How it is celebrated on the Costa del Sol
The holiday season encompassing Christmas in Spain seems to last so much longer than in other countries – and that’s because it does! While Christmas Day itself has grown in importance across the country, the most anticipated family moment often arrives later, on 6 January, Día de los Reyes, also known as Epiphany.
This celebration marks the visit of the Three Wise Men, Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar, to the infant Jesus. In practical terms, it is the day many children wake up to their main presents, with the evening before devoted to one of Spain’s most loved traditions, the Cabalgata de Reyes, a celebratory parade through town.
The feeling is part pageant, part community ritual. Streets fill with families, grandparents and teenagers, all bundled up for an early January evening. Floats roll past to music, confetti drifts through the air and the Kings throw sweets into the crowd. It is loud, bright and wonderfully local, with each town putting its own stamp on the festivities.
The customs that make it feel like Reyes
Día de los Reyes is widely celebrated throughout Spain. Children send letters to the Kings in the days before 5 January, detailing their wishes and promising better behaviour, replacing Father Christmas, who previously received Christmas lists in Grottos nationwide. On the evening of the 5th, many families leave out shoes to let the Kings know who resides in the home, along with a small snack and water for the travellers. The following morning, children find gifts and sometimes sweet coal, a humorous traditional treat.
Food also plays a significant role in the celebration. Roscón de Reyes, a ring-shaped, crown-like cake, appears in bakeries and supermarket aisles from late December onwards and is traditionally consumed around 6 January. It is often decorated with candied fruit and may be filled with cream, with small surprises hidden inside, such as a figurine that entitles the finder to wear the crown that comes with the cake and a dried bean that is said to bring bad luck, with the person who finds it usually expected to pay for the Roscón.
Mijas: three centres, three parades, one very family-led evening
Mijas celebrates Reyes across its three population centres, which makes the experience unusually varied for one municipality. You can pick a parade that suits your plan for the day, whether you prefer the whitewashed charm of Mijas Pueblo, the seaside energy of La Cala, or the larger streets and crowds around Las Lagunas.
The Ayuntamiento of Mijas publishes detailed plans and in Mijas Pueblo, the Cabalgata typically sets off in the afternoon and winds through the village streets before finishing near the centre, where the atmosphere stays lively long after the last float has passed.
Marbella: the classic Cabalgata down Ricardo Soriano
Marbella’s main Cabalgata is one of the most watched on this stretch of coast, with a route that naturally concentrates the crowd along the town’s central artery. The parade typically begins around 18:00 near El Pirulí. It runs along Avenida Ricardo Soriano and Ramón y Cajal, finishing on Avenida Severo Ochoa, with the Kings and accompanying groups distributing sweets throughout.
For residents and visitors, it is a very “Marbella” kind of event: polished, busy and easy to combine with an early supper nearby or a stroll through the centre afterwards.
Estepona: a strong town-centre celebration with a coastal finish
Estepona’s Cabalgata is properly communal, drawing families into the heart of town and down towards the seafront. The route starts at the Ayuntamiento on Avenida Juan Carlos I, continues via Avenida de Andalucía and Avenida de España, then up Calle Terraza to Plaza Antonia Guerrero, where children can meet the Kings. It typically starts around 17:00.
If you are based further east, it is an easy reason to spend a winter afternoon in Estepona, take in the centre, and enjoy the parade before heading home.
Sotogrande and Alcaidesa: following San Roque’s Reyes traditions
Sotogrande and Alcaidesa sit within the wider San Roque area and many local families join the main celebrations organised by the Ayuntamiento de San Roque. For 5 January 2026, the town lists the Cabalgata de Reyes in San Roque with a start time of 17:30.
In practice, this gives residents in both Sotogrande and Alcaidesa a choice: stay close to home and enjoy a smaller neighbourhood atmosphere where available, or head into San Roque for the full municipal parade experience.
Málaga: the bigger-scale outing worth planning once
If you want to see Reyes on a more dramatic scale, Málaga is the natural day trip. The city’s Cabalgata draws huge crowds and has a grander, more theatrical feel, with an official reception and an evening parade through the centre that gets very busy. This year the reception begins at around 17:30 with the parade starting at around 18:00.
Even if you usually keep celebrations local, Málaga is worth doing at least once, especially if you have visiting family or want to see the full spectacle of the tradition.
One Eden: make winter on the coast part of your story
Reyes is a reminder that life on the Costa del Sol has its own calendar, one shaped by neighbourhood traditions and shared public moments, not just summer weekends. If you are considering a home in Marbella, Estepona, Mijas, Sotogrande or Alcaidesa, One Eden can help you understand what day-to-day living really looks like, including the local traditions that make you feel part of something more profound.
Speak to One Eden to discuss areas, lifestyle fit and property availability, and to arrange viewings that work around your travel plans, whether you are visiting for Reyes week or planning to purchase a new home in the coming year.
