Caravaca de la Cruz Wine Horses
The Wine Horses are the most unique festive event in Caravaca de la Cruz. Horses without riders, led by four riders and covered with embroidered cloaks expressly for each edition, tour the city and culminate their day with a dizzying race along the Cuesta del Castillo.
Celebration date
The main day is 2 May, within the festivities in honour of the Most Holy and True Cross, which are celebrated from 1 May to 5. On the afternoon of day 1, the Bareback Horse Competition takes place and the harnessing is shown; Day 2 brings together the walk, the blessing of wine and flowers, the harnessing contest and the race.
View the Wine Horses 2026 programme.
2 May is not in itself a state or general public holiday in Murcia. The local work calendar is approved for each year and must be verified in the corresponding official publication.
Places and route
The festival occupies streets, squares and neighbourhoods of Caravaca. The Templete or Bañadero hosts the mass of the Apparition; The horses travel through the town centre and head towards the Royal Basilica-Sanctuary of the Vera Cruz. The race takes place in the final stretch of the steep Cuesta del Castillo.
The concentration is especially intense when entering the castle. The routes, schedules and safety devices are mandatory and may vary in each edition.
Also check out the festivals of Caravaca de la Cruz.
Origin and history
Historical documentation dates back to the 16th century to the ceremony of blessing the wine of the previous harvest before the relic of the True Cross every 2 May. Oral tradition links it to horses that would have broken a fence to carry wine to the castle, but the documented historical core is the transportation and ritual blessing of the wine.
As time went by, wine vessels gave way to increasingly elaborate harnessing. The horse clubs and embroidery workshops transformed the mantles into highly complex ephemeral pieces, renewed and adjusted to a specific horse for each edition.
Los tres concursos
- Caballo a Pelo: It is celebrated on 1 May and values the presence and preparation of the animal without the festive cloak.
- Enjaezamiento: It rewards the artistic quality of the embroidered set and its placement and adaptation to the horse.
- Carrera: Four horsemen lead the animal along the Cuesta del Castillo. You must complete the climb together for the test to be valid.
The ritual of 2 May
The preparation begins at dawn in the stables and clubs of the clubs. After the mass at the Templete, the horses walk through the neighbourhoods and streets. The procession then joins the events of the True Cross: in the sanctuary the offering and blessing of wine and flowers are made. The race is then celebrated and the harnessing is assessed.
The celebration is not an isolated equestrian competition: it integrates horse handling, artisanal embroidery, organisation of clubs, music, religious rites and community participation transmitted between generations.
Who participates
The cavalry groups prepare the animals and order the cloaks; Embroiderers execute the designs in silk, gold, rhinestones and other materials; the horsemen drive each horse. The Bando de los Caballos del Vino coordinates the clubs, within a party organised together with the Brotherhood of the Vera Cruz, the Festival Commission, the Moorish and Christian groups and the City Council.
Patrimonio cultural
The Wine Horses are protected as an Asset of Intangible Cultural Interest. In December 2020, UNESCO inscribed the festival on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, highlighting the knowledge and techniques related to horses and embroidery, as well as their community transmission.