MOST ‘pueblos’ across Spain celebrate Halloween on 31 October, leading to many conflicting events. Staying ahead of the game, the spooky (and famous) village of Soportújar, in La Alpujarra of Granada, celebrated its “Witches’ Night” on Saturday 7 November. This popular tourist village – the most Googled in the region – attracted 8,000 visitors to the Halloween event, according to its councillor for culture, Jesus Rodríguez.
What is it the Witches’ Night in Soportújar?
As Jesus explains, Soportújar’s Witches’ Night is an annual cultural, tourist, and festive celebration. Launched around 2018, it is one of the town’s main annual events and a popular fixture in La Alpujarra and beyond. The event has the ‘bruja’ (witch) as its centrepiece, symbolising the area’s legends, stories, and historical references.
Soportújar has maximised the theme by creating a range of spooky tourist attractions – such as the Hansel and Gretel House, Baba Yaga witch effigy, serpents, spiders, dragon fouuntain, and more. Says Jesus: “The community has transformed this legacy into a positive hallmark, focusing on the recovery of traditions, social revitalisation, and economic development of the area.”
Rebecca, a resident of Órgiva, attended the event with her daughter, She said: “It was really well organised. The whole town had been decorated in accordance with the spooky theme, buses were arranged to transport people from Órgiva, and visitors came from far and wide. The event was very busy and I saw several TV camera crews.”
How did it start?
The event began as an extension of the Soportújar ‘Enchantment Fair’, which was held during the summer, for several years. Starting in 2018, the town hall (‘ayntamiento’) and local associations officially established Halloween as an independent event, scheduled every autumn (late October or early November).
As with the town and its popularity in general, the event has grown massively. It started with a few hundred people and now attracts thousands of visitors from across Andalucia.
What is the theme?
The programme combines street entertainment, theatrical performances, guided tours, and family activities. Highlights include witch parades, covens, haunted houses, children’s workshops, a themed market, and guided tours of sites such as the Witch’s Eye Cave, Baba Yaga’s House, and the Witchcraft Interpretation Centre.
Says Jesus Rodríguez: “The Witches’ Night is important for the tourism development of Soportújar It has diversified our offering beyond the summer season, boosted the local economy, and consolidated our image. Media outlets such as ABC, 20 Minutos, and El Independiente de Granada cover the event’s contribution to rural tourism.”
The event is coordinated by the Soportújar ‘ayuntamiento’ in collaboration with neighbourhood associations, cultural groups, and entertainment companies. Crowd logistics, capacity control, and security are planned – bearing in mind that Soportújar is a small village! The careful planning caters for the high number of visitors descending at once!
Says Jesus: “Halloween Night is not just a festive celebration: it is also a symbolic event. The town has transformed an old image associated with superstitions into a positive project that has helped the economy, and secured our future.”
“It shows how a rural community can create a cultural event with high tourist appeal.”
What comes next?
Looking ahead, the San Antón patron saint fiesta on 16, 17, and 18 January is the next big event in Soportújar (although we’re sure that Christmas will also be special for visitors!).
Jesus says: “In 2026, there will be new themed sculptures and public works to improve parking, access to the town, playgrounds, and a padel court.”
For those who prefer a more chilled vibe, Soportújar is worth visiting on a quiet weekday daytime, during low season. This less busy period enables you to park easily, stroll around the village, see the attractions, and enjoy a ‘cerveza’ or a ‘menu’ in a local bar – without queuing.
For visitors, it is well worth venturing above Soportújar to see its ‘sierra’. This area features the Buddhist retreat, O Sel Ling’; some beautiful scenery; the Puente Palo forestry area, and mountain biking and riding trails. From the town itself (just above the ‘era’, meaning old threshing ground, which is now a carpark), you can enjoy the GR7 hiking trail towards either Cáñar or Pampaneira. The Cáñar route features the magnificient Dique 24 dam of the Rio Chico Take a bottle of water (or cereveza!) and a picnic!