are often repeated, but may change for 2026, so please check the San Roque town hall website before you go.
🎶 Sotogrande — carols in English and Santa at The Beach
Every year in mid-December, the Anglican chaplaincy holds a Nine Lessons and Carols service with the Sotogrande International School choirs, followed by mulled wine and mince pies. The Beach at La Reserva Club usually welcomes Santa on a weekend in mid-December, with Christmas workshops for children.
💡 Good to know: in 2025 the carol service was on Sunday 14 December at 12:00.
🕒 Dates and times are approximate: we took them from last year's official programme. They are often repeated, but may change for 2026, so please check the Sotogrande website before you go.
🩰 Giselle — ballet in Estepona
The romantic ballet Giselle brings a second evening of classical dance to Estepona's theatre in the run-up to Christmas.
🎟 Tickets: teatroestepona.com
🎶 Mijas Pueblo — the Certamen de Pastorales
Pastorales are traditional Christmas groups that sing old Andalusian villancicos. Their best-known gathering on the coast takes place in the white village of Mijas Pueblo, where the Certamen de Pastorales Villa de Mijas reached its 40th edition in 2025, with 14 groups taking part.
💡 Good to know: in 2024, Málaga's provincial council recognised it as a Fiesta de Singularidad Turística Provincial. Benalmádena and Marbella hold their own pastoral gatherings in December too.
🕒 Dates and times are approximate: we took them from last year's official programme. They are often repeated, but may change for 2026, so please check the Mijas town hall website before you go.
5. Children's Christmas Villages on the Costa del Sol
Almost every town on the coast builds a Christmas village for children, called a poblado navideño or aldea de Papá Noel, where they can meet Santa, hand in their letters and enjoy rides, workshops and even artificial snow. Most are free. Here they are from east to west, with a summary table of all the villages further down.
🎠 Torremolinos — Santa's village and the Christmas park
Every year, Torremolinos sets up a Christmas park in the gardens of the Pablo Ruiz Picasso Cultural Centre, with children's rides, workshops and theatre shows. In the same space, Santa's village (Aldea de Papá Noel) is where children come to hand in their letters.
💡 Good to know: in 2025 the park opened on 19 December at 17:00, and in 2024 it ran from 20 December to 5 January. More info: Torremolinos Christmas programme 2025–26.
🕒 Dates and times are approximate: we took them from last year's official programme. They are often repeated, but may change for 2026, so please check the Torremolinos town hall website before you go.
🧝 Mijas — Santa's village and the Christmas City
Mijas spreads its Christmas fun for children across all three parts of the municipality. In 2024, Santa's village with his elves and other characters was set up on the Bulevar de La Cala, in the Parque de Andalucía in Las Lagunas and on Plaza Virgen de la Peña in Mijas Pueblo. The Christmas City (Ciudad de la Navidad) added bouncy castles and a Royal Postman area in Parque de la Butibamba in La Cala, Parque Fernán Caballero in Las Lagunas and Plaza Virgen de la Peña.
💡 Good to know: the Christmas market in Plaza de la Constitución in Mijas Pueblo is close by, so it is easy to combine both.
🕒 Dates and times are approximate: we took them from last year's official programme. They are often repeated, but may change for 2026, so please check the Mijas town hall website before you go.
⛸️ Benahavís — a Christmas village with ice and snow
The mountain village of Benahavís, just inland between Marbella and Estepona, puts on a traditional Poblado Navideño every year for one weekend before Christmas. In 2025 children could enjoy a synthetic ice rink, a Christmas train, bouncy castles, a jumping area, snow cannons and Santa's little house. The same weekend, the village's older residents star in a living nativity scene near the church.
🕒 Good to know: in 2025 it opened on Friday 19 December 15:00–19:00 and on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 December 12:00–19:00. Recent editions: 21–23 December 2023, 20–22 December 2024, 19–21 December 2025. More info: Benahavís town hall.
🕒 Dates and times are approximate: we took them from last year's official programme. They are often repeated, but may change for 2026, so please check the Benahavís town hall website before you go.
🎅 Estepona — Santa's Christmas village
Every year since at least 2022, the Poblado Navideño de Papá Noel has brought Santa to Plaza del Ajedrez just before Christmas. Children can meet him, play in artificial snow and join workshops and other activities.
🕒 Dates and times are approximate: we took them from last year's official programme. They are often repeated, but may change for 2026, so please check the Estepona town hall website before you go.
🎄 Sabinillas — the children's Christmas village
During the last week of December, Parque del Duque in Sabinillas becomes a free Poblado Navideño. Children can make Christmas cards, decorate Christmas trees and try baking, and a different character visits every day. On the morning of 24 December, Santa traditionally tours El Castillo, Sabinillas and Manilva village before finishing here to collect children's letters.
💡 Good to know: entry is free. On 24 December 2025 it opened 10:00–15:00.
🕒 Dates and times are approximate: we took them from last year's official programme. They are often repeated, but may change for 2026, so please check the Manilva town hall website before you go.
6. Christmas Week: 20–28 December
🌊 Sabinillas — the Boxing Day Swim
For British families missing home traditions, the Duquesa Charitable Society of St George has organised a charity dip in the sea at Sabinillas every 26 December since the mid-2010s.
🥪 Good to know: participants pay a small entry fee and traditionally get a bacon sandwich afterwards.
🕒 The date is fixed, but the time is approximate: we took it from the organisers' recent events. Please check the Duquesa Charitable Society of St George's social media before you go.
🤡 El Payaso Tallarín — a clown show for little ones
On 26 December, Estepona's theatre turns into a stage for the youngest audience with El Payaso Tallarín, a clown show for young children with two performances.
🎟 Tickets: teatroestepona.com
🎻 Málaga — Fiesta Mayor de Verdiales
Verdiales are one of the oldest folk traditions in Málaga province: a rural style of fandango, sung and danced to a small band of violin, guitars, tambourine, cymbals and castanets. For more than sixty years, the groups, called pandas, have met every 28 December for their biggest day of the year. Around 25 pandas perform in the three traditional styles, Montes, Almogía and Comares, wearing striking hats decorated with coloured ribbons, flowers and small mirrors.
💡 Good to know: the fiesta was added to the General Catalogue of Andalusian Historical Heritage in 2010. It started at 12:00 in 2022, 2023 and 2025. Free.
🕒 Dates and times are approximate: we took them from last year's official programme. They are often repeated, but may change for 2026, so please check the Málaga city council website before you go.
7. New Year's Eve and Three Kings: 31 December – 6 January
🎆 Estepona — New Year's Eve party
Estepona welcomes the new year with a free public party in Plaza del Reloj, with live music, free cotillón party bags and fireworks at midnight.
🍇 Good to know: bring your twelve grapes for midnight.
🕒 Dates and times are approximate: we took them from last year's official programme. They are often repeated, but may change for 2026, so please check the Estepona town hall website before you go.
🩰 Swan Lake — ballet in Estepona
Estepona's theatre starts the new year with Swan Lake, the best-loved of all classical ballets.
🎟 Tickets: teatroestepona.com
🎻 Estepona — New Year's concert
Estepona's traditional New Year's concert brings the Málaga Philharmonic Orchestra to the Teatro Auditorio Felipe VI in the first days of January, a festive way to welcome the new year before the Three Kings arrive.
🎟 Good to know: the 2027 concert has not been announced yet. Keep an eye on teatroestepona.com.
👑 Málaga — the Three Kings come down from the Alcazaba
By tradition, the Three Kings spend the night before their parade in Málaga's Moorish fortress, the Alcazaba. On the afternoon of 5 January they walk down to the City Hall, greet the children from the balcony and then set off on floats through the city centre. The parade ends at the Cathedral, where the Kings make their offering at a living nativity scene on the steps, with a children's choir. In 2026 it had 13 floats, more than 1,000 participants and over 20,000 kilos of sweets.
🪑 Good to know: seats along the route are sold online from mid-December through Málaga's Agrupación de Cofradías. In 2026 the start was moved back an hour because of rain, so check the city's website on the day.
🕒 Dates and times are approximate: we took them from last year's official programme. They are often repeated, but may change for 2026, so please check the Málaga city council website before you go.
👑 Estepona — Royal Postman and Three Kings parade
The Three Kings programme starts before the parade itself. Around 3 January, children can hand their letters to the Royal Postman (Cartero Real), from 17:00 to 20:00 in 2026. On the morning of 5 January, a children's party at the Parque Ferial welcomes the Kings, who arrived at around 13:00 in 2026. In the evening, one of the largest parades on the western coast sets off from the town hall, with 12 floats and 16,000 kilos of sweets in 2026, and finishes at the Orquidario botanical park at around 20:00, where the Kings collect the children's letters.
🍬 Good to know: bring a bag for the sweets, and keep small children back from the moving floats. The children's party at the Parque Ferial has been held every year since 2015. In January 2025 the parade was brought forward a day because of rain, and the route and finishing point can change from year to year.
🕒 Dates and times are approximate: we took them from last year's official programme. They are often repeated, but may change for 2026, so please check the Estepona town hall website before you go.
👑 Manilva — one parade, three villages
Manilva's parade travels through the whole municipality in one afternoon: first Castillo de la Duquesa, then Sabinillas and finally Manilva village. The day before, the Kings visit the parish churches to collect children's letters.
🕒 Dates and times are approximate: we took them from last year's official programme. They are often repeated, but may change for 2026, so please check the Manilva town hall website before you go.
👑 Guadiaro valley — Three Kings near Sotogrande
The villages around Sotogrande hold their own Three Kings parades. In some of them, children drag strings of empty tins through the streets to make as much noise as possible for the approaching Kings, a custom called arrastre de latas.
🕒 Dates and times are approximate: we took them from last year's official programme. They are often repeated, but may change for 2026, so please check the Sotogrande website before you go.
8. Day Trip: Christmas in Gibraltar
Gibraltar is just beyond Sotogrande. Remember to take a passport or EU ID card to cross the border.
🇬🇮 Gibraltar — Festival of Lights and Ocean Village market
Christmas in Gibraltar feels distinctly British. The lights are switched on with a light show in Casemates Square, Ocean Village runs a Christmas market with Santa's grotto, and Main Street has music and children's entertainment on the Saturdays leading up to Christmas.
💡 Good to know: in 2025 Santa's grotto opened on Saturdays and Sundays 13:00–15:00.
🕒 Dates and times are approximate: we took them from last year's official programme. They are often repeated, but may change for 2026, so please check the HM Government of Gibraltar website before you go.
9. Children's Christmas Villages on the Costa del Sol at a Glance
All the Christmas villages for children from this guide in one table, from east to west, so you can plan which ones to visit.
| Date & Location | Christmas village | For children |
| Late Nov – early JanMálaga | Chocoland at Muelle Uno | Santa arrives by boat; letters to Santa |
| 19.12 – 04.01 (2025)Torremolinos | Christmas park and Santa's village | Rides, workshops, theatre, letters to Santa |
| December (2024)Mijas | Santa's village and Christmas City | Elves, bouncy castles, Royal Postman |
| 18–24.12 (2025)Marbella | Santa's house in the Alameda | Visit Santa before Christmas |
| 19–21.12 (2025)Benahavís | Poblado Navideño | Synthetic ice rink, train, snow cannons, Santa's house |
| 29.11 – 04.01 (2025)Estepona | Christmas park | Ice rink, ice slide, carousel, Santa's house |
| Just before ChristmasEstepona | Santa's Christmas village | Meet Santa, artificial snow, workshops |
| 20–28.12 (2025)Sabinillas | Children's Christmas village | Crafts, tree decorating, baking, characters |
| Mid-DecSotogrande | Santa at The Beach | Santa visit and Christmas workshops |
10. Public Holidays and What's Open over Christmas 2026–27
Spain has fewer days off at Christmas than many visitors expect. Here is December 2026 and early January 2027 at a glance for Andalucía.
🔴 public holiday · 🟡 short working day, shops close early · weekends are shaded grey (most supermarkets close on Sundays)
December 2026
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 🔴 | 8 🔴 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 🟡 | 25 🔴 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 🟡 |
January 2027
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
| 1 🔴 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 🔴 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
- Public holidays: 7 December (Constitution Day, moved from Sunday 6 December), 8 December (Immaculate Conception), 25 December, 1 January and 6 January.
- Short days: 24 and 31 December. Shops close early (Mercadona opened 9:00–19:00 in 2025), and many restaurants serve only set menus in the evening.
- Not a holiday: 26 December, an ordinary working day in Spain. Watch out for the Sundays of 27 December and 3 January, in the middle of the holidays.
What's open over the holidays
- Supermarkets: expect closures on 25 December and 1 January, as well as on most Sundays. On 24 and 31 December, supermarkets usually open in the morning and close earlier than normal. For a large food shop, 23 December is the safer option.
- Restaurants: some open for lunch on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are different: restaurants that open often work with fixed menus. Reserve in advance.
- Pharmacies: public holidays are covered by the farmacia de guardia system. Closed pharmacies normally display the address of the nearest duty pharmacy on the door.
- Public transport: buses and trains continue to run, but reduced holiday timetables may apply.
Each town can also set two local holidays a year, so check the town hall's website if you plan official errands.
11. Weather in Málaga in December
Winter on the Costa del Sol is mild compared with northern Europe, but evenings can still feel cold. Málaga Airport gives a useful long-term reference for the western Costa del Sol. According to AEMET climate averages:
| Month | Average day / night temperature | Rain and sunshine |
| December | 17.5 °C / 8.9 °C | 6.6 days with rain, 160 hours of sunshine |
| January | 16.8 °C / 7.4 °C | 5.8 days with rain, 180 hours of sunshine |
On a sunny December afternoon, eating outside in a sweater is perfectly realistic. Once the sun goes down, though, temperatures drop quickly. Take a proper jacket if you're going to an evening parade, Christmas market or New Year's Eve celebration.
12. Our Tips for Christmas on the Costa del Sol
- Reserve restaurants for 24, 25 and 31 December early. November is not too soon for popular places.
- If possible, see the Málaga Christmas lights during the week rather than on a Friday or Saturday.
- Do your main food shop before the busiest holiday dates. Remember that 27 December and 3 January are Sundays in 2026–27.
- Try at least some of the seasonal sweets: turrón and polvorones in December, then roscón de Reyes in January.
- Check whether your accommodation has proper heating. Sunny afternoons can be warm, but apartments cool down quickly at night in December.
- If your travel dates are flexible, staying until 6 January gives you the chance to see the Three Kings celebrations.
13. Frequently Asked Questions about Christmas on the Costa del Sol
The switch-on traditionally takes place on the last Friday of November. In 2025 it was on 28 November. Three light-and-music shows then ran on Calle Larios each evening from 18:30, except on 24 and 31 December. The decorations stayed up into early January.
The traditional market is on Paseo del Parque, a short walk from Calle Larios, and normally runs from the start of December (1 December in 2025) until 7 January. Muelle Uno has another Christmas market by the port, while Marbella holds seasonal markets around Avenida del Mar and Parque de la Alameda.
Most are in or close to the town centre. In 2025, the main lights were switched on in Plaza Antonia Guerrero, the municipal nativity was in Plaza del Rocío, the Christmas park stood outside Teatro Auditorio Felipe VI, and the New Year's Eve celebration took place in Plaza del Reloj.
There is plenty, including many free events. Estepona usually has Santa's Christmas village and an ice rink or Christmas park. Sabinillas turns Parque del Duque into a children's Christmas village in late December, Benahavís and Torremolinos set up Christmas villages with rides and ice, and Sotogrande holds its marina tree-lighting with carols. On 5 January, almost every town has a Three Kings parade.
Most shops and supermarkets close on 25 December and 1 January. On 24 and 31 December, they generally close earlier than usual. Duty pharmacies remain available, and some restaurants open for Christmas Day lunch.
Usually mild, with plenty of sunny days. AEMET's long-term figures for Málaga Airport give an average December daytime temperature of 17.5 °C and a night-time average of 8.9 °C, with around six or seven days of rain during the month.
Yes. The Christmas tree in Sotogrande Marina is traditionally switched on on 6 December at 19:00 with carols, the Sunday market on Ribera del Marlin takes on a Christmas theme in December, The Beach at La Reserva Club welcomes Santa in mid-December, and there is a carol service in English. On 5 January, the nearby villages of Torreguadiaro, Guadiaro and San Enrique hold Three Kings parades.
Official websites of the Costa del Sol town halls (Málaga, Marbella, Estepona, Manilva, Casares, San Roque, Mijas, Benahavís and Torremolinos), the Junta de Andalucía public holiday calendar, Teatro Auditorio Felipe VI, sotogrande.com, AEMET climate data and Google Maps for all locations.
I love traveling and sharing my experiences. For me it's important to share only practical and useful information in the blog, things that actually help, whether you're planning a trip to Costa del Sol or thinking about renting in Spain.
