Autumn in Spain | spain.info

Autumn - from around 22 September to 21 December - is the perfect time to take your first break since the summer holidays. Why not organise a trip to Spain? It's a time for savouring seasonal specialities, such as mushrooms and chestnuts, having fun in the fiestas around the grape harvest, or buying something unique before Christmas comes round. What’s more, you will find going out to hear the sound of footprints on a carpet of dry leaves, seeing large forests coloured in russet and yellow hues or spending the night in a mountain hotel very inspiring. We have several ideas for enjoying this season to the full.

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A rural getaway... with the aroma of roasted chestnuts, soups and stews

In autumn, you might be thinking about lighting the fire, savouring the unmistakable taste of roast chestnuts, black truffles, warm soups and stews, ... And what better place to do all this than in a charming Spanish village! For example, you are going to love the white-washed villages of Cádiz and Málaga, the villages with “black architecture” in Guadalajara, the medieval towns, etc. By the way, many Spanish regions have fiestas to celebrate the arrival of chestnuts: Castanyada in Catalonia, Amagüestu in Asturias, Magosta in Cantabria, Gaztainerre in the Basque Country, Chaquetía in Extremadura, Magosto in Galicia... And the list could go on a lot longer.

Mushroom season

Going mushroom hunting in autumn is almost a cult activity in many Spanish regions. However, as it requires a permit, if you want to try it, the best thing to do is to get in touch with a specialist company. And where are the areas with the most activities and delicious dishes featuring this delicacy? For example, Navaleno, a tranquil little village in Soria, is famous for its mycological centre offering courses for tracking down and cooking mushrooms. In fact, the whole province of Soria is famous for its legendary tapas and you’ll be able to try delicious dishes such as creamy boletus mushroom risotto with foie gras shavings. To discover the secrets of fungi, you can visit the Ultzama and Erro-Roncesvalles mycological parks in Navarre. Great destinations for mushroom lovers include Berga (Barcelona) or the province of Huesca, with legendary events such as those in Canfranc and Ayerbe.

Harvest is a festival

We cannot contemplate autumn in Spain without thinking of the grape harvest. There are scores of regions you can visit to enjoy wine tourism. On this occasion, we are going to suggest a trip to La Rioja (home of one of the most famous Spanish wines) where there are over 80 wineries offering tours and wine is part of the local culture. As well as visiting wineries, you can fly over the vineyards in a balloon, go to a wine museum, attend a tasting course and treat yourself to a vinotherapy treatment. Very close by, in Rioja Alavesa, you will also find some of Spain’s most spectacular wineries, such as Marqués de Riscal, designed by the architect Frank Gehry. And when we say that harvest is a festival in Spain, it is because there are a multitude of celebrations taking place as early as the end of summer, such as the Riojana Harvest Festival (in Logroño, La Rioja), the Jerez de la Frontera Harvest Festival (Andalusia), the Montilla Harvest Festival (Andalusia) and the Cangas del Narcea Harvest Festival (Principality of Asturias).

Enjoy nature in all its glory

Are you looking for specific travel plans to natural spaces that become spectacular in autumn? For example, in the Ambroz Valley (Extremadura), “Magical Autumn” is celebrated with activities, such as hikes, artisan markets, photographic rallies, etc. A wonderful opportunity to explore this valley, listed as a European Destinations of ExcelleNce (EDEN) by the European Commission in 2019 in recognition of its sustainable tourism options. In different beech forests, such as the one in Montejo (around 100 kilometres from the city of Madrid) there are guided tours and in places such as Selva de Irati (Navarra) - the second largest beech and fir tree forest in Europe - you can enjoy a free educational excursion. In this report, we provide details of up to 10 natural spaces that are ideal for this season.

Autumn is also time for the rut or mating season for red deer, when the stags bellow to attract the does. There are several regions in Spain where jeep excursions are organised to see this spectacle, such as Cabañeros National Park (Castilla-La Mancha), Monfragüe National Park (in Extremadura) or the Culebra mountain range (in Castilla y Leon). Also, get your binoculars ready for spotting migrating birds. Recommended areas? There are many: the Gallocanta lakes (Aragón), the Ebro Delta (Catalonia), Doñana National Park (Andalusia), etc.

Deer rut at Los Alcornocales Natural Park

Halloween... Spanish style

Did you know that All Saints Day is celebrated in Spain on 1 November? Traditionally, people visit cemeteries and decorate their family graves with flowers. Even though it might seem a bit strange, some cemeteries are now more like outdoor museums thanks to their sculptures. Throughout the year and especially in late October and early November, several cemeteries, such as the ones in La Almudena and San Isidro (in Madrid), organise guided tours where you can learn about the exciting stories of the famous people buried there. In fact, around twenty Spanish cemeteries form part of the European Council’s European Cemeteries Route.

An autumn of music and film

Liza Minelli's famous song “All that jazz” could easily be dedicated to Spain in autumn. The season brings two festivals where you can experience the sensations only jazz can express: the Voll-Damm Jazz Festival in Barcelona and the International Jazz Festival in Madrid. As well as letting yourself be carried away by the melodies from the great artists, you can attend lectures, masterclasses, and other activities. However, these are not the only events happening now, as some of Spain’s most famous film festivals take place in autumn: San Sebastián International Film Festival, Seminci - Valladolid International Film Week, Gijón International Film Festival, Seville European Film Festival and the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia.

Kursaal, the venue for the San Sebastián International Film Festival

Early Christmas shopping

In Spain, the Christmas lights are lit at the end of November... The sign that the festive season is on its way. So, if you come to visit over these dates or even before, you can enjoy shopping for unique Christmas gifts. Why not take home a garment or accessory by a Spanish designer that nobody at home will have seen? You must have heard of Custo Dalmau, Adolfo Domínguez, Delpozo, Purificación García, Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada, Manolo Blahnik... The list is endless and here you can find shops with the most iconic Spanish fashion. Bear in mind that Black Friday takes place in Spain on the last Friday of November, featuring huge discounts in all types of shops, which will motivate you to buy even more.Also, during this time, different artisan markets start to pop up where you can buy a souvenir or even typical Christmas confectionery, such as the famous turrón de Jijona, polvorones and mantecados de Estepa.