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The 2023 Moors & Christians Festivities Get Underway in Mojácar

The highly anticipated Mojácar Moors & Christians festivities officially get underway this Thursday 15th June, and until next Sunday 18th June, with the grand parade, will fill Mojácar with fun and the special magic of several days where culture and history go hand in hand “without winners or losers.”

On Thursday 15th June the programme of commemorations and historic representations begins with a junior parade which will start out at 10.30am from the Bartolomé Flores Public School, going around the “kábilas” (Moorish encampments), and “cuarteles” (Christian encampments), accompanied by Bambolea jesters and tumblers, to the Plaza Nueva. On the same day, from 12 midday, the young Mojácar Moors & Christians will remain centre stage with the gathering of the junior heralds from the Aljama Mudéjar Moorish encampment and the Los Templarios Christian encampment to, accompanied by the Municipal Music Band, also arrive at the Plaza Nueva for the junior proclamation and the recreation of the handing over of keys.

On Friday 16th June, from 1pm to 5pm, the midday festivity opens in the kábilas and cuarteles spread throughout the old town. The Aljama Mudéjar encampment and the Templarios encampment will have entertainment from the “Los Chorreones” and “Los Juaranginos” brass bands.

It will be at 7pm when the blunderbuss fusiliers gather in the Multi-Uses Centre to at 8.30pm at the Mojácar Fountain begin the regrouping of the troops and proceed to the handing over of the keys to the city by the Muslim king Alavez to Capitán Garcilaso, sent by the Catholic Monarchs.

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From 9pm, a clarion call, announcing the presence of hostile troops in the vicinity of the city. The troupes turn out with the greatest number of members possible, led by their respective captains, music bands, fireworks and volleys of musketeers.

With the entrance of troops in the city, now in the old town, it will be possible to enjoy the proclamation of the festivities by the adult ambassadors, with a final firecracker. The heralds of this 2023 edition will be Antonio Montoya Gredilla from the Templario encampment and Antonio Jesús Pérez Carrique from the Aljama de Mudejar encampment.

From this moment the Moorish and Christian encampments open, headed by their ambassadors, who will be accompanied by the “Los Juaraginos” band.

On Saturday 17th June, from midday onwards, the traditional Medieval market will open. The city Souk will open its door with the Bambolea characters and an exhibition of birds of prey. The activities on this second day of Moors & Christians continue with parades that will liven up the medina with Moors & Christians-themed characters, who will go around the whole old town, and many other offerings that will bring you closer to the tales of a thousand and one nights.

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You cannot miss on Lance beach from 5pm onwards the much-anticipated concentration of blunderbuss fusiliers, who will wait until 6pm for the dance and fire show, the parade of horses and the dressage exhibition, giving way to the meeting and landing of the Moorish troops and the defence of their coast by the Christians.

Every battle ends with a Medieval tournament, where Moorish and Christian knights will try to obtain the greatest number of scarves put up by ladies from both sides. In the tournament, the young riders and their mounts strive to get a smile, and of course, a precious kiss, as a reward for their feat.

The jousting comes to an end with the march of the troops from the Ankara beach bar to the Red Cross along the seafront promenade. An unequalled spectacle of colour and beauty with the Mediterranean as an incomparable setting.

From 9.30pm in the old town, the Moorish and Christian encampments reopen their doors to offer fun and entertainment in these unique Mojácar festivities.

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On Sunday the 18th, the last day of the Moors & Christians festivities, the day begins with the concentration of the Moorish and Christian fusiliers and a volley at 12 midday, which gives the alert of the preparations for what is the star activity of all the days: the impressive gala parade of Moors and Christians.

Virtually the whole town takes part. More than 2,000 people, all dressed up in the most luxurious gala costumes you can imagine, and accompanied by floats, bands and brass bands, start out at 6.30pm from the Plaza Nueva to end the parade at the Fountain.

The order of the parade has been stipulated by the Almosaquer Moors & Christians Association. On the Christian side, the Bandoleros go first, followed by the Cisneros Cuartel and the Templarios, who this year hold the captaincy.

On the Moorish side, it will be the Moros Viejos who open the Muslim participation, followed by Tuareg Mojácar, the Moriscos, and finally, Aljama Mudéjar, who also hold the captaincy of the Moorish side. It’s impossible to miss the Mojácar Moors & Christians festivity. Unimaginable days that transport you back in time. Without comparison with any other held in any part of Spain. A whole town: its streets, corners, establishments, Mojácar, in short, transformed into a grand stage with its residents and visitors as actors in what is, without doubt, the most important date in the locality and in the province.

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Mojacar Council Will Invest Nearly One Million Euros in Infrastructure Improvements in the Municipality

The plans laid out by Mojácar Council to improve the municipality’s infrastructure and replace road surfaces, as well as upgrade sanitation and water supply networks, are crucial steps toward ensuring the sustainable development and efficient management of resources in the area.

With an allocated budget of 930,000 euros for these improvement works, Mojácar Council aims to address the essential need for reliable drinking water supply and to mitigate potential losses in the water distribution network. By checking and repairing damaged pipes, they are taking proactive measures to conserve this increasingly scarce resource and maintain the high quality of life enjoyed by residents.

Furthermore, the focus on road surfacing improvements in urban areas reflects the council’s commitment to enhancing mobility, accessibility, and safety for both residents and visitors. By incorporating elements for water management and preserving water quality alongside these road works, Mojácar Council demonstrates a holistic approach to infrastructure development that considers environmental sustainability and aesthetics.

Ultimately, these planned works not only aim to enhance services for citizens but also contribute to the overall tourist development of Mojácar by providing a sustainable and high-quality environment for visitors to enjoy.

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Barcelona Basket Wins Again, for the Second Consecutive Year, the National Basketball Tournament U13 “Ciudad De Vera”.

  • The Catalans won in the final with a resounding score of 77 – 64 to Real Madrid.

Vera, May 05, 2024. FC Barcelona Basket has been proclaimed, for the second consecutive year champion of the VI National Basketball Tournament U13 “Ciudad de Vera”, by defeating Real Madrid by 77 – 64 in the final, in a very close game until the last stretch of the game, where the blaugranas distanced themselves on the scoreboard with several consecutive three-pointers and knowing how to take advantage of the failures and nerves of the rival, especially in the last quarter.

The players coached by Eduard Perea, who are leaders of their league with two games left to finish the championship, have solved all the games of the tournament with convincing and bulky victories against their rivals, being fair winners of a tournament that every time has a higher competitive level and that has become on its own merits one of the most important and best organized nationally, in the field of grassroots basketball. For the Catalan team this has been the last tournament before facing the final stages of the Catalan Championship.


In the match for third and fourth place, the Next Hoops won 77 -60 against Unicaja de Málaga. The fifth place went to Club Joventut Badalona. UCAM Murcia was sixth and Real Betis settled for seventh place. The local team, UPLA, closed its participation in the Veratense tournament in eighth place.

All the games were broadcasted by Canal Basket Cantera, the largest basketball training platform in the world. The event, held at the Blas Infante Pavilion in Vera, brought together the best national basketball quarries throughout the weekend and had hundreds of spectators who packed the stands during all the games.

The MVP of the Tournament was for Kristians Martinsons, young promise of the Barcelona youth team that has caused a very pleasant impression among the fans who have attended the tournament. The ideal quintet of the tournament was composed by Kristians Martinsons (Barcelona), Ilian Montero (Next Hoops), Aitor Cugat (Unicaja),
Biel Mas (Barcelona Basket), Airam Alonso (Real Madrid).

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The mayor of Vera, Alfonso Garcia, thanked the Diputación de Almería for its support to the sporting event as well as the collaboration of the City Council of Los Gallardos, which has also been sub-host of the tournament, and whose councilor, Andrea Ramos, attended the final of the tournament and participated in the trophy ceremony. The mayor veratense has highlighted the role of all sponsors and partners “because thanks to them and their contribution has been able to consolidate the tournament in Vera as a national benchmark, where all the big teams show their interest in coming.

Garcia has put in value “the great work of UPLA in organizing the tournament that year after year makes the town in the capital of basketball at the national level”. Garcia has highlighted “the great projection that this competition provides the municipality to promote throughout Spain”.


Diego Franco, president of UPLA, the organizing club of the Tournament, commented that “the level of play of these games has been excellent, we have lived great sporting moments, with a team that has stood out above the rest as has been Barcelona Basket”.
“We have had the opportunity to see the best youth basketball at national level in the Pabellón Infante de Vera,” concluded Franco.

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Vera Will Once Again Be the Epicenter of National Grassroots Basketball, With the Vi U13 Tournament!

The mayor of the City Council of Vera, Alfonso García Ramos, and the Councillor for Culture and Heritage, Sports, and Youth, Antonio Jesús Soler Castaño, accompanied Juan Francisco López Fernández from the board of CB Upla to present the VI U13 tournament. The mayor expressed that the tournament would bring the best basketball to Vera, with the participation of top youth teams from across the country.

From May 2 to 5, the Blas Infante Pavilion in Vera will host the tournament, featuring prominent teams like Real Madrid Basketball, Barcelona Basketball, Joventut Badalona, and Unicaja Basketball. The tournament is organized by the Basketball Club Union of Peoples of Levante Almeriense (CB UPLA), with support from the City of Vera, the Provincial Council of Almería, and the Unicaja Foundation and Basket Andalusia.

For CB Upla, hosting the VI tournament is an honor, as it has become a significant event in the national youth basketball scene. The City Council of Vera has collaborated closely with CB Upla to ensure that everything is in place for the tournament, welcoming basketball enthusiasts, athletes, and families to Vera.

Antonio Jesús Soler, the Councilman of Sports in Vera, emphasized that the tournament not only has a significant sports impact but also contributes to tourism, attracting families to Vera to enjoy its climate and sports facilities. He highlighted the tournament’s national recognition, which strengthens both the sports and tourism sectors of the community.

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The tournament will kick off on May 2 with a game between CB Upla and Ucam Murcia, followed by matches on May 3, 4, and 5 featuring various national youth teams. The highlight of the tournament will be the match between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona on May 3, with semifinals on May 4 and the grand final on May 5.

The VI U13 Tournament promises intense emotions and unforgettable moments for sports and basketball enthusiasts, providing a platform for young talents to showcase their skills and passion for the game. It will be an exciting experience for all involved and a unique opportunity to witness the future stars of basketball in action.

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