Huéscar is situated close to the provinces of Albacete, Murcia, Almería y Jaén. It has excellent road communications in all directions and is only a 25 minute drive to the main motorway of the A92.

It is the main market town in the Altiplano de Granada. It is pearched on a high plateau 960 m above sea level, to the south east of the Sierra de Castril and is below the huge Mount Sagra (2382 m ), the highest peak in mainland  Spain outside the Pyranees and the Sierra Nevada. The natural surroundings make it a great base for hiking, cycling, horse riding, climbing, canyoning and parasending. It is also a great place for water based recreation with rivers and lakes nearby for fishing, canoeing and swimming as well as local thermal springs.

There is a large market in the Plaza Santa Adela every Thursday. It sells fruit and vegtables, usually locally sourced, nearby is the market that sells clothes, shoes and general household goods.

History

Also known as the 'City of peace' , it is rich in tradition and folklaw and has good gastronomy. At present it has a population of around 8000 inhabitants.
The town has been in existance since Roman times and became a moorish walled stronghold in the 14C, being the frontier between the kingdom of Granada and Castilla.
The town was reconquered by Fernado the Catholic in 1488 and was under the Diocese of Toledo up to 1953.

Fiestas

There seems to be a Fiesta here almost monthly, no sooner have the Christmas festivities ended, then the Fiestas start. The first being the Fiesta de San Antón on the 17 of January with many religious activities but also a lottery to win a pig! The night before, families meet and enjoy el Remojón de San Antón – a potato dish with onions, olive oil, vinegar and salted cod (Bacaloa). Cuervo (a type of sangria) is enjoyed, with Careta de Cerdo (the face of a pig roasted in the fire). The Fiesta ends in the evening with a trip to mass and a procession.
The last weekend in February is El Carnaval . The children dress up and march through the streets playing music. There is a concert every night with music from an Orchestra. Large street parties (verbenas) give people a chance to dress up in elaborate costumes that have taken months in preparation.

Semana Santa

Easter week, known i n Spain as Semena Santa begins with Palm Sunday (Domingo de Ramos) and then end s on Easter Monday (Lunes de Pascua).
On Palm Sunday people go to mass and the children carry palm leaves that are blessed by the priest. There are often parades marking the arrival of Christ into Jerusalem, with everyone carrying huge leaves or branches from either a palm or olive tree (when I was little it was a single leaf made in to a cross).
In Huescar there are many processions through the streets over the whole weekend. On the Tuesday before Easter from a small Ermita just outside Huescar (on the Huescar - Castril road) there is rather a scary one! Everyone in the procession dress in brown robes with there heads covered and walk to the Plaza Mayor, bare foot and chained! From Thursday the processions are more traditional with floats carry religious effigies decorated with candles and flowers. On the Saturday morning there is yet another procession but here those taking part wear different coloured robes (dependent on which congregation) with very tall, pointy white hats and masks. Again a little scary!

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Cruz de Mayo (3 rd of May) is in the main squares and streets of Huescar, decorated crosses (with flowers) are displayed with many food stalls (chiringuitos) serving typical food of the area.

Huescar has two Patron Saints, Alodía y Nunilón; legend has it that upon the death of their Christian mother, their Moorish Father killed his daughters because they would not give up their Christian Faith. The days before La Romería (always over the weekend) are full of celebrations, with the election of the queen of the Fiesta and lots of dancing, the children all dress up in traditional costume. La Romería de las Santas is 50 days after the resurrection of Jesus (Easter) and on this day the people of Huescar head out into the countryside for a picnic ( La Romería ) to a small church (Ermita) at the foot of the mountain La Sagra.
Every year in August in Huescar, the Fiesta of the Virgen de la Cabeza takes place. On the evening of the 14 August ( Fiesta del Veraneante ) there is a festival in the main square with much dancing, music, theatre etc. The following morning at 7 o'clock a statue of the virgin is carried from Huescar to a church close to the San Clemente Lake . All the people from the town follow the procession. The route is long and obviously very hot, but everybody likes to make this journey. Once at the church there is a mass and then everyone eats out in the countryside.
In October starting from around the 20th there is the fiesta Ferìa de Huescar, with bulls in the Plaza de Toros on the Saturday and many celebrations over the weekend, verbenas (street fairs), chiringuitos (refreshment stalls), performances and a fair for the children.

Going into December on the 6 th is the Day of Constitution when Franco died and then on the 8 th is the Immaculate Conception and the start, once again, of all the Christmas Festivities.