2025 - April - Valencia - Beach and Good Friday

Part 5: Good Friday at the Beach – Processions with Jesus and Bikini

Are you tired of the hustle and bustle of the city and just want sun, sea, and beach? Valencia offers that too: an 80-meter-wide sandy beach stretching over 3 kilometers – including a beautiful promenade for strolling.

Right there, we experienced something very special on Good Friday: a procession that first went along the promenade and finally made its way down to the sea. At the end, participants threw red roses into the water. Remarkably, the figure of Jesus, which had been carried until that point, was then taken back onto the shoulders of women (!). The whole event was accompanied by a brass band and numerous spectators – including many onlookers and professional photographers. A peculiar sight: bathers in bikinis and swim trunks right next to the cross bearers of Jesus.

In the evening, the traditional Good Friday processions continued in the city. Various church congregations paraded their own bands and Jesus figures through the streets, followed by many spectators. Particularly noticeable this time: the pointed, tall Capirotes – traditional penitential hoods with a medieval origin, which visually resemble those of the Ku Klux Klan but carry a completely different, religious significance.

With this fifth and final part, my Valencia special comes to an end. Until the next visit to this wonderful city!