What to do in Santiago in March

With March, Santiago starts to wake up: the days stretch out and there are already afternoons of frank sun on the Alameda, though the umbrella stays in near-daily use. It is also the month Holy Week begins when the calendar puts it here: in 2026 it started on 27 March, and in 2027 it falls entirely within March, from the 21st to the 28th, with the seventeen processions that the city's eleven brotherhoods take through the streets of the old town.

The season's first pilgrims start arriving along the Portuguese and French Ways, still without the volume of May or September. If your trip lands in the last week of the month, book accommodation early: it is the year's first rise in prices, right before Holy Week.

What happens in March

Holy Week (start) (Set by the liturgical calendar (2026: 27 March to 5 April; 2027: 21 to 28 March)). The first processions by the city's eleven brotherhoods. In 2026 it began on 27 March; in 2027 the whole of Holy Week falls in March, from the 21st to the 28th, with Easter Sunday on the 28th.

Things to do in March

• The season's first pilgrims start arriving along the Portuguese and French Ways
• Walk the Alameda when the midday sun comes out
• Book a table for Holy Week if your trip falls in the last week of the month
• Take advantage of mid-season room rates before Holy Week pushes them up

For the full calendar of festivals and events, see what’s on in Santiago.