Ayuntamiento de Guardamar

Winter, which is more like spring here, is Carnival time – a time of colour and activity - when local people, disguised in fancy dress and masks, enjoy hours of endless fun and music.

Spring brings our Easter and Holy Week celebrations (Semana Santa). The Passion of Christ is re-enacted in street performances and important religious processions make this time of year an unforgettable experience for visitors.

Easter Monday and St Vincent Ferrer’s Day – (celebrated in the Valencian region on the second Monday in Easter) is a time when the locals of Guardamar and the neighbouring towns get together to celebrate in the Alfonso XIII Park. People have lunch together, eat the typical ‘Mona de Pascua’ cake and spend hours playing games, singing and having fun.

The arrival of the summer equinox (21^st June) is bonfire time. We celebrate the ‘Plantà de la Foguera’ – a huge bonfire which is built by the locals and includes satirical images and figures. The night before St John’s day, ‘vispera de San Juan’ – locals flock to the beach for the magical fire rite when witches and muses dance the enigmatic fire dance. The highlight of these festivities is the burning of the bonfire on the eve of 24^th June - when locals enjoy this unique spectacle.

July 25 – the feast of St James is celebrated. This is a spectacular event in the festival calendar – when the history of the Moors and Christians is re-enacted in the streets of Guardamar. The ancient legend of the ’encantà is retold and locals enjoy parades and processions, fireworks, noise, music and splendid ceremonial costumes.

In September, we celebrate in the el Campo district, the feast of Our Lady of Fatima – a feast that lasts the month of September – with events every weekends - such as competitions and parades, floral processions and open- air mass.

Our Lady of the Rosary ‘La Mare de Déu del Rosari’ (in Valencian) is celebrated on 7 October. She is the town’s patron and her feast is marked by early morning recitations of the rosary through the streets of Guardamar. This continues every Sunday throughout the month of October.

Christmas is a time for children - with planned activities in the streets and a Christmas programme of events in the Casa de Cultura. The days before Christmas, we welcome ‘Menjabollos’ –‘‘the bun eating giant’ to the town. He comes from his hut in the pine trees to visit the children.

Christmas festivities culminate in the arrival of the Magi or Three Kings on the eve of the 6^th January.