Festival Itinerary Overview

Join us for an immersive three-day experience at the Caballo del Vino festival.

Day 1. Official Start of the Festival and Cultural Activities

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Bareback Horse Competition: Attend this event where the horses’ morphology is judged without any adornments, highlighting the natural beauty and strength of the animals.
Exhibitions and Workshops: Participate in workshops explaining the making of the horse capes and harnesses or visit exhibitions detailing the history and evolution of the festival.
Local Gastronomy: Sample traditional Murcian dishes at food festivals or local restaurants, trying specialties like paella, migas, and desserts like paparajotes.

Day 2. Main Festival Day

Horse Adornment (Enjaezamiento): Watch participants as they meticulously adorn their horses with spectacular embroidered capes, a process filled with pride and tradition.
Wine Horses Race: Experience the thrill of this unique race where horses, accompanied by their handlers, race up the steep streets to the castle, a vibrant and adrenaline-filled spectacle.
Post-Race Celebrations: After the race, the city turns into a large celebration with live music, folk dances, and ongoing festivities late into the night.

Day 3.

Visit to the Basilica of the Vera Cruz: Tour this sacred site which houses the revered True Cross, a central pilgrimage destination and a key part of the city's identity.
Old Town Stroll: Walk through the ancient streets of Caravaca, discovering its architecture, local craft shops, and cozy cafes.
Nature Interpretation Center at Fuentes del Marqués: An area filled with natural springs and walking trails, perfect for enjoying a peaceful setting and learning about the local flora and fauna.

Festival Experience

Immerse yourself in the vibrant Caballo del Vino festival.

Bareback Horse Showcase at Caravaca's Festivals

The horse is a central figure in the Festivities of Caravaca, dedicated two full days in the celebrations in honor of the Cross.

The first day features the Bareback Horse Competition on May 1st. It's the first day of the festivities and the first time the horses from various clubs are displayed in their entirety. While on May 2nd, horses parade in ornate capes, on this initial day the animals are presented in their most natural and untamed state, with wind-blown manes, groomed to shine with braided hair or other carefully styled coiffures by their clubs.

The event starts in the afternoon with a parade along Caravaca's Gran Vía, where the horse clubs march, showcasing their horses and mares in all their splendor and majesty. Some horses gallop to display their strength, while others are walked calmly so their beauty can be observed in detail; all amid the joy of the clubs and the music of bands accompanying the animals.

The parade includes a test run of the race that will take place the next day on the slope of the castle. This rehearsal occurs on Gregorio Javier street next to the El Salvador parish, with the same characteristics as the official race, involving four horsemen attached to the animal.

The procession leads to Plaza del Hoyo, where the horses undergo scrutiny by the judges of the Wine Horses Board, who award trophies to the clubs with the best-presented horses. After the Bareback Horse event, the animals are taken back to their stables and farms to rest, as they will be the main focus again the following morning.

History of the Bareback Horse Competition

This competition, the most modern of the three, was established in 1980 and first featured in the festival program of 1981. It takes place in the popular Plaza del Hoyo, now called the Plaza de los Caballos del Vino, following a lively parade where the horses, accompanied by their respective clubs, travel through part of the town to the contest site.

This morphological contest values the beauty and bearing of the animal without any formal regulations, relying solely on the subjective criteria of the voters. Initially, the selection of winners was managed by a jury of experts, which led to some controversies, prompting a shift to the same voting system used in the harnessing contest, where club members cast votes to determine the winners.

This competition showcases the evolution and vitality of the Wine Horses, emerging independently from the traditional religious ceremonies that underpin the festivities of the Holy and True Cross of Caravaca. Due to its popularity and following, it has become a vibrant day full of emotion and beauty, featuring extraordinary and beautiful horses of various breeds.

Key Information

The Bareback Horse event starts around 4:30 PM on the Gran Vía de Caravaca, which can be viewed from specially arranged stands. It is advisable for those with reduced mobility or those using baby strollers or wheelchairs to avoid the Plaza del Hoyo. .

Always be mindful of the horses.

Comfortable clothing and footwear are recommended. Some also wear vests and caps typical of the equestrian world on this afternoon.