A traditional flower-covered, oxen-pulled chariot chart known as a traca joins the Saint Efisio Feast festival parade in Cagliari, Italy. (iStock)
Winter might have felt like a long one this year, but as of March 1, it became official: we’ve now entered the period that’s technically known as meteorological spring. With the onset of lighter days and warmer weather, trees, parks, fields and gardens are bursting into bloom all over. While floral glory can be found just about anywhere, it’s a great time of year for exploring some of Europe’s most magical islands.
Agrigento, Sicily: This small city founded by the Greeks back in the 6th century B.C. is home to the UNESCO World Heritage site known as the Valley of the Temples. With many of these ancient Doric structures intact, it’s a stunning backdrop to the annual Sagra del Mandorlo in Fiore, or Almond Blossom Festival, first organized back in 1934. From March 7-15, spring will once again be celebrated with a medley of song, dance and color, as dozens of folkloric groups from around the globe share their customs and costumes. Folk dancing, concerts, cultural reenactments and culinary treats make a trip to the island’s southwest coast a worthwhile proposition. Festival program highlights include the Torchlight Procession of Friendship, in which folk groups march from Piazza Pirandello to Viale della Vittoria while carrying lit torches to symbolize peace, beginning at 5 p.m. March 13, and the main parade, featuring the folk groups, traditionally decorated Sicilian carts and marching bands, at 9 a.m. March 15. Online: tinyurl.com/796r522s
Funchal, Madeira: The island’s capital celebrates its blossoming beauty with its annual Festa da Flor, a flower festival held April 30-May 31. An agreeable subtropical climate brings forth flowers such as Bird of Paradise — a symbol of the island — alongside anthuriums, proteas, orchids, geraniums, camellias, azaleas and other sorts. Although technically running for an entire month, the event’s key dates are May 3 and May 17, when lively, colorful parades take place along the Avenida do Mar. Another rather touching event, the Wall of Hope, sees local children place flowers along a wall as a gesture of hope for peace between nations; the ceremony takes place from 10 a.m. May 2. Online: tinyurl.com/7hw99ryd
Sardinia: Italy’s second-largest Mediterranean island offers a heady mix of rugged mountains, white sands kissed by turquoise seas, lively towns and luxurious resorts. Well before the masses of high summer overrun the place, visitors in spring can enjoy cycling, hiking and other active pursuits with plenty of elbow room. Spotting spring blossoms is a breeze, particularly at the Parco Beranu Froriu di Turri botanical garden in Campidano, where 70 different varieties of tulips numbering close to half a million await admirers. Other blooms such as irises, peonies, grape hyacinths and roses have also been planted here. Online: tinyurl.com/ycy9fyfj
For flowers and folklore combined, a visit to the Saint Efisio Festival held in Cagliari from May 1-4 is in order. This centerpiece of this event in honor of the saint who saved the city from plague in 1656 is a 50-mile, four-day procession that gets underway at noon on May 1. From Cagliari’s historical district of Stampace, folk groups and riders on horseback from all corners of the island, dressed in their traditional attire, set off. In a ritual known as sa ramadura, the parade proceeds through a scented carpet of rose petals and other colorful blossoms. The parade’s lineup also includes traccas, carts adorned with flowers and fruits, along with musicians playing launeddas, a traditional Sardinian flute. Online: tinyurl.com/yc7tnavt
Crete: One of the greatest advantages of travel to Greece’s largest island in early spring is its profusion of flowers bursting onto the scene, evidenced by the number of tour operators who arrange special itineraries at this time of year. Those who’d rather cobble together their own itineraries might wish to make their way to the Spili bumps near Rethymno, where more than 20 species or orchids bloom, or to the nearby Gious Kampos valley, where a sea of red tulips can be seen between mid-March and early April. The Omalos Plateau, not far from Chania, is known for its delicate pink tulips and stunning anemones. Online: tinyurl.com/3m62ehnv
Mainau, Germany: This small island in Lake Constance is known as Germany’s Flower Island, and rightly so: its flowerbeds, trees, bushes and greenhouses make a visit here a delight during the warm months of the year. Open to the public year-round, spring is a wonderful time to plan a visit. Across the island’s 100 acres of land, visitors can experience an ever-changing tableau of scent and color. In March, early bloomers such as crocuses, daffodils and camellias timidly emerge, followed by April’s show of tulips — up to a million annually — and May’s profusion of rhododendrons. Lovers of orchids might wish to schedule a trip sometime between March 21 and May 10, when a show featuring more than 3,000 orchids will transform the Palm House into a site of fragile beauty. Entry to the island costs 25.50 euros for adults when tickets are bought online, or 29 euros when purchased on site. Children up to the age of 12 can visit for free. Online: mainau.de/en
