Follow the Candy Trail Through Sant Julià de Lòria on January 5
Dusk settles over the Parroquia de Sant Julià de Lòria and the street fills with the sound of children shouting for the Three Kings. This is the Cavalcada de Reis, the Three Kings' Parade, held on the evening of January 5 — the night before Epiphany — and it is the centrepiece of the Christmas season's final act in this Andorran parish. Floats carry actors portraying the Three Kings, who throw candy and small gifts to the children lining the route. Bring a bag, hold your ground near the front, and watch the youngest in the crowd scramble for what lands.
The parade is not a Sant Julià de Lòria exclusive. It runs in towns across Andorra on the same evening, including Andorra la Vella and Escaldes-Engordany, so if you are staying elsewhere in the country you can still catch one. But the local version keeps the intimacy of a parish celebration — you are close enough to see the Kings' costumes, not just their silhouettes.
Mark Epiphany Itself on January 6, 2027
Epiphany — El Dia de Reis — falls on Wednesday, January 6, 2027. It is a public holiday in Andorra, a predominantly Catholic country where the feast arrived with Christianity in the early Middle Ages. The date marks the end of the Christmas season and the final day of festivity before the return to everyday life, which is precisely why the atmosphere carries a last-night-of-the-holidays charge.
Because the celebration reflects both Spanish and French influences — a consequence of Andorra's co-principality status — you will find traditions layered on top of one another. Expect the day to be quiet in the morning and social in the afternoon and evening, with families gathered around tables rather than shops open.
Eat What the Tables Are Eating
The Epiphany meal is where the celebration becomes tangible. After the parade on January 5, families sit down to a special dinner. The dishes to look for:
- Escudella — a hearty meat and vegetable stew, the kind of slow-cooked dish that suits a cold January evening.
- Coca de llardons — a savoury pastry that appears on the same table.
- Rosca — a ring-shaped bread some families place on the table with a hidden figurine inside; whoever finds it gets good luck for the year.
These are home and family dishes rather than restaurant-menu staples, so your best route to them is a table in Sant Julià de Lòria itself — a local fonda, a parish social club, or an invitation you have been lucky enough to receive. If you are self-catering, the town's food shops in the days before January 5 will be busy with people buying for the same meal.
Leave Your Shoes Out — and Know Why
Children in Sant Julià de Lòria leave their shoes by the door or window on the night of January 5, filled with straw or carrots for the camels. In the morning, the Kings have replaced the fodder with gifts. It is a custom worth understanding even if you are travelling without children: it explains the straw you will see on doorsteps, the early-morning noise in the street, and why January 6 feels like a second Christmas.
If you are staying in a guesthouse or with a local family, ask whether the household keeps the tradition. Many do, and the answer will tell you more about how the parish celebrates than any programme will.
Plan Around the Two-Day Rhythm
The shape of the celebration is fixed: parade and family dinner on the evening of January 5, Epiphany itself on January 6, 2027. That gives you a clear structure for a short stay.
- January 5, afternoon: arrive in Sant Julià de Lòria, walk the centre, and find your spot on the parade route before dusk.
- January 5, evening: watch the Cavalcada de Reis, then eat — escudella, coca de llardons, rosca if you can find it.
- January 6: a slow morning, gifts and shoes, then a final festive meal before the season closes.
January in Andorra is deep winter. Dress for cold streets and long evenings outdoors, and expect the parish to be at its quietest on the morning of January 6.
Sant Julià de Lòria is a small parish, and Epiphany here is a family celebration rather than a staged festival — which is exactly what makes it worth arranging your winter around. Book your stay early, plan to be on the street by late afternoon on January 5, and let the last night of the Christmas season unfold at parish pace.