Each area, city and town has its own accent on its celebrations. They all differ but in common they all portray life, colour, culture, music and dance, all with a very religious meaning.

Everywhere, processions make their way through the streets, carrying religious icons and symbols of their faith. In Seville alone there are over 100 of these such images. Semana Santa has to be experienced first hand to be fully appreciated and no words can begin to describe the emotions that flow like water, wherever you go. If you have the opportunity to sample these festivities, one thing is sure, the images will stay with you forever.

The way in which many villages and towns celebrate Holy Week is so very different and one such example is Almaden de la Plata near Seville. On Easter Sunday, rag and straw dolls representing famous people are placed at different points in the streets of the village. These are finally torn apart and the pieces thrown into the air.

In major cities such as Malaga, the processions go on for miles and will last until the early hours of the morning, every night through the Easter week. Children as young as 3 or 4 take part and crowds will swell into hundreds of thousands.

Some of the images are quite haunting.

You will find, anywhere in Spain, during the celebrations that accommodation is very difficult to find, especially in the cities. Many people resort to booking a year in advance. You may also find that the price of accommodation will be artificially inflated for this week.