You don’t have to go very far inland to find a way of Spanish life that is quieter, more relaxed and steeped in traditions.
Just 30 minutes drive from Malaga airport and the Costa Del Sol is the little town of Coín (pronounced Co-een). Inhabited long before Roman times, Coín has always been a big farming area and lies in an area called the Valle Del Azahar – The Valley of Orange Blossom and these days fruit growing is still the largest industry in the town.
Coín celebrates its fruit growing traditions every year on the 1st May with Dia de la Naranja, a festival that sees the town centre decked with garlands of oranges and local people offering free samples of orange juice, orange salads and even orange soup! As part of these festivities the locals have a procession that takes a statue of the Virgin Mary to a small hermitage out in the countryside.
The first weekend of June sees the Romeria take place which is a pilgrimage out to the hermitage by wagons and carts drawn by horses, bulls, cows and donkeys in which most people dress in traditional costumes.
The procession ends at the small church that holds the statue of the virgin for a night of dancing, singing, displays of horsemanship and general merriment. On the Sunday morning after a dawn Mass, the best dressed wagon has the honour of carrying the statue of the Virgin back to her normal resting place in the main town square where she will stay until next May.
Every August since 1765 there has been a summer Fair in Coín. Originally a fair to promote local farming goods it is now a non-stop celebration of music, dancing and funfairs.
In September the nearby town of Guaro has a spectacular festival called La Luna Mora – the Moorish Moon that celebrates the 500 years or so that Spain was ruled by the Moors or Arabs. There are lots of Traditional Arab costumes worn and belly-dancing competitions and on the last Saturday night of the fair they have ‘The night of twenty thousand candles’ where the whole village is lit with candles in jars. There is a large craft fair and market that goes on through the night and a display in the town hall of local produce.
New Year’s Eve is a special night when the town of Coín comes alive. Nearly everyone attends in fancy dress and the atmosphere in the town square is fantastic. At midnight everyone eats a lucky grape at each stroke of the Church clock and then the serious partying starts
Coin also has English soundtrack films running throughout the year at our local cinema in the La Trocha shopping centre.
