San Isidro takes place on the 15th of May. San Isidro (Saint Isidore) is the patron saint of farmers, and many villages celebrate with processions through the fields/streets and a grand fiesta. In Nerja, it all starts on the evening of May 14th with a big party at the Nerja Caves, near Maro, which tends to go on until the next morning! There’s music, dancing, (temporary) bars galore and stalls and stands selling food of all types.

On May 15th, the proceedings begin with a Mass at the El Salvador church (around 11:00) on the Balcón de Europa. After homage is paid to the farmers of the area, the procession begins its long, slow journey up to the Nerja Caves. The procession is made up of horse riders, clad in traditional costume, carriages, carts pulled by teams of oxen (magnificent beasts), floats of all shapes and sizes and thousands of people on foot. 

The procession wends its way slowly to the Nerja Caves, basically up calle Pintada and then following the main road. The statue of the Patron Saint tends to arrive at the Caves around 14:00, but it will be several hours after that before the stragglers arrive.

The procession goes by near our house in Fuente Del Baden. We took our chairs, cooler and cameras and waited at a corner to watch all the fun. 

And then it’s party time again at the Nerja Caves! Although there is plenty of food and drink available, it is one of those times when many families take their own picnics and barbecues, enjoying a leisurely meal in the sun.