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Denia’s iconic Moors and Christians festival returns with grand parades and historic battles

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Denia celebrates its historic Moors and Christians festival in mid-August.
Photo Credit: Denia Town Hall

From mid-August, the coastal town of Denia will finally enter the final days of its iconic Moors and Christians festival. This vibrant cultural, historical, and traditional event, declared an event of Tourist Interest and held in honour of Sant Roc in Denia, the second half of the month will transform the streets into a breathtaking spectacle of history, music, and gunfire. Having already begun on the final day of July, the most anticipated, large-scale celebrations will finally unfold from Friday, August 14 through Sunday, August 16.

Pageantry and parades kick off the mid-August celebrations

The mid-August festivities will start bright and early on Friday, August 14, with the traditional Diana festera morning wake-up parade at 9:00am, where local musical bands will make their way through the famed historic centre of Denia. After morning courtesy visits to the Moorish and Christian captaincy headquarters, attention will turn to the younger ones in the municipality in the evening, with the Children’s Parade (Desfile Infantil) bringing colour and energy to Calle La Via, Calle Diana, and Calle Marqués de Campo from 7:00pm. This will immediately be followed by the Entrada de Bandas at the Plaza del Consell, where participating musical bands gather to jointly perform classic festive marches.

The main event: the Grand Gala Parade takes centre stage

Saturday, August 15, will see the undisputed crown jewel of the entire festival: the Grand Gala Parade, or Gran Desfile de Gala. Beginning at 6:00pm, more than 25,000 spectators will gather along Marqués de Campo and surrounding streets to marvel at the elaborate costumes, horses, dance troupes, and musical ensembles that form part of the spectacle. This celebration will showcase intricate pageantry, representing centuries of medieval history. To close out this grand day, a fireworks display will illuminate the sky over Plaza Jaume I at 12:30am.

Re-enactments, fierce battles, and the dramatic festival finale: don’t miss out on Denia’s Moors and Christians spectacular

Finally, the Moors and Christians festival reaches its dramatic conclusion on Sunday, August 16, coinciding with the feast day of Sant Roc. The morning begins at 10:30am with the thunderous Harquebus Battle, where clash participants fire black powder weapons through the streets from Foramur to the Plaza del Consell. Afterwards, a solemn mass will be held at the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, featuring the traditional distribution of blessed bread.

At 7:00pm, talented local actors will stage the theatrical representation of the Miracle of the Fog, depicting the legendary surrender of the Moorish troops and Christian victory. This is followed by a solemn religious procession honoring Sant Roc at 8:30pm. The entire festival will conclude at 10:00pm with the Retreta and final gunshots, leading to the gathering at Plaza del Consell where participants and spectators join voices to sing the local anthem, El Vell Montgó, officially closing out Denia’s summer celebrations.

Neither residents nor visitors to the vibrant coastal town should miss out on what is certain to be another shining edition of the Moors and Christians spectacle in Denia.

Costa Blanca North

Why frequent flyers are choosing Park-King

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For travellers flying from Alicante more than three times a year, airport parking can become one of the most repetitive parts of every journey. Park-King’s annual memberships are designed to remove that inconvenience throughout the year, providing a convenient solution for regular travellers who want to arrive, hand over their car and get on with their journey.

Meet & Greet means driving directly to Departures. A professional, native English speaking, insured valet meets you at the terminal, collects your car and takes it to Park-King’s secure parking facilities. When you return, simply make contact with the team and your vehicle is brought back to the terminal. There is no shuttle to wait for, no detour to the car park and no searching for your vehicle after a long flight.

For frequent flyers, that convenience can make a real difference. Up to 24 valet services are included with the annual membership, making it particularly attractive to business travellers, second home owners and anyone regularly travelling between Spain and other countries.

While you are away, your vehicle is kept within Park-King’s secure facilities, with CCTV surveillance and monitoring. Depending on the membership selected, covered parking and private indoor garage options are also available.

Park-King can also take care of your car while you travel. Services include battery and tyre checks, while selected annual memberships include an exterior wash, meaning you can return from your trip to a freshly washed vehicle ready for the journey home.

Customer feedback has also helped build confidence in the service. Park-King has more than 1,200 4.9/5 star Google reviews, reflecting the experiences of travellers who have already entrusted their vehicles to the team.

For people who fly regularly, the appeal is straightforward. Less time organising airport parking, less waiting and one less thing to think about every time you travel.

Drive to Departures. We take care of everything else.

FROM €1.09 A DAY • RETURNED FRESHLY WASHED EVERY TIME • LIMITED MEMBERSHIPS 

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Costa Blanca North

Dénia bus boom as passenger numbers surge 32% and more than 63,000 journeys are made in July

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Dénia’s new municipal bus network has recorded a bumper first full month, carrying more than 63,000 passengers during July and comfortably beating figures recorded before the pandemic.

BusDénia registered 63,246 passenger journeys during the month, representing an impressive 32% increase compared with 2019, when the city’s previous operator recorded some of its strongest figures.

The results provide an encouraging early indication that the new network, which only launched on June 15, is establishing itself among both residents and the thousands of visitors arriving in Dénia during the summer.

Beach routes lead the way

Unsurprisingly during the height of the holiday season, coastal services accounted for a huge proportion of journeys.

The standout performer was the L3 Les Marines route, which carried 37,552 passengers during July. That means almost six in every ten journeys across the entire BusDénia network were made on this route alone.

The L2 Costa Calma service was the second busiest, recording 11,657 passengers.

The figures build on a strong start for the network. BusDénia had already carried 38,487 passengers during its first three weeks of operation, including 28,775 during the initial free travel period between June 15 and 30.

When Dénia catches the bus

The latest figures also reveal a clear difference between how tourists and residents are using public transport.

On coastal routes serving Les Rotes, Les Marines and Costa Calma, passenger numbers peak between 10am and noon, before climbing again between approximately 6.30pm and 9.30pm.

Urban services have a very different pattern. The L1 Hospital and L5 Circular routes are busiest between 7am and 8am, with another increase between 2pm and 4pm, reflecting their greater use by year-round residents.

Social travel passes for passengers aged over 65 and under 18 are also used more frequently on these urban connections.

Meanwhile, the 10-journey pass accounts for around 20% to 25% of travel across the different routes, while single tickets are particularly dominant on services popular with visitors.

Night buses prove popular

Dénia’s weekend night service to Les Marines is also attracting passengers, despite its relatively limited timetable.

The service carried 832 people, even though it operates only on Saturdays and Sundays, with four outward and four return journeys each night.

With passenger numbers already 32% above the 2019 benchmark, the first full-month figures suggest Dénia’s revamped public transport network has quickly become an important part of how people are moving around the city this summer.

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Costa Blanca North

Teulada-Moraira to transform street lighting with smart technology

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Project is designed to create safer, better-lit streets
Credit: Ajuntament de Teulada

Teulada-Moraira is preparing to transform the way its streets and landmarks look after dark, with a major overhaul of public lighting that will combine improved illumination with smart technology.

The council has awarded a new energy services contract to SITELEC covering exterior lighting, traffic lights and Smart City infrastructure across the municipality. Rather than simply replacing existing lamps, the project is designed to create safer, better-lit streets while giving the council greater control over energy use and maintenance.

Lighting tailored to different areas

One of the biggest changes will be a move away from a one-size-fits-all approach.

Different types of streets, residential neighbourhoods, urban centres and distinctive public spaces have been analysed so lighting can be adapted to their individual surroundings.

Technical lighting studies will be used to assess how light is distributed before work is carried out, helping improve visibility for pedestrians and motorists while creating more comfortable public spaces after sunset.

The council hopes the result will be more consistent illumination and an increased feeling of safety for people walking or driving through Teulada-Moraira at night.

Landmarks set to shine

The scheme will also give some of the municipality’s best-known buildings and spaces a nighttime makeover.

Six representative sites have been individually studied, with digital modelling used to plan lighting designed to highlight their architectural features. Instead of simply flooding façades with light, each location will receive a bespoke approach intended to showcase Teulada-Moraira’s heritage after dark.

Smart system behind the scenes

Perhaps the biggest transformation, however, will be less visible.

A new remote-management system will allow the council to monitor lighting infrastructure, energy information, maintenance and faults through a Smart City platform.

Existing LED lighting and the traffic-light network will also be incorporated into the wider system, allowing officials to monitor installations more effectively and respond more quickly when problems arise. Preventative maintenance will form part of the new approach.

Mayor Raúl Llobell said the aim is for residents to notice a genuine improvement on the streets, while also giving the council better tools to understand and manage its infrastructure.

Ultimately, the project is intended to deliver brighter, more comfortable public spaces while using technology to make Teulada-Moraira’s lighting network smarter, more efficient and easier to maintain.

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