Moraira
Moraira property, history, gastronomy, sports and fiestas
The small coastal town of Moraira is part of Teulada municipality and lies along the coast road from Calpe and also has access down a winding road from Benissa. With few hotels and package holidays it is notable for it's tranquility, with quiet urban streets and a relatively new sports harbour and yacht club.
The town has two blue flag sand beaches, one beside Moraira and the second along the coast road at Portet that are ideal for family bathing and watersports.
Moraira has on average over 320 sunny days a year making it an all year round destination, with the beautiful Marina, and many shops and restaurants.
Moraira is known as a centre of gastronomy on the Costa Blanca and has a number of fine international restaurants such as the "D'Gust" in town and the "Dauphin" in Portet that organize a Gourmet Festival in autumn with invited famous international chefs, see our Moraira restaurant reviews. Apart from this, of course you still have the fine traditional Valencian cuisine based on rice dishes such as Paella and Arroz a la Banda that is the locals first choice for a family lunch.
The fiesta calendar includes the Teulada Moscatel Fiesta in September (prizes for the best bunches of grapes), the Moors and Christians historic reenactment in the second week of June and San Vicente Ferrer after Easter with a procession, bull running and firework display.
Moraira/Teulada facts and figures:
Inhabitants: 9.500 Teulada and Moraira. Teulada is the municipality and Moraira the coastal village.
Access: Motorway A7 exit 63 Benissa. National N332 first exit (Teulada) leaving Benissa northwards. Alicante airport "El Altet" 59km.
Nature: Moraira is situated beside the sea with two sand beaches (Moraira and Portet) and 8km of rocky bays and cliffs. The municipality is notable for it's terraced vineyards that produce the sweet Moscatel grape for the local cooperative of San Vicente Ferrer. Used to make the local Moscatel dessert wine.
Restaurants and Specialities: The typical Valencian rice dishes like Paella and Arroz a Banda in the Moraira seafront restaurants (try El Meson) and Teulada town. Moraira also has a number of prestigious restaurants serving international cuisine that organize a Gourmet Festival in the Autumn. Notable restaurants here are the La Sort and D'Gust in the village and the Dauphin with French "nouvelle cuisine" on Portet beach.
Sports: Golf - Club de Golf Ifach with panoramic sea views from the clubhouse. 3406m, 9 holes, par 60. Urbanizacion San Jaime. Sailing - Moraira Sports Harbour and Yacht Club with 620 berths,a sailing school, repair yard, shops, etc. Mountain Walking - The "Costa Blanca Mountain Walkers". Twice a week with an easier walk on Saturday.
Fiesta calendar: January 5th - The Three Kings. Arrival of the three kings with the children's presents. February 3rd - Fiesta de la Dama. Cakes shaped after the female figure. First Monday after Easter Monday - San Vicente Ferrer, Patron Saint of Teulada, bull running, firework display and processions. Second weekend in June - Moors and Christians parade. 15th/16th July - Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados y La Virgen Carmen. First Saturday in September - Moscatel fiesta in Teulada with a competition for the best bunches of grapes. Autumn - International Gourmet Festival. 24th November - Santa Catalina and the Cultural Week.
History and Culture: Teulada was founded in 1386 after the Christian reconquest and was the property of the Marqueses of Ariza and the Dukes of Gandia among others until it passed to the crown in the 19th century. The evangelical Dominican, San Vicente Ferrer regularly visited the town at the start of the 15th century and became it's patron saint aswell as giving his name to many Marina Alta streets. The Portet Cap d'Or watchtower was built in the 16th Century to warn the town against Barbary pirates and later, Moraira village was fortified with a seafront tower being built (still standing and featured in one of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin historical novels).