Moors and Christians in Calpe: programme, background and tips for your visit

The Desembarco of the Moors and Christians in Calpe is not a show you watch from one spot. It starts in the fishing harbour, where the Moorish boats set off. It lands on the Arenal-Bol beach. And it ends up in the village, on the Plaza Mayor, after the troops have marched up the avinguda Gabriel Miro. Stand only on the sand and you see half of it.

The fiesta began today, Wednesday 21 October 2026, and runs through Sunday 25 October. There is a closing mass on Monday 26 October. Below is what happens on each day, with the times as published, and an honest account of what has not been published.

Why the Moors and Christians of Calpe is different this year

This is the fiftieth edition. The association itself speaks of the 50th anniversary and calls 2026 a special edition. In September something else was added: the Ministry of Industry and Tourism declared the fiesta of National Tourist Interest, the highest national distinction a Spanish fiesta can hold.

What that status means, and where the story of 1744 comes from, we explained separately in our report on the national declaration. This piece is the practical side: when, where, and how to see the most of it.

The practical consequence of the anniversary for you as a visitor: expect more people than in an ordinary year, especially at the Gran Entrada on Saturday and the Desembarco on Sunday.

Wednesday 21 October: the bands, the pregon and the candles

At 18:30 comes the Entrada de bandas, the entry of the marching bands, from the plaza Colon to the plaza del Mosquit. The filaes then move through the centre in a pasacalle.

At 20:00, on the Plaza Mayor, comes the pregon, the opening address, with the raising of the standards. This year’s pregonero is Antonio Baydal Baydal of the Filà Berberiscos, a former president of the association.

After the pregon comes the ofrenda de cirios, the candle offering, in the parish church of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves. No time has been published for it, so assume it follows straight on.

At 00:30 there is another pasacalle of all the filaes. That is not a typo. In Calp the fiesta runs into the night.

Thursday 22 October: the mass, the mascleta and the procession

At 12:00 comes the Misa Solemne in the parish of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves. Straight after the mass there is a mascleta on the Plaza Mayor.

A mascleta is not fireworks to look at but fireworks to feel. It is a rhythmic sequence of explosions in broad daylight, aimed at your ribcage. Do not stand close to the barrier if you have small children with you, and bring earplugs.

At 20:00 the procession in honour of the Santissim Crist de la Suor sets off through the streets of the old town. This is the religious heart of the week and its quietest moment. A night-time mascleta follows afterwards, again on the Plaza Mayor.

At 00:30 comes the ball of the abanderada at the Filà Templaris in the calle San José.

One caveat about this day’s times: the announcements do not agree. Some papers give a mass at 19:00 rather than 12:00. The likeliest explanation is that there are two masses that day. Check with the parish if you are coming especially for it.

Friday 23 October: the children’s parade

Friday evening brings the Desfile Infantil, the children’s parade, along the avinguda Gabriel Miro. The same costumes, the same music and the same choreography as the main parade, performed by the children of the filaes.

This is the best evening of the week if you are bringing children of your own. It is shorter than Saturday’s Gran Entrada and starts earlier in the evening.

Afterwards, at 00:30, comes the ball of the Capitania Cristiana at the Filà Marins Corsaris in the calle Cervantes.

Saturday 24 October: the diana and the Gran Entrada

The day starts at 09:30 with the diana, the morning reveille, from the plaza del Mosquit. Music through the streets while the town is still waking up.

At 18:30 comes the act the whole year builds towards: the Gran Entrada, the Christian and Moorish entry. It sets off from the calle Benissa, runs along the avinguda Gabriel Miro and continues to the plaza Colon and towards the Arenal.

Every filà shows its costumes, its band and its choreography here. There is fire in the parade. It lasts hours rather than minutes, so pick a spot and stay in it.

At 01:00 the ball of the Capitania Mora at the Filà Berberiscos in the calle la Ermita closes the day.

Sunday 25 October: the Desembarco on the Arenal-Bol

At 11:00 comes the Desembarco y Primera Batalla on the Arenal-Bol beach. This is the act people travel to Calp for.

Watch the route, because that is where the trick lies. The Moorish barcazas set off from the fishing harbour and sail to the beach. There they land, and the first battle follows. The Moorish troops then move up from the beach along the avinguda Gabriel Miro, all the way to the Plaza Mayor.

The image above is not Calp. It is the Desembarco of la Vila Joiosa, forty kilometres down the coast. We show it because no freely licensed photograph of the Calp fiesta exists, and because la Vila Joiosa stages exactly the same kind of landing: boats, a wooden fortress on the sand, and a battle at the waterline.

Practically: to see the boats arrive, get onto the beach early, facing the harbour. To see the troops march up, choose the avinguda Gabriel Miro. You cannot do both.

Sunday evening: El Miracle on the Plaza Mayor

At 20:00 the Plaza Mayor hosts the parlamento and the second battle, known as El Miracle. It is the theatrical telling of the legend of the Crist de la Suor, played around a wooden fortress standing in for the old Portalet.

This is the closing act of the fiesta and the square fills up. If you want a place, be there well before eight.

Monday 26 October: the closing mass

At 19:30 there is a misa de difuntos, a mass for the fiesta members who have died, in the parish of Virgen de las Nieves.

That also explains something you may already have noticed. Some announcements say the fiesta runs from 21 to 25 October, others from 21 to 26. Both are right. Sunday is the last festive day. Monday holds only this mass, and that is an act for the association rather than for the public.

What the programme does not tell you

This is the honest part. We put the association’s official programme, two regional papers and the local news sites side by side. On the following, nothing is published anywhere:

• A fireworks display. There are mascletas on Thursday, by day and at night, and there is fire in the Gran Entrada. No castillo de fuegos artificiales has been announced.
• Grandstands or tickets. Mentioned nowhere. Assume everything is free to attend and that you find your own spot.
• Street closures. No published plan. The avinguda Gabriel Miro and the centre inevitably close during the acts, but exactly when is not on paper.
• Parking. No special arrangement announced.
• Public transport. No extra services announced.

The association states explicitly that the programme may change without notice. For the latest position, check morosycristianos.calpe.es.

Getting there and where to stand

Calp sits on line 9 of the TRAM, between Benidorm and Denia. The station is outside the centre, so expect to walk. Check that day’s timetable yourself at tramalicante.es, particularly if you want to get back late: the acts run well past midnight and the timetable is not built for that.

If you drive, park well outside the old town and walk the last stretch. The centre of Calp is narrow and closes during the parades.

Where you stand depends on what you want to see:

• The parades: the avinguda Gabriel Miro. Wide street, the whole route passes.
• The landing: the Arenal-Bol beach, as early as possible, facing the harbour.
• The mascleta and El Miracle: the Plaza Mayor.
• The procession: the old town around the church.

What else you need to know

How early should I be? An hour ahead for the Gran Entrada and the Desembarco. A quarter of an hour for the rest.

Does it cost anything? No tickets have been announced. It is a street fiesta.

Is it suitable for children? Yes, but pick Friday’s children’s parade. Keep them away from the mascleta.

Do I need a jacket? At the end of October it cools down quickly by the sea once the sun is gone, and the evening acts are long.

Can I eat in the centre? Book. The restaurants in the old town are full this week, Saturday above all.

What is a filà? A society within the fiesta, with its own costume, its own music and its own premises. The filaes of Calp include the Berberiscos, the Templaris and the Marins Corsaris.

Where do I find other fiestas? In our October agenda and in the Jávea fiesta calendar.

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.