The Best Food Festivals in Spain for New Year 2025: Alicante, Torrevieja, Benidorm
12 November
Spain, with its rich culture and diverse gastronomic traditions, is a country where the New Year is celebrated not only with fireworks but also with amazing culinary celebrations. The Costa Blanca, especially in Alicante, Torrevieja and Benidorm, will host exciting gastronomic festivals for New Year 2025. They allow you to immerse yourself in the culture of the region and enjoy the flavors of the local cuisine.
1. Alicante Gastronomic Festival: A Taste of the Mediterranean
Venue: Alicante Date: From the end of December 2024 to mid-January 2025
Alicante, known as the culinary heart of the Costa Blanca, welcomes the New Year with a major gastronomic festival that features the best dishes of the region.
- Paella and Seafood: Here you can try the classic Valencian paella with seafood, meat and vegetables. This festival allows you to immerse yourself in the Mediterranean atmosphere, enjoying traditional dishes right by the sea.
- Local Wines: Alicante is famous for its wines, especially the sweet Monastrell, which is ideal for meat and fish dishes. The festival offers tastings of the best wines of the region.
- Chef Competitions: The festival also includes competitions where the best chefs compete in the art of cooking, which creates a festive atmosphere and captivates the audience.
2. Torrevieja Festival: Seafood Feast
Venue: Torrevieja Date: Second week of January 2025
Famous for its salt pans and seafood, Torrevieja invites visitors to a unique seafood festival.
- Fresh Seafood: The focus is on fresh shrimp, mussels, squid and lobster. Many local chefs present their signature seafood dishes.
- Tapas Tour: Festival participants can go on a food tour of local bars to try the best tapas in Torrevieja. This is a great opportunity to get to know the authentic cuisine, including fish and seafood dishes.
- White Wine and Beer Pairings: The region’s wineries offer white wines and craft beers that pair perfectly with fish and seafood dishes.
3. Benidorm: Flamenco and Stuffed Dishes Festival
Venue: Benidorm Date: New Year’s week 2025
Benidorm is known for its vibrant cultural and nightlife, and the gastronomic festival here is not complete without flamenco, fun and special dishes.
- Stuffed Dishes: The festival offers a variety of recipes for stuffed vegetables, meat dishes and fish appetizers. A popular treat is the “Pimientos Rellenos” - peppers stuffed with meat or seafood.
- Flamenco Show: The festival is accompanied by live flamenco performances, adding to the atmosphere of passion and cultural immersion. * Tastings and cooking workshops: The festival includes cooking classes where visitors can learn how to prepare traditional dishes.
4. Alicante Sweets and Desserts Festival
Venue: Alicante Historic Centre Date: 6-8 January 2025
In the heart of Alicante, once a year there is a festival dedicated to sweets and Christmas desserts, which are especially popular during the New Year holidays.
- Spanish Christmas cakes and sweets: Popular treats include turron, polvorons and almond sweets, which are served on the Christmas table in every Spanish family.
- Traditional sweets: Torron from Alicante is one of the most popular desserts in the region, and here you can try a variety of its varieties: with nuts, honey, chocolate.
- Hot Chocolate and Coffee Pairings: Local coffee shops offer the best turron and hot chocolate combinations, which is especially relevant on cool January days.
5. Villajoyosa Fish Festival
Venue: Villajoyosa Date: Mid-January 2025
The town of Villajoyosa on the Costa Blanca is famous for its seafood, and in January it hosts a unique festival dedicated to fish and seafood delicacies.
- Fresh Catch: The town’s restaurants present dishes made from the fresh catch: various types of fish, squid, cuttlefish and much more.
- Tapas Festival: In Villajoyosa, you can go on a tapas tour and try the best fish tapas. Tuna and anchovy dishes are especially popular here.
- Fish Cooking Classes: The festival offers fish cooking classes where local chefs share their secrets on how to preserve the flavor of seafood.
6. Jumilla Wine Festival
Venue: Jumilla Date: January 2025
Jumilla is famous for its vineyards and wine tradition. In January, it hosts a festival dedicated to the region’s wines, making it ideal for wine lovers.
- Wine Tasting: Jumilla is known for its rich red wines, especially the Monastrell variety. The festival offers the opportunity to taste the region’s wines and learn about its winemaking traditions.
- Food Pairing: Wine is paired with traditional tapas that pair perfectly with the region’s red and white wines.
- Wine Workshops: Visitors can learn more about the winemaking process, attend workshops, and learn to distinguish between different flavors.
New Year in Spain 2025
Spain offers unforgettable gastronomic festivals for New Year 2025, each of which is open to lovers of local cuisine and culture.