Fiesta de la Toma and San Cecilio Pilgrimage in Granada: Complete 2026 Guide

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While spring and autumn attract the highest volumes of international tourists, winter in Granada is defined by two deeply significant historical events that reveal the city’s unique identity: La Fiesta de la Toma on January 2nd and the Romería de San Cecilio on the first Sunday of February.

These festivities bring together sacred history, folkloric traditions, local culinary treats, and community pride against the dramatic backdrop of Sacromonte and the Alhambra.

1. Día de la Toma (January 2nd): Commemorating 1492

On January 2nd, 1492, Sultan Boabdil surrendered the keys of Granada to the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella, marking the end of the Nasrid Kingdom and the culmination of the Spanish Reconquista. Each year on January 2nd, Granada commemorates this turning point in world history:

• The Historic Standard Ceremony: The original royal banner of the Catholic Monarchs is escorted by civic councillors, military detachments, and chivalric orders from the City Hall to the Royal Chapel (Capilla Real), where prayers and floral offerings are made at the marble tombs of Ferdinand and Isabella.
• The Balcony Proclamation: From the central balcony of the Ayuntamiento in Plaza del Carmen, the council speaker waves the royal standard three times while shouting: “¡Granada! ¡Granada! ¡Granada! Por los ínclitos Reyes Católicos…” to which the crowd answers with thunderous roars.
• Ringing the Bell of the Vela Tower: By ancient tradition, unmarried young women climb the Torre de la Vela at the Alhambra to ring its historic brass bell. Legend promises that any single woman who rings the bell on January 2nd will find a husband before the year ends!

2. Romería de San Cecilio (First Sunday of February)

San Cecilio, a 1st-century missionary and the first bishop of ancient Iliberis (Granada), suffered martyrdom on the hill of Valparaíso (now Sacromonte). As the city’s beloved patron saint, his feast day is celebrated with an authentic mountain pilgrimage:

• The Climb to Sacromonte Abbey: Thousands of locals walk up the winding slopes of the Sacromonte hill to the monumental Abadía del Sacromonte.
• Free Traditional Picnic: The City Council distributes thousands of portions of traditional Granadino food: salaíllas (salted baker’s flatbreads), Trevélez cured ham, green broad beans, and local wine to all pilgrims.
• The Holy Caves (Santas Cuevas): Pilgrims visit the underground catacombs where the ashes of San Cecilio and the controversial Lead Books of Sacromonte were discovered in the late 16th century.
• The Miracle of the Black Stone: Inside the caves rests a large polished dark stone. Local superstition claims that if a single woman touches or kisses the stone, she will marry within twelve months.

Pair your visit with a trip to the nearby Sacromonte Caves Museum to complete an authentic cultural excursion.