Teulada-Moraira marks 9 d’Octubre with a medieval village

On 9 October 1238 Jaume I entered Valencia. That is why the Comunitat Valenciana marks the date as its public holiday, and this year there is a second reason: it is 750 years since the king died. Teulada-Moraira has built a programme of more than two weeks around it, and the best part of it is on the street this weekend.

The programme, day by day

The council presented the programme on 2 October, through mayor Raúl Llobell and culture councillor Verónica Martínez. This is what it holds:

Friday 9 October, 12:00, Plaza Constitución. The institutional act. The mayor reads the manifesto, then four local groups perform: Colla El Falçó, the Coral Teuladina, the Grup de Danses Font Santa and the Agrupació Musical Cultural de Teulada. Open to the public.

Saturday 10 October, 10:00 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 20:00, Plaça Vié Centenari. The medieval village of Jaume I.

Sunday 11 October, same hours, at the Castell. The same medieval village, different location. Note that these are two separate places on two days, not both on the Saturday.

Friday 23 October, 18:00, Moraira. The storytelling Jaume I i el destí d’un Regne.

Friday 30 October, 18:00, Teulada. The storytelling El Ratpenat de la sort del Rei Jaume I.

Until 16 October the Auca de Jaume I is being handed out alongside a book exhibition, at the Biblioteca Municipal in Teulada and the Agencia de Lectura in Moraira.

And the part not to turn up for: on Monday 5 October at 09:30 the play En Jaume I ran at the Auditori, but strictly for pupils of CEIP Sant Vicent Ferrer and CEIP Cap d’Or. Not a public performance.

What you find on Saturday and Sunday

The medieval village is the part people come in from neighbouring towns for, and it is built for families.

On the programme: games of skill, storytelling, a display of knights’ equipment, a sword tournament, archery and a workshop with aerial silks. That last one is acrobatics on hanging fabric, and it is usually where children stand watching longest.

Both days run from 10:00 to 14:00 and then again from 16:00 to 20:00. That gap in the middle is not a detail here: between two and four the village is quiet and the stalls are shut.

The two locations have a different character. Plaça Vié Centenari sits in the core of Teulada, among the houses. The esplanade at the Castell is in Moraira by the sea, next to the octagonal coastal fort of 1742. If you can choose and you want the setting, take the Sunday.

Why 9 October is a holiday here

For anyone new here: this is not invented folklore but the national day of the Comunitat Valenciana, and the date has a hard reason behind it.

On 9 October 1238, Jaume I, king of Aragon, entered Valencia. That began the Regne de València, a kingdom with its own laws, the Furs. It is why the day is felt differently here from an ordinary day off: it is the moment this region came into being as an administrative entity.

This year there is a second reason. Jaume I died on 27 July 1276, so 2026 is the 750th year since his death. Alzira, the town where he died, has declared 2026 Any Jaume I. Programmes across the region pick up on it, and Teulada-Moraira’s is one of them.

That is also why the library has the Auca de Jaume I. An auca is a Valencian comic form: a sheet of numbered pictures with rhyming captions, used historically to tell a story to people who could not read. For children it is the easiest way in.

A long weekend, and you will notice

The date falls well this year, and that changes the crowds.

9 October 2026 is a Friday and 12 October, the Fiesta Nacional, is a Monday. The weekend sits in between. For Spanish schools and offices that is a four day puente, and it is the busiest stretch of the whole month on this coast. People from Madrid and Valencia drive to the sea.

What that means for you: book a restaurant if you want to eat afterwards, and expect a fuller coast road than October usually offers. Our article on autumn half term on the Costa Blanca has the crowd pattern for the whole month, including which week is quietest.

On the other hand: a council programme on a puente draws a bigger crowd, and that makes a medieval village livelier than a half empty square.

Practical: getting there, parking, and what we do not know

Where it is. Teulada and Moraira belong to the same municipality but sit a few kilometres apart. Teulada is the inland village, Moraira is on the coast. Friday and Saturday are in Teulada, Sunday is in Moraira at the Castell.

How to get there. Twenty minutes from Jávea, half an hour from Calp, about forty minutes from Dénia and a little under an hour from Benidorm.

Parking. The core of Teulada is narrow and partly closed off during events. Leave the car on the edge and walk. At the Castell in Moraira, parking on an October Sunday is usually fine, but on a puente it is not a given.

Language. The institutional act is in Valencian. You do not need to follow it to get something out of it, and the medieval village is largely wordless.

And what we honestly do not know. The programme gives no admission prices. Council activities of this kind here are usually free, but that is our expectation and not a confirmation. Nor does it say how long the storytelling sessions on 23 and 30 October last. If you need certainty, call the council.

Frequently asked questions

When is the institutional act? Friday 9 October at 12:00 on the Plaza Constitución in Teulada.

When is the medieval village? Saturday 10 October on Plaça Vié Centenari and Sunday 11 October at the Castell, both days 10:00 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 20:00.

What is there to do? Games of skill, storytelling, knights’ equipment, a sword tournament, archery and an aerial silks workshop.

Does it cost anything? The programme gives no prices. This kind of council activity is usually free here, but it is not confirmed.

Can I see the play En Jaume I? No. It ran on 5 October and only for two local primary schools.

What exactly is being celebrated? That Jaume I entered Valencia on 9 October 1238, and this year also that he died 750 years ago.

When did Jaume I die? On 27 July 1276. Alzira has therefore declared 2026 Any Jaume I.

Is 9 October a day off? Yes, it is the Dia de la Comunitat Valenciana. In 2026 it falls on a Friday and the Fiesta Nacional on Monday 12 October, so there is a four day puente around it.

What is an auca? A Valencian sheet of numbered pictures with rhyming captions telling a story. The Auca de Jaume I is available at the library until 16 October.

Is there more later in October? Yes, storytelling on 23 October in Moraira and 30 October in Teulada, both at 18:00.

About the authorMilo Schuijt

Milo Schuijt is an entrepreneur and DJ on the Costa Blanca. He writes about the places where he lives, works and plays: from beach bars to the housing market.