How Christmas is celebrated on the Costa Blanca: tradition, climate, and Mediterranean style

The Costa Blanca has a very special way of celebrating Christmas. Here, the holidays are characterized by mild weather, unmatched light, and a Mediterranean atmosphere that turns every plan into a relaxed and charming experience.
Between Christmas markets, traditional gastronomy, illuminated streets, and traditions that stay alive year after year, December becomes a very special time to discover, or rediscover, this corner of the Mediterranean.
Join us on this journey through everything that makes Christmas on the Costa Blanca unique.

1. Mediterranean-style Christmas: tradition, light, and mild weather
While much of Europe bundles up to fight the cold, Christmas on the Costa Blanca is enjoyed outdoors. Bright days, pleasant temperatures, and a relaxed atmosphere make walks, shopping, and Christmas events particularly enjoyable.
The streets fill with lights, towns decorate their nativity scenes with care, and public spaces organize concerts, workshops, and family activities that celebrate tradition while keeping the region’s unique, friendly, and joyful Mediterranean style.
It is this combination of Spanish customs, local flavor, and privileged climate that makes Christmas here completely different.

2. Christmas markets for the whole family: Calpe, Altea, and Xàbia

👉 Check the full program of Costa Blanca Christmas markets

Christmas markets and fairs 2025 on the Costa Blanca

Christmas markets are among the most anticipated events in December. Crafts, traditional foods, decorations, and children’s activities fill town squares and create a magical atmosphere, perfect for the early December holiday period.

Key dates:

• Calpe: 12/05 – 12/08
  📍Old Town
  A charming Christmas fair with numerous stalls, crafts, festive music, and lots of holiday cheer in the streets of the old town. Around 40 stalls, music, workshops, entertainment and children’s activities, crafts, traditional sweets, and Christmas items.


• Altea: 12/05 – 12/08
  📍Avenida de la Comunidad Valenciana
  In a festive atmosphere, this is a great opportunity to find handmade gifts for the holidays. There will be workshops for children, music, a Christmas vibe, tabletop games, craft demonstrations, and soap bubble shows. Also, a colorful and unique nativity scene created by different artisans can be admired.


• Benissa: 12/07
  📍Tent on Passeig Joaquín Piera i Mariana Torres
  The initiative will include various stalls occupied by more than 25 local businesses and associations participating this year. There will be local craft stalls as well as a wide selection of local flavors for food lovers.


• Xàbia (Jávea): 12/06 – 12/08
  📍Paseo Marítimo del Puerto
  There will be artisan craft stalls, perfect if you’re looking for unique handmade gifts. If you’re traveling during this period, these markets are the ideal place to find unique presents, taste local products, and immerse yourself in the Christmas spirit of Marina Alta.


• Llíber: 12/14
  📍Plaza Mayor
  The market will offer gifts for the family, Christmas treats, craft workshops, and stalls with local products for tasting. Santa Claus will also make an appearance.


• Benitatxell: 12/21
  📍La Pau and Mayor Streets
  The market will feature family games, music from the children’s band of the local music school, food stalls, crafts, and decorations, as well as the beloved Christmas donkey, a symbol of the town. New this year is the opening of Santa’s house on the church square, where he will welcome visitors on the 24th before departing for the North Pole.


• Teulada: 12/21
  📍Plaza de la Constitución and Avenida Santa Caterina
  The goal of the market is to immerse the community in a festive atmosphere full of light and color, with commercial stalls and activities for the whole family. Private individuals, traders, and associations participate in the Christmas market. The decorated stalls create an ideal environment to enjoy the weekend before Christmas while supporting local businesses.

👉 If visiting the Christmas markets makes you imagine living in one of these charming Mediterranean towns, you can discover more about each destination on our website. Explore what it’s like to live in Benitatxell, Calpe, Altea, Benissa, Teulada–Moraira, or Xàbia and start imagining your next Christmas by the sea.

3. Taste of Christmas: turrón, mistela, and Mediterranean tradition

Christmas gastronomy on the Costa Blanca has several names: turrón, peladillas, dates, mona, anise rolls, mistela, and local sweet wines.

• Turrón: especially the soft Jijona variety and the hard Alicante variety, handcrafted with centuries of tradition.


• Mistela: the quintessential sweet liqueur of Marina Alta, perfect with Christmas desserts.


• Cocas and typical sweets: each municipality preserves its own recipes, which are part of its culinary identity.
  Many markets and fairs offer tastings, and local bakeries prepare these specialties using traditional recipes. Another detail that confirms Christmas here is celebrated and savored differently.

4. Christmas activities that fill Costa Blanca towns with magic
The Christmas calendar on the Costa Blanca is full of activities for all ages:

• Christmas lights ceremony: one of the most anticipated moments, with main streets, facades, and promenades illuminated.
  Don’t miss it in Poble Nou de Benitatxell on Saturday, December 6th at 6:30 PM. It starts at the Oratory, continues at the Town Hall balcony, and finishes on Carrer Llebeig.


• Traditional nativity scenes: from classic monumental and living displays to spectacular creations.
  One of the highlights is the Giant Nativity in Alicante, installed in the Town Hall Square. This display holds a Guinness World Record as one of the tallest in the world, with monumental figures such as Saint Joseph (17 m), the Virgin Mary (10 m), and the Three Wise Men (up to 16 m), offering an impressive spectacle that attracts thousands of visitors every year.


• Parades and processions: music, dance, Christmas characters, and cultural activities throughout the month.


• Special events: concerts, exhibitions, theater, children’s workshops, and food fairs.


• Three Kings Parade: one of the most beloved celebrations in Spain, especially emotional in coastal towns like Calpe, Altea, or Xàbia, often ending by the sea.

Here, Christmas isn’t limited to a few nights: it’s a whole month of outdoor, family-friendly plans with the characteristic Mediterranean atmosphere.

A destination to experience Christmas… and stay all year.

👉 Discover our promotions and start imagining your next Christmas by the sea.

Holidays on the Costa Blanca combine tradition, mild climate, and a lifestyle that invites relaxed enjoyment: light, sea, gastronomy, culture, and an energy that captivates all visitors.
If during one of these Christmas getaways you imagine living here, VAPF residences make it possible: design homes, prime locations, and spaces created to enjoy the Mediterranean any time of year.
Learn more about our promotions on the VAPF website and start imagining your next Christmas by the sea.