We were invited by our friend Felipe to go and see the Moors and Christians Fiesta parade in Villena with him and his mom. They had front row balcony seats for the parade. The parade is one of the most famous and spectacular Moors and Christian parades in Spain.

We arrived in the quaint town of Villena at around 4 p.m. There were vehicles parked everywhere and it was difficult to find a parking spot. We parked around five blocks from the center of town and walked slowly towards the main street of Villena.

As we walked along the streets there were large crowds of people all heading towards the center of town.

As we walked through the streets we came across groups of people participating in the parade. They were dressed up, some were in very elaborate costumes. We stopped to have our picture taken with one group of “Moors” dressed up for the parade.

We arrived at the center of town and met Felipe’s friend, José Luís Valero. José had seats at the very front of the parade route for us.

José was a famous “Cabo” for comparsa andaluces group. He won many awards and in fact, there was a song composed for him which is used in the parade every year. José was a great host and was very energetic and fun.

José treated us like family and provided drinks and made the parade even more enjoyable. We had the best seats to see the parade up close.

The parade was massive with over 12,000 people who participated in it. There were seven groups that represent the Moorish, and seven groups which represent the Christian. Each one of these groups was made up of several hundred male and female participants. We watched as groups representing the Moors marched by wearing beautiful and ornate costumes.

Each group of “Moors” marching in the parade had their own specific costume design. They also had bands following behind each group playing choreographed music. It was an impressive display by the participants of the parade. At the front of each section, there was a head person called a “Cabo” leading the group. They strutted in elaborate and deliberate moves making the march quite impressive.

There were horses, camels, and donkeys in the parade as well. Some of the horses would stand on their hind legs and perform along the parade route.

We watched the different groups march in the parade, each group with their own unique and beautiful costumes. Some of the costumes cost over 15,000 euros for each one.

Some of the costumes were very detailed and stunning to see. Some of the costumes were pieces of art adorned with feathers or with other unique items.

 

Even the back of the costumes had very ornate and beautiful decorations.

The Parade started at 4:30 p.m. and we stayed until 8:30 p.m. and the Moors section of the parade was still going on. The entire parade last in excess of six hours. There were so many beautiful costumes and great music from the many different bands. Below is a small collection of photos from the Moors section of the Parade.

The many bands that played specific songs for each group were also very enjoyable. We watched and listened in awe as the parade just continued for hours. We put together a short video of some of the parade.

It was a very surreal feeling being able to be so close to the parade. We had front row seats with a well-known “Cabo” José, which made the event even more memorial. To say that the parade was amazing would be an understatement. It was spectacular and beautiful, something we will remember for a long time.

“adios y que tenga un gran dia”