Alcoy

Moors & Christians (Moros y Cristianos)
A visit to Alcoy Spain could be compared to a solar eclipse, a lot of the time it stays the same but for that small period every so often something great happens. This quite strange comparison is refering to the Moors and Christians festival that occurs in late april, several cities will peform a similar festival over this time period but Alcoys is the best of its kind.

What is the Moors and Christian festival you say? Well lets go into a little bit of detail, It follows the story of the battle between the Moors and the Christians during the Reconquista (8th - 15th century) The Moors originally take over the city of Valencia and then the Christians reclaim it and either the Moors are banished from Valencia or converted into Christians dependent on the towns variation.

A list of amateur actors will dress up in medieval style clothing and Christians are equipt with their swords (Arquebuses) and Moors with their swords (Scimitars) Now that you know a little more it will have surely sparked interest into this traditional festival that provides a real energetic performance that can go on for days.

Other great sights
When strolling around Alcoy Spain you will also notice Iberian influences scattered around, you may see partial Greco Roman pottery. If the Moors and Christian festival wasn't enough then you can also check out the informative and colourful museum Casal De Sant Jordi an 18th century mansion that is home to all that is involved with the festival. If you fancy taking it easy or perhaps even a swim then head on down to River Serpis where its a delightful path to take it easy whilst enjoying the charming scenery with the option of taking that swim in the adjacent river.