In La Vila Joiosa, also known as Villajoyosa, the festival looks out to sea. Its Moors and Christians celebrations honour Saint Martha, with the Desembarc providing a distinctive scene: the festive enactment moves from the water towards the beach.
A programme combining streets and shoreline
The usual festival period is 24–31 July. Parades, embassies, music and events connected with Saint Martha offer different experiences. The Desembarc takes place before dawn: before arranging your visit, check the current edition's date, timing and authorised viewing areas.
Plan your arrival and return first
For a night-time or early-morning event, organise your return transport before setting out. Do not assume daytime services will still operate. Agree on a meeting point, bring what you need for a comfortable wait and follow safety instructions by the sea and during pyrotechnic events.
Discover the memory behind the spectacle
Vilamuseu has documented the festival in its publication Música, pólvora i desembarc. It offers a way to explore the local story beyond the landing itself. Combine that reading with a relaxed old-town walk; if you want to visit the museum, check its current programme rather than assuming a past exhibition remains open.
Before your visit.
Does the Desembarc replace the parades?
No: it is one event within a wider celebration. Choose the parades and enactments that interest you from the programme; they do not all happen on the same day.
Is the view the same from every part of the beach?
Do not assume so. Check designated areas, restrictions and access before deciding where to wait. Respect the organisers' working areas and safety boundaries.
Check the official sources.
Before travelling, check current notices, access arrangements, reservations and programmes with these sources.
- Turismo La Vila Joiosa · Moros y Cristianos ↗
- Vilamuseu · Publicaciones sobre la memoria de la fiesta ↗
