Fiestas... More Moors

a damn fine excuse for a party!

It's that time of the year when Altea has more moors than Yorkshire! It is of course the annual festival of the Moors and Christians, this year celebrating its 25th anniversary in the town and culminating in the Patron Saint's festival from 24th to 28th September.

If you didn't already know, the festival is a riotous affair celebrating the Christian reconquest of Spain after 700 years of Arab domination - in other words, a damn fine excuse for a party! And the best way to get a party started is with a massive warm up bash - a dinner and dancing till dawn - which 1400 people attended this week in Altea's Plaza del Mercadillo.

To help things go with a bang the council have donated €24,000 to the festival's organisers, so try and get along there to join in the fun.

18 September 2004 Stephen White.