From 15th February to 31st March Pilar de la Horadada is holding its Third Easter Gastronomy Season. The aim is to highlight the delicious culinary specialities of the land and especially at this time of the year.
Local establishments are given the opportunity to demonstrate their culinary prowess during these weeks by offering various set menus at a price of €20 per person. The index of restaurants as well as the menus on offer is available for consultation on the following link:

Gastronomy Season Guide

The tourist information office will also be pleased to assist you in Spanish, English, German and/or French by telephone (966 767 068) or by e-mail at the following address: turismo@pilardelahoradada.com.
The Community Solutions team has personally visited the Restaurante San Marino, at calle Mayor 110 in Pilar, to enjoy the quality of its Mediterranean cuisine. For €20 we tasted the following dishes:

STARTER
Fantasy of aromatic cheeses and tomato jam
Seafood salad (lettuce, tomato, prawns, mock eel and salmon)
Scrambled eggs with cod and piquillo red peppers
Sancocho (stew) of chickpeas and cuttlefish

MAIN COURSE
Cantabrian hake stuffed with Norwegian smoked salmon
OR
Charcoal grilled suckling veal chop with seasonal garnish

DESSERT
Rice pudding and crunchy pestiño (sweet pastry)
Chocolate crepes with Drambuie
RIOJA WINE

The atmosphere was warm and friendly and the service was good. We advise you not to be in a hurry.

Carnival is a public celebration that precedes the start of Christian lent, which is why the date of such varies every year. The origins of this festive event go way back to the Egyptians and the Sumerians 5000 years ago. Carnival comes from the Latin word “carnelevarium” that basically means farewell to meat, due to the fact that eating meat during the 40 days of Christian lent was prohibited. But before embarking upon this period of fasting, the people would let loose one last time during the Carnival festivities. However, this celebration has long since lost its religious significance.

Carnival in Torrevieja has been celebrated for 25 years, and it’s full of float parades, krewes of costumed paraders wearing masks and dancers in matching attire. This year, for the first time ever, it has been declared to be a provincial tourist attraction of great interest.

The highlights this year are on the following dates:

-          Seniors fancy dress dance. 24th of January 18.00h at the Centro Municipal de Ocio (Municipal Leisure Centre) right next to the Habaneras shopping centre.

-          Carnival Contest Parade. 3rd of February at 16.30h. 30 krewes will take part. It starts at the Plaza María Asunción, goes along Ramón Gallud and ends up in Patricio Pérez.

-          Carnival night time parade. 9th of February at 22.00h. This is the most uninhibited, popular, free-and-easy parade. It starts at Patricio Pérez, goes along Ramón Gallud and ends up in Plaza María Asunción.

This year the 15th edition of the Jazz Festival is being held in San Javier. It’s the perfect occasion to discover amazing artists and styles of music. Some days, for just over 10€, there’s almost four hours of live music to be enjoyed.
Although the Festival started on the 6th of July you’re still in time to get some good entertainment at the great summer evening concerts.
The highlights this year include concerts from the famous Brazilian musician Toquinho, heir to the rhythms of Vinicius de Moraes; a group of great jazz musicians will take us back to 1967 with tunes from the Miles Smiles album and the Brazilian pianist Eliane Elias, whose distinct piano style, magnificent musical arrangements and marvellous vocal performances have positioned her among the big names in jazz and bossa nova.
If you would like to reserve or buy tickets for the Festival get in touch with the San Javier Jazz Festival Ticket office by phoning the following numbers:

• +34 968 19 15 88
• +34 968 19 15 68

From the 16th of July recordings of the concerts will be broadcasted on the radio programme “Arponera” on RNE 3, between 23.00 and 24.00h. http://www.rtve.es/radio/radio3/

For any information about the festival have a look on the Website http://jazz.sanjavier.es/index.html

From 9 to 13 May. This is not a traditional fiesta but rather a copy in miniature of the famous “feria de abril” (April fair) of Seville. In Torrevieja it is popularly known as “las sevillanas”. People dress in traditional costumes, there are musical acts and numerous stands where you can have a “rebujito” (manzanilla wine with lemonade) and a snack. You will probably need to take a taxi back home.

It is important to call the tourist information office in advance to confirm the date, as it changes every year.

Virgen del Carmen

16 July.  The patron saint of fishermen. There is a very pretty maritime procession of sailing boats, during which the fisherman take the Virgin for a turn around the port quay, organising greasy poles, a paella competition, etc…

St John’s Eve Bonfires

St. John’s day is 24^th June, it is the longest day and the shortest night (23^rd June) of the year. During the day the religious festival of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is celebrated, but at night, on the previous day, the popular pagan celebration is held. This is the most characteristic and deserves at least a short explanation.

In the popular celebration friends and families meet around a bonfire on the beach, where we take the opportunity to dine and have a few drinks, picnic style. We write on a piece of paper all the negative things that have happened to us during the year and this is burned on the bonfire. On another piece of paper we write all the wishes we have for the forthcoming year and this is kept in a little wooden box to be opened during the next celebration to see whether they have come true. At exactly midnight we jump over our bonfire to burn all that is negative and people bathe in the sea for the same reason. That night, a new year begins full of good wishes and hope.