Festivities in Alcossebre

Sant Antoni "El del Porquet" is the patron saint of animals and one of the most deeply-rooted saints in the municipality. His feast day is celebrated on 17th January, although the events are concentrated on the Sunday following the feast day.

Highlights include the monumental bonfire that is lit on the eve of the saint's feast day, the colourful procession with horses, carts, traditional costumes, the music of the "dolçaina i el tabalet" and, of course, the popular lunches and dinners around the bonfire.

Between February and March, just before the beginning of Lent, the streets of Alcocéber are flooded with joy and humour in the celebration of its Carnival.

A whole weekend in which it is impossible not to be infected by the joy of the locals who celebrate costume dances and parades for both children and adults. The festival closes on the last day with the emblematic and biting wake for King Carnestoltes and the Burial of the Sardine.

The 29th of April is the feast day of San Pedro de Verona, patron saint of the local young bachelors, popularly known as "fadrins", who are in charge of organising a week of festivities in honour of the saint.

The main events revolve around bullfighting and the singing of "Les Albaes", a peculiar style of traditional Valencian singing that dates back to the Middle Ages. On "de Albaes" nights, the singer, accompanied by "dolçaina and tabalet", recites satirical and humorous verses related to the daily life of the villagers, recalling the gossip that has spread from mouth to mouth over the last year. It's impossible to contain your blushes and laughter!

The second Sunday in May is the day of the patron saint of Alcalá de Xivert-Alcocéber, the Virgen de los Desamparados.

It is a very special day for the municipality, which sees its historic centre decorated for the celebration of the mass and subsequent procession from the Church of San Juan Bautista. Numerous locals dressed in regional costumes and the local music band take part in the procession.

On the night of 23 June, coinciding with the summer solstice, the festivity of San Juan Bautista, patron saint of the municipality, is celebrated with the burning of bonfires on the beach.

For this, neighbours, friends and visitors gather by the sea and pile up firewood, old furniture and other belongings to set them alight at the stroke of midnight and enjoy the purifying effect of the bonfires.

The Capicorb Neighbourhood Association organises this popular and participative festival in honour of Saint Anthony of Padua on the last weekend of July.

The holidaymakers are the protagonists of events for all ages that include concerts and competitions to enjoy this festivity celebrated by the sea in a 100% Mediterranean atmosphere. The end of the festival takes place on Sunday in the small and beautiful chapel of Sant Antoni de Capicorb.

At the end of August, Alcalá de Xivert celebrates its patron saint's fiestas, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The main events include the presentation of the festivities and subsequent gala ball, the procession of the "Pregón de fiestas" the following day, the mass and procession in honour of San Juan Bautista, patron saint of the town, on 29 August, and the bullfights.

In the second week of September, Alcocéber takes over the Fiestas Patronales and the fiesta moves to the seaside where the popular open-air dances take place, bringing together locals and visitors in a unique atmosphere. Don't miss it!

In mid-October, the old quarter of the municipality is transformed into a large open-air market where artisan products and gastronomy are the protagonists.

Among all of them you cannot miss the genuine and delicious "Tomata de Penjar d'Alcalá de Xivert", a tomato that is left to dry in the sun hanging from a rope in a traditional and homemade way, which has a certificate of quality and is a true gastronomic emblem of the municipality.

Esta festividad se celebra el domingo más próximo al 13 de diciembre, festividad de Santa Lucía, y traslada la tradición al privilegiado entorno de la ermita de Santa Lucía de Alcocéber, en el corazón de la Sierra de Irta.

La fiesta empieza el sábado por la noche, momento en el que los vecinos y visitantes venidos de toda la comarca se reúnen para pasar la víspera en torno a las hogueras para, a la mañana siguiente, subir en romería tanto para asistir a la misa y posterior procesión por los alrededores de la ermita.

This festivity is held on the Sunday closest to the 13th December, the feast of Santa Lucía, and brings tradition to the privileged setting of the Santa Lucía hermitage in Alcocéber, in the heart of the Sierra de Irta mountain range.

The festival begins on Saturday night, when locals and visitors from all over the region gather to spend the eve of the festival around the bonfires, and the following morning they go on a pilgrimage to attend the mass and subsequent procession around the hermitage.