How Spain travelled during Easter: an hour-by-hour snapshot of the holiday getaway

Nommon, the Spanish technology company specialising in decision-support solutions powered by big data analytics and artificial intelligence, has analysed mobility patterns across Spain during the 2026 Easter holiday exodus to gain an accurate picture of how travel demand evolved compared with the previous year.

On Thursday, 26 March 2026, a total of 5.08 million interprovincial journeys were recorded, 4.3% more than on a typical Thursday. However, the Easter getaway reached its peak on Friday, 27 March, when 5.94 million journeys were registered, representing an 8.8% increase compared with the previous Friday. Of these, 3.36 million trips exceeded 50 km, indicating travel beyond travellers’ usual local environment.

The composition of travel purposes also changes during the Easter getaway period. In a typical week, most long-distance journeys are already non-routine, with leisure, holiday and family visits accounting for 85% of journeys on Thursdays and 89% on Fridays. During the Easter getaway Friday, this figure rises to as much as 90%, reflecting a further increase in leisure and other non-routine travel compared with normal weekly patterns.

_{Evolution of the number of interprovincial trips on 26 and 27 March 2026 compared with a typical Thursday and Friday in March 2026.}

Madrid, Barcelona and Seville lead departures on Friday, 27 March

Not all provinces contribute equally to the Easter getaway period. Analysis of activity on Friday, 27 March shows that three provinces accounted for 22.1% of all long-distance (over 50 km), non-routine interprovincial journeys:

1. Madrid — 550,408 departures (+52.6 % vs. typical Friday)
2. Barcelona — 287,603 departures (+13.2 %)
3. Sevilla — 140,642 departures (+11.5 %)

Santa Cruz de Tenerife records almost 50% growth in mobility

When analysing changes in travel volumes relative to a typical Friday rather than absolute volumes, Santa Cruz de Tenerife ranks among the top three provinces (+49.2% vs. a typical Friday), surpassed only by Madrid and Ceuta. This notable increase may have been influenced by the airport ground-handling strike scheduled for the following week.

Alongside the capital, A Coruña, Salamanca, Las Palmas, Cuenca, Murcia and Ourense stand out in relative mobility terms, outperforming both Barcelona and Seville.

• Ceuta: 1,030 journeys (+54.7% vs. typical Friday)
• Madrid: 550,408 journeys (+52.6%)
• Sta. Cruz Tenerife: 16,751 journeys (+49.2%)
• A Coruña: 59,663 journeys (+24.9%)
• Salamanca: 31,917 journeys (+23.4%)
• Las Palmas: 15,877 journeys (+22%)
• Melilla: 1,649 journeys (+21.6%)
• Cuenca: 27,891 journeys (+16.4%)
• Murcia: 74,977 journeys (+15.3%)
• Ourense: 21,438 journeys (+15.2%)

But where are travellers from these provinces heading? In most cases, journeys are concentrated towards neighbouring provinces. For example, residents of Santa Cruz de Tenerife predominantly travel to Las Palmas, while travellers from Las Palmas mainly head to Santa Cruz de Tenerife, accounting for 52% and 48% of journeys respectively. In A Coruña, most journeys are directed towards Pontevedra and Lugo, representing 61% of trips, while travellers from Salamanca primarily head to Cáceres and Zamora, accounting for 26% of journeys.

_{Origin-destination flows for non-routine journeys exceeding 50 km on Friday, 27 March 2026.}

When does the Easter getaway begin?

Thursday, 26 March already showed clear signs of the Easter getaway beginning. From early morning onwards, a first increase in non-routine journeys can be observed, suggesting that some travellers chose to start their trips earlier.

However, Friday marks the most intense period of mobility. Travel volumes surge and departures are heavily concentrated between 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., the time window in which traffic reaches its highest levels. After this peak, mobility gradually declines, reflecting the fact that most travellers have already begun their journeys.

_{Non-routine interprovincial journeys of more than 50 km made by Spanish residents during the 2026 Easter getaway period (top three provinces).}

The hourly distribution remains broadly consistent with 2025, confirming that departing earlier can make a significant difference. Travellers who set off in the early morning tend to benefit from smoother traffic conditions, avoiding the busiest traffic peaks, which occur during the afternoon and early evening.

Focus on the Big Three: different patterns, one Easter holiday

Madrid

With 550,408 departures, Madrid once again confirms its position as Spain’s largest source of non-routine interprovincial travel. The most popular destinations are Toledo (69,273 journeys), Ávila (34,810) and Alicante (31,952). These flows reflect both the concentration of population in the capital and the proximity of key destinations, alongside the long-established Easter exodus to the Costa Blanca.

Barcelona

Barcelona recorded 287,603 departures, consolidating its position as one of Spain’s main sources of outbound holiday travel. The most frequent destinations were Girona (89,287 journeys), Tarragona (76,358) and Lleida (28,569). These figures confirm a preference for staying within Catalonia, with medium-distance travel towards coastal areas and second-home destinations prevailing. Overall, mobility patterns suggest that proximity and accessibility take precedence over longer-distance journeys.

Sevilla

Seville generated 140,641 departures, placing it among the leading provinces during the Easter holiday exodus. The most popular destinations were Cádiz (45,929 journeys), Huelva (30,933) and Córdoba (14,253). As in Madrid and Barcelona, these flows highlight a strong preference for nearby destinations, particularly coastal areas.

_{Non-routine interprovincial journeys of more than 50 km by hour compared with a typical Friday (top three provinces).}

The corridors experiencing the greatest change

Examining the origin-destination flows that recorded the largest relative increases and highest volumes on Friday, 27 March 2026 reveals how Easter reshapes interprovincial mobility across Spain. The following five corridors experienced the most significant growth, considering non-routine journeys of more than 50 km made by Spanish residents:

Corridor	Typical Friday	Easter Friday	Change %
Madrid – Alicante	10,474	31,952	+205 %
Madrid – Cádiz	3,037	11,474	+277 %
Tarragona – Bizkaia	68	1,252	+1,735 %
Madrid – Málaga	5,858	15,492	+164 %
Madrid – Almería	1,583	6,580	+315 %

These corridors best illustrate holiday travel behaviour: routes that are typically marginal become some of the country’s busiest travel arteries during Easter.

Particularly noteworthy is the Madrid–Alicante corridor, which grows from around 10,000 journeys to more than 32,000. Likewise, Tarragona–Bizkaia, despite its normally low volume, increases by more than 1,700%, highlighting highly seasonal and infrequent travel flows that are virtually absent from everyday mobility patterns.