Elda’s Moros y Cristianos are not a weekend. They last five days around the first weekend of June, in honour of San Antón, and in 2026 they ran from 28 May to 1 June. Until 1946 they were held in January; the move to early summer was made for the weather. In 2026 they were declared a Fiesta of International Tourist Interest.
The heart of it is the two Entradas, Moorish and Christian, on the Saturday and Sunday afternoons, when the troops parade through the centre. For anyone living along the route, that means streets closed to traffic, barriers, crowds, and a lot of people out of their flats until late.
It is also a very easy time to come home without your keys.
Why it is harder to reach you
No van drives up a street full of a parade. On those afternoons and evenings, the last part of the journey to some doors in the centre is on foot, and how far depends on where you are and which way the parade is moving.
That does not mean nobody can come. It means the call needs one extra piece of information.
What to say when you ring
- Your address, as usual: street, number, block and floor.
- That the street is closed for the fiestas, so we plan for the walk.
- The nearest street that is open to traffic, or a corner you can easily get to. If you can wait there, we meet you there and walk in together.
- A WhatsApp location pin, sent from where you are standing.
If you are not sure whether you are still in Elda or have crossed into Petrer, which is easy in the crowds, say so. The guide on the Elda-Petrer boundary explains why it matters.
Waiting at the corner
Stay somewhere you can be found: at the corner you gave, not wandering off with the parade. Keep your phone on, and save its battery for the call back.
If the keys were lost rather than left inside, think about where. Keys lost in a crowd with nothing to identify the flat are a nuisance. Keys lost in a bag with your ID or post in it are another matter: in that case the cylinder should be changed the same night.
A few minutes before you go out
- Check the keys are in a pocket that closes, not loose in a costume.
- Leave a spare set with someone you trust who is not going to the parade.
- If you live in the old town, remember its streets are narrow and being rebuilt around the castle, which can make access slower at any time of year; the guide to the castle quarter works has more on that part of town.