Peratallada Medieval Fair

What it is and what you see

The Peratallada Medieval Fair turns the village’s streets and squares into the setting of a 13th-century town. It is organised by Forallac Town Council and in 2026 celebrated its thirtieth edition. There is no enclosure: the festival fills the medieval centre, from Plaça del Castell to Plaça de les Voltes, inside the moat carved in the rock that gives the village its name.

Over the two days there is a craftspeople’s market and demonstrations of trades throughout the centre, a medieval camp of men-at-arms, archery, wooden games for young and old, donkey rides beside the stream and a tavern in Plaça del Castell. On top of that, a programme of parades, knights’ combats, mounted tournaments, dances and court music that repeats several times a day, so that you see it even if you arrive late.

When

It is held on the first weekend of October. The 2026 edition was on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 October. The 2027 edition does not yet have dates on the Forallac tourism website, which is where they are announced; if it follows custom, it will fall in early October.

In 2026 Saturday began at 10:30 with the opening parade from Plaça del Castell and ended at 20:30 with a drum ritual in the same square. Sunday started at 11:00 and closed at 19:00 with the farewell parade. The camp opened from 11:00 to 19:00 and the wooden games from 10:30 to 13:30 and from 16:00 to 19:00.

The programme essentials

Using the 2026 programme as a guide, this is what not to miss:

• Cavalry tournament, at L’Arbreda: Saturday at 18:30 and Sunday at 12:30.
• Knights’ combat, in Plaça del Castell: both days at 18:00.
• The beam-draggers (arrastradores de la viga), a comic street show that goes through the village several times a day.
• How a knight got dressed, an explanation of the armour before the combat, in Plaça del Castell.
• Guided visit “Descobrint la història de Peratallada”, on Saturday at 17:00 from the tourist office, 90 minutes and €5, with prior registration at [email protected].

The programme changes every year and is published as a PDF on the Forallac tourism website a few weeks beforehand.

Getting there and where to park

Peratallada is in the Baix Empordà, next to the GI-651. You can’t park inside the village: there are three car parks on the outskirts, with about 440 spaces between them. The upper one (de Dalt), to the west, has about 200 spaces and toilets; the lower one (de Baix), to the east, next to the Sant Feliu de Boada path, has 200 spaces and an area for coaches, vans and caravans; the church one (de l’Església), opposite Sant Esteve, only 40.

On fair days the blue zone is in force, from 9:00 to 22:30: in 2026 the first half hour was free, two hours cost €2.50 and the 13-hour maximum, €6. If you sleep in a hotel, guesthouse or tourist accommodation in the village, you park for free.

Tickets and price

Entry to the fair is free. You only pay for the guided visit, the tavern and whatever you buy at the market. Bring some cash for the small stalls.

Practical tips

Arrive before 10:30 on Saturday if you want to see the opening parade and park nearby. The alleys of the centre are narrow and fill up early: when there is no room to move, head out to the camp or the stream. The streets are stone and uneven, so a pushchair suffers; a baby carrier is better. With children, the wooden games, archery and donkey rides work without waiting for the next show. The organisers invite you to go dressed in period costume, and in Plaça del Castell there are stalls to hire or buy medieval clothes and hairstyles. With a dog, think about the crowds in the alleys.

If it rains, check for changes at the tourist office in Plaça del Castell, on 872 987 030.