A can’t-miss weekend in Mojacar at the Moors and Christians Festival

Mojacar is gearing up for the biggest celebration in the fiesta calendar.

This weekend (June 10, 11 and 12) sees the arrival of the annual Moors and Christians fiesta, held in the pueblo and down on the beachfront. This year’s event is expected to attract hundreds of extra visitors to the town, with people flocking from across Europe to enjoy this colourful display of historical pageantry.

Men and women from all parts of the Mojacar community participate in the event, dressing in stunning costumes and bearing mock weapons, reminiscent of days gone by. The much-anticipated event is a three-day party for visitors and those involved; each group of ‘Moors or Christians’ gather in their various ‘camps’, located around the village, where music, food and drink is available every night.

Visitors can move from camp to camp enjoying the unique hospitality. The schedule has been announced by Mojacar Council and can viewed on the Facebook page ‘Mojacar Informa.’ The weekend begins on Friday evening at 9.30pm where the groups gather in the Fuente area and the official ‘handing over of the keys’ takes place. This is followed by a parade up to the main Plaza Nueva square where the ‘captains’ give their speeches and the fiesta is declared officially open.

On Saturday afternoon, the fun moves down to the beach area at 4pm where a jousting tournament will take place at Playa Descargador, near Neptuno’s bar. Visitors can expect a noisy afternoon on the beach on Sunday at midday as troops fire blunderbusses as they walk along. The main parade begins on Sunday evening at 6.30pm from the Plaza Nueva.

The troops in their full regalia will march to the Fuente accompanied by marching bands, horses and chariots in a spectacular end to this amazing weekend. Times are approximate, and visitors are advised to arrive to the various events early to ensure a good viewing spot.

Extra bus services will be laid on and the revised timetable can be found on the website www.mojacar.es.