September fun in Santa Ponça

An historic event from the 13th century is still celebrated every September in Mallorca’s southwest. In September 1229, King Jaume I of Aragon and his Christian knights and soldiers landed in Santa Ponça, to conquer the Moors and reclaim Mallorca.

Their landing point is today marked by a stone cross, and the event is commemorated annually at the popular Festes del Rei en Jaume, which is taking place now until September 10th. Santa Ponça hosts a varied programme of activities, including music, comedy, dancing, parades, children’s activities, the Calvià giants, and a medieval market.

Here are some of the highlights: The medieval market takes place on the Paseo de la Playa every day from Thursday 7th until Sunday 10th, from 12 h until  1 h.

The big event of this fiesta is undoubtedly the mock battle between the Moors and Christians, which takes place on Saturday the 9th. They assemble first at the cross at 17:30 h for the first battle. This is followed by the parade of Moors and Christians to the beach for the final battle.

The Festes del Rei en Jaume ends with fireworks on the beach on Sunday 10th from 22:30 h. If you have animals, this is a warning to keep them indoors away from the noise.