Fiestas and markets

Contact

Fiestas department: Concejalía de Fiestas
Ajuntament d’Altea
Plaça de José María Planelles 1, 03590 AlteaShow on the map
Telephone: +34 965 84 13 00
Events calendar: altea.es
Tourist information: Carrer Sant Pere 14
965 84 41 14

Opening hours

Period	Public opening
Weekly market, Tuesdays	morning, Camí de l’Algar
Craft market, summer evenings	old town
Market hall	Monday to Saturday, mornings
Christmas market	December, in the centre

Dates of the patronal fiestas move with the church calendar. The programme is published each year by the municipality.

Opening hours change. Please check before going: altea.es

Departments and contacts

Concejalía de FiestasProgramme, permits, road closures
Comisión de FiestasThe committee that organises the patronal fiestas
FilaesThe companies of Moors and Christians, each with its own premises
Tourist informationProgrammes, routes and dates for visitors

The fixed points of the year

Sant Antoni, JanuaryBonfires and the blessing of animals — the first fiesta of the year, and one of the oldest.
Holy Week, springProcessions through the old town, quieter and more solemn than the summer fiestas.
Sant Joan, JuneBonfires on the beach on the shortest night of the year.
Castell de l’Olla, AugustThe fireworks fired from the sea off L’Olla beach — the single biggest evening of the Altea year.
Moors and Christians, SeptemberParades, music and mock battles over several days, in honour of the town’s patron.
Patronal fiestas, autumnIn honour of the Mare de Déu del Consol, with processions and events across a week.

Open Street View →

Markets

Weekly market — the classic market with clothes, fruit, plants and household goods; Tuesday mornings at the Camí de l’Algar site
Craft market — summer evenings in the old town, when the town is at its busiest
Market hall — fish, meat and vegetables through the week
Christmas market — December, in the centre
Flea and themed markets — occasional, announced in the events calendar

What to expect

On parade and procession days the old town is closed to traffic for hours
During fiesta week, parking anywhere near the centre is effectively hopeless — better to walk or take the TRAM
The Castell de l’Olla fireworks are very loud; make arrangements for pets in advance
On local public holidays shops and offices close too, not only the town hall
Night-time noise is authorised on set days and is not a ground for complaint

Programme, parade routes and road closures, published each year at: altea.es

Good to know

Local public holidays are not the national ones. Altea has its own two days a year in addition to the national and regional calendar. They are fixed by the council and published in advance — worth noting before booking an appointment with any office.

The Castell de l’Olla is fired from barges out at sea in August and draws tens of thousands of people. Anyone living near the bay should plan for the noise; anyone attending should arrive hours early or not by car.

The filaes of the Moors and Christians are private associations. Their premises are not public bars, though many open to visitors during the fiestas — an invitation is worth accepting.

Fees and charges

Attending is free. Stalls, pitches and event permits are subject to municipal charges set out in the fiscal bylaws: altea.es → Ordenanzas fiscales.

Frequently asked questions

When exactly are the fiestas?

The dates move with the church calendar and are published each year by the municipality. The autumn patronal fiestas and the September Moors and Christians are the two big blocks.

Can I watch, or is it for members only?

Everything in the street is public. The parades, the fireworks and the processions are there to be watched, and visitors are welcome.

Where is the Tuesday market?

On the large open site at Camí de l’Algar — which is why there is no parking there on Tuesdays. Parking

Is the noise at night legal?

On authorised fiesta days, yes. Outside those days the ordinary noise rules apply and the local police can be called on 092.

Map

Map from Google Maps

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History — where the fiestas come from
Parking — market day and fiesta week
Pictures — the town in photographs

Compiled August 2026. Dates change every year — the municipal programme is what counts.