Four days of revelry in Los Alcázares while the rest of Murcia enjoys its Semana Santa processions

While most of the rest of the Region of Murcia spends Easter Week preoccupied with its religious processions, some of them solemn and some rather less so, Los Alcázares heads in another direction and celebrates the local history with the Fiestas of the Berber Pirate Raids (“Incursiones Berberiscas”).

These fiestas are a relatively recent addition to the calendar in Los Alcázares but, as they reach their 25th edition, have become extremely popular, entailing as they do a huge medieval market, processions, live music and an enormous offer of food and drink. And it’s not only the locals who take part, as visitors flock to Los Alcázares to enjoy their Semana Santa holidays on the shore of the Mar Menor!

The highlights of the week, apart from the market which runs for 4 days this year and occupies around 1.5 kilometres of streets, are the lighting of the fiestas flame on Thursday April 2, the landing of the Berbers on Friday 3rd, the Medieval Tourney and the grand parade on Saturday 4^th and the second day of the Tourney and the Caldero stewpot throwing event on Sunday April 5, Easter Sunday.

In addition there is a host of other entertainment, with minstrels wandering the streets, activities for children and a list of other events so long it is impossible to reproduce here - just to give an idea, there are around 65 events and entertainments listed on the first day alone!

However, for those wanting to pore over the list the official pamphlet is available in Spanish online here. Suffice it to say that the medieval market and other central locations are constantly milling with wandering minstrels, story-telling, music, fauns, talking trees, falconry displays, workshops, gastronomy and cooking events, fire-eaters, circus acts, street theatre, magicians and a VERY long et cetera…

Key venues are:

- the Paseo del Concha, where the Lighting of the Flame, the firework displays, the landing of the Berbers and the medieval tourney take place

- the medieval market (calle Los Luisos, Calle Concepción, Calle Fuensanta, Calle Santa Isabel and Calle Adelfas

- the Campamento Festero (at the Polideportivo Municipal sports centre)

- the farm and camels on Avenida Joaquín Blume

- exhibitions and workshops in Calle Los Luisos,

- the zoco market in Plaza Feria

- the children’s area in Plaza Manuel Floreal Menárguez

- the refreshments area in Avendia Joaquín Blume.

 

Among the highlights of this year's fiestas are the following: 

March 20 to 22

The 8th annual Berbers Tapas Route at bars and restaurants in Los Alcázares. Click here for further details.

Saturday March 21

12.00: The official presentation speech of the fiestas is given by Carmen María Conesa Nieto, the regional government minister for Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sport, at the Town Hall.

13.30: The Pasabares Berberisco, an event which is in essence a bar crawl but with jollity and fun being the main themes, rather than determined drinking!

Thursday April 2

11.00: The inauguration of the fiestas and the opening parade from the Fiestas Encampment to the Medieval Market, where another speech is given in the Plaza Manuel Floreal Menárguez.

13.00, 17.00, 19.00: Falconry displays in Calle Adelfas.

22.00: The official opening of the encampment and the LIGHTING OF THE FLAME, with a torchlit parade to the Playa de la Concha, where there are music and fireworks at 23.00. The parade route in Fairground, Calle Los Luisos, Plaza Manuel Floreal Menárguez, Paseo de la Feria, Paseo de la Concha.

Midnight: Live music from legendary folk metal band Mago de Oz at the fairground.

Friday April 3

21.00: THE DESEMBARCO BERBERISCO, the landing of the Berber pirates on the Playa de la Concha by the light of the full moon.

Midnight: Live music from the hugely popular Spanish hard rock band Mojinos Escozios at the encampment.

Saturday April 4

12.00: The MEDIEVAL TOURNEY begins at the Playa de la Concha.

13.00: Olive stone spitting contest at the Encampment.

21.00: The Grand INCURSIONES BERBERISCAS PARADE features the fiestas groups belonging to the warring Berber and Christian factions as they follow a route along Avenida Libertad, accompanied by dancers, medieval entertainments. The parade begins at the roundabout where the Lo Sola petrol station is located and runs along Avenida Libertad to the junction with Avenida Trece de Octubre.

Midnight: Live music from Orquesta “La Tentación” at the Encampment.

Sunday April 5

12.00: The MEDIEVAL TOURNEY continues at the Playa de la Concha.

17.00: The 17th edition of the annual “caldero” fish stew pot throwing competition at the Playa de la Concha.

21.30: The closing spectacle of the four days in Plaza Manuel Floreal Menárguez is entitled “Simulación de Incendio”.

For more local information contact the tourist offices in Los Alcázares or go to the home page of Los Alcázares Today.

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