The night of October 31st we have a big date with terror. Halloween came to Spain a few years ago to stay and there are more and more plans and parties to celebrate this Celtic holiday. Malaga and the rest of the province join in the celebration of the scariest night of the year with a multitude of plans, parties and events that sometimes last several days. Halloween celebrations in Malaga have a lot of activities for all audiences.
From a visit to a theme park decorated for children and families to a monstrous night to have a scary time for young people. The Costa del Sol is the ideal setting for these Halloween parties, and there is a whole program of activities in which you can dress up in your most sinister and terrifying costumes and live the night of the Eve of All Saints.
If you do not know where to choose and what to do on Halloween in Malaga, here we offer you a list of 10 plans so you can enjoy the terror in style.
Halloween plans in Malaga and province
If you do not know what to do this October 31st in Malaga, its surroundings and the province, here are 10 plans and activities for families and young people who want to enjoy the scariest night of the year.
Great Halloween Game in the English Cemetery, Malaga City
Malaga capital has an English cemetery that will open its doors on October 31st in a very gruesome way to celebrate its traditional Halloween party. It is an activity for children and not so young to discover the mysteries hidden in this old cemetery of the city of Malaga.
Maroween, Nerja
As every year, Nerja celebrates its traditional Maroween in the village of Maro. The Chestnut and Sweet Potato Festival is a celebration in which you can see frightening costumes, live music, a great costume parade and also taste free chestnuts and roasted sweet potatoes.
Maroween also has a popular festival and streets decorated in the purest Halloween style that mixes this Celtic festival with the most local traditions and where children, families, young and old can enjoy this day.
BioParc, Sealife on Halloween
Enjoying a haunted and frightening park is a plan for children and families who want to spend Halloween in a different and unique way. Bioparc in Fuengirola and Sealife in Benalmádena decorate their parks with pumpkins and candles and, as in the case of Bioparc, create a circuit that is all a terrifying tour where you will solve a lot of clues of a gymkhana, in addition to enjoying an illuminated zoo.
Sealife will also have challenges of the Sea Witch, in which you can win prizes at the end of the tour in this aquarium and where the little ones will enjoy in a monstrous way with the presence of marine animals.
Halloween at the Muelle 1
The Muelle 1 of Malaga will be the eerie scene of the most terrifying night. On Halloween afternoon, there will be spells, workshops and witches who will roam the pier teaching witchcraft courses. A variety of spooky activities for all ages will be the ingredients of a coven in which you can also participate in a terrifying photo call.
Horror Night in Churriana
It is one of the most popular festivals in the province, because this night in Churriana is scary, but really scary. The Barrio de las Pedrizas becomes a frightening scenario in which walking through its narrow streets and the theme of Halloween will lead to torture and fear. From a madhouse to a cemetery to séances, Churriana will be the atmosphere of a night of absolute panic.
The Botanical Garden of Malaga on Halloween
One of the best family plans for Halloween is a visit to the Malaga Botanical Gardens. From dramatized gymkhanas, costume contests to an abandoned boarding school have been scenarios during these days in this huge garden. Every year, different activities are organized in the Botanical Garden of Malaga that, besides being surprising, will make you listen to the most chilling stories and feel the terror in the family.
Halloweenland, Málaga
This festival is not for children under the age of 18, because at Halloweenland you will experience this holiday in the most sinister way possible. A walk of terror, terrifying performances, costume contests and bingo. It is a festival for young and old who want to enter the darkness of Halloween night and we are sure you will live with real fear. Of course, you’ll need to buy your tickets in advance, so you don’t miss out.
Escape City in Vélez Málaga
Although the streets of Velez Malaga will be taken over by witches, the dead, zombies, and the scariest costumes, as well as activities for all audiences such as cooking workshops with the most terrifying culinary arts and storytelling for children, this city will once again be hosting a Escape City, not for children, where the streets will be explored in the purest Halloween style.
Enjoy the darkest Marbella for Halloween
The parties in discos and clubs where you can spend the night on Halloween are becoming more and more popular with young people. And in this case, the Halloween night in Marbella has put on its best clothes. Some clubs are already preparing for the party on 31 October, and you will never forget it. The fear will take over all the participants who will live a night of partying and can take special Halloween-themed cocktails and many surprises they have prepared. Of course, don’t forget to wear your costume and book in advance.
A Convent in Ronda and A Passage of Terror
The Convent of Santo Domingo in Ronda will be transformed into a Passage of Terror for a few days. This activity, open to all, will take you through one of the most “charming” places in Ronda, where admission is charitable and costs only one euro. In addition to this activity, there will be a zombie flash mob, several “Magic and Mentalism” shows, and a representation of the “Trial of the Witches”. An infinite number of ways to spend the spookiest night in Ronda.
History of Halloween
The origins of this holiday of witches, zombies, and pumpkins date back more than 3,000 years. The word Halloween comes from “All Hallow Eve,” which means All Hallows Eve. Celtic and Roman beliefs also identify the origin of Halloween in a celebration to remember deceased relatives, which we know as Samhain.
The history of this feast is related to this Christian tradition, but also to the Celtic tradition, which celebrated the end of the harvest and believed that spirits, fairies, and demons walked the earth as they went to the afterlife.
This was supposedly a ritual to say goodbye to the sun and welcome the shorter days and cold.
It was a time when the earthly and the supernatural were united and the spirits could mingle with people. It is also said that the spirits would come to the homes of families, so to welcome them, a good feast was prepared for them, or they were provided with food and offerings, otherwise they could retaliate against humans, hence the origin of trick or treat, where the spirits would go from house to house asking for candy or food.
That night, people dressed in disguises to be confused with the wandering spirits so they would not be attacked, and also gathered around bonfires and sacrificed animals.
When did this tradition arrive to Spain?
In Spain, this tradition has its origins in the Christian tradition of All Saints’ Day, when people go to the cemetery and leave offerings for their deceased relatives. Halloween is therefore directly related to this festival, as well as to the rural world of the past, when chestnuts and sweets were taken to the dead so that they would not bother the living.
However, the celebration of Halloween as we know it today arrives in our country due to the worldwide introduction of these festivities in all corners of the world. It is not known exactly when it was incorporated into our culture, but it is true that Halloween arrived in Spain through a weakening of religious culture on the eve of All Saints’ Day, on which these pagan festivities that invite fun are imposed.
Globalization and advertising are two very important factors in the rise of Halloween, and although this holiday is of Celtic origin, when it arrived in the United States, the country adapted it and marketed it all over the world.
Halloween Traditions
There are several traditions around Halloween, depending on where you are on the planet. However, some of them are common to all and you can find them wherever you go.
Trick or Treat
It is the mythical phrase par excellence that you will hear over and over again on Halloween. We already know its origin and although 3000 years have passed since it began, going from house to house asking for candy or food to the sound of “trick or treat” is still present every night of October 31st.
Pumpkins, skeletons, and spider webs
Autumnal and frightening Halloween decorations are essential to create the right atmosphere in homes, clubs, discos, or amusement parks. Halloween has arrived in every corner of the world and decorations are essential to make this holiday as scary as possible. Pumpkins, fake blood, skeletons, axes, and spider webs are mythical in any Halloween environment. In fact, in the United States, one of the most deeply rooted family traditions is to carve pumpkins to simulate a frightening face and place candles inside.
Costumes
No Halloween is complete without a costume. Children and adults choose their most monstrous costumes to celebrate this night. The most common Halloween costumes are witches, zombies, wounded wolves, skeletons, ghosts, and any costume with an axe on the head and a face covered in blood. However, in recent times, especially the younger ones have adopted more unusual costumes of this holiday, perhaps to avoid the fear.
Lollipops, candies, and sweets
Finding the ideal Halloween “treat” is easy, as long as it involves chocolate and candy apples. But more and more people are getting into the kitchen to make Halloween-themed creations. Ghost-shaped cookies, spider webs, and spooky cupcakes are becoming more common in trick-or-treat offerings.
Halloween movies and activities
You can’t pass this holiday without watching a scary movie with your friends with the lights off. This is one of the traditions to do with family or friends, as well as doing one of the thousand activities that have emerged on Halloween and that will make you spend a night of terror: go to an amusement park, visit a cemetery, or make a passage of terror are some of the most traditional activities of this holiday.
HOW TO DRESS UP FOR HALLOWEEN?
The usual code for Halloween has to have some monstrous, terrifying, or bloody element par excellence. Black, red, and white are the 3 colors that will best suit your costume. Painting your face white and adding red elements to simulate blood or black under the eyes to simulate dark circles will make your face terrifying.
Wearing black capes, painting on scars, adding items like axes, fangs, or wolf masks, and painting your nails black will also make your costume fit the party.
In addition, there are many discos and party clubs, as well as haunted amusement parks that require Halloween costumes for entry on these days.
Curiosities about Halloween in Spain
Halloween has gained popularity in Spain in recent decades, especially among young people and families. Although it originated as a Celtic festival and was later popularized in its modern form by the United States, it has evolved into a unique celebration in Spain. Below are some interesting facts about how Halloween is observed in the country:
- Mix of traditions: In many regions, Halloween is combined with local celebrations for All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2). Rather than focusing solely on the festive aspect of Halloween, there is continued respect for religious traditions, such as visiting cemeteries and placing flowers on the graves of loved ones.
- Costumes and parties: As in other countries, costumes are a central part of Halloween celebrations in Spain. People dress up in scary outfits like zombies, vampires, or ghosts and attend themed parties. Major cities, such as Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia, often organize parades and special events.
- Cultural influences: While carved pumpkins, known as jack-o’-lanterns, and “trick-or-treating” are imported customs, they have been given a local twist in Spain. In some areas, children go door to door asking for candy, though this practice is less common than in English-speaking countries.
- Pumpkin substitutes: In regions like Galicia, instead of pumpkins, turnips have traditionally been used to make lanterns, in a custom known as the “Night of Samhain.” This Celtic festival has endured in the region and is closely tied to the origins of Halloween.
- Panellets and huesos de santo: Although Halloween has gained popularity, local gastronomic traditions for All Saints’ Day remain strong. In Catalonia, for example, it is typical to eat panellets, small almond-based sweets with pine nuts, while in other parts of the country, huesos de santo, marzipan sweets, are enjoyed.
- Haunted houses: In many Spanish cities, haunted houses have become popular attractions during the Halloween season. These events, often held in local venues or even castles, offer immersive experiences where visitors face terrifying scenarios.
- Horror movies and television: TV channels and cinemas take advantage of the occasion to air classic and recent horror movies. Halloween is the perfect excuse for horror movie marathons.
- Expansion of “trick-or-treating”: Although not as widespread as in the United States, the custom of children going door to door asking for candy with the famous “trick-or-treat” is becoming more common, especially in urban areas and among younger children.
Halloween in Spain is a fascinating blend of the adaptation of a foreign festival and the respect for the country’s traditional customs, making it a unique and diverse celebration depending on the region.
Trick Or Treat? Learn How To Make A Sinister Halloween Pumpkin In 5 Easy Steps
WHERE TO STAY
El Fuerte Marbella
Without a doubt, if you want to enjoy towns on the Costa del Sol and experience Halloween, the best accommodation option is Fuerte Group Hotels. In addition to the services on offer, the chain has establishments where you can enjoy the best of every point in the province. Over 60 years of experience are the best possible guarantee. Two of the towns where this incredible accommodation can be found are Marbella and Torrox , exceptional starting points for getting the best out of the most terrifying night of the year