Transport yourself to the Middle Ages with the King Jaume I Festival, in Salou

On the first weekend of September, from the 5th to the 8th, the streets of Salou are decorated for the celebration of the King Jaume I Festival, taking you back to the 13th century. This year you can experience the 29th edition of the festival, in which history and tradition come together to commemorate the events that took place long ago. 

Costa Dorada has towns like Tarragona, Vila-seca La Pineda, Cambrils or Reus, to which you can travel to enjoy and relive one of the most important historical events of the Middle Ages. From BusPlana, we offer the schedules of the regular bus lines, which you can check on our website. In addition, as we are the official airport shuttle service, you can buy the official tickets for transfers from the Barcelona Airport online. 

 Learn about the history of this celebration 

The events that gave rise to this tradition took place in 1229, when King Jaume I the Conqueror sailed to the natural port of Salou to set sail for the conquest of Mallorca, which was in the hands of the Muslims. Aristocrats from all over Catalonia supported the cause, helping the young monarch with troops and ships, thus forming a squadron with 155 ships, 15,000 men and 1,500 horses.   

On the 5th of September 1229, James I and his large fleet left the port of Salou for the Balearic Islands, disembarked at Santa Ponça and defeated the Almohads, commanded by the governor Abú Yahya, in the historic battle of Santa Ponça. The conflict lasted until the 31st of December 1229, the day on which the Arab side was defeated.   

Programme of the festival 

Below, you can check this year's programme. You'll find a vast variety of plans for all ages. The events will begin on Thursday, 5th of September, in the streets of the historic district of Salou, where the medieval market will be located, where you can find everything from children's games, jesters, music, fire shows, circus, artisans and much more. 

Digital gymkhana for the whole family 

For yet another year, the tourist offer of the digital gymkhana ‘Jaume I, conquering history’ has been renewed. It is completely free and invites locals and visitors to explore and experience the events in an entertaining and interactive way with their mobile phones. It has up to 9 enigmas that will take you on a trip through time. The start of the route is at the Font Lluminosa, marked with a totem pole to make it easier for participants to follow the route. The route also passes other emblematic sites in Salou, such as the monument to Jaume I and the Xalet Miarnau, among others, ending at the town's quay from where the king set off.   

Historical re-enactment 

On Saturday, 7th of September, from 8 p.m. onwards, Salou will be visited by King Jaume I and his retinue, who will walk through the streets recreating the route to the sea in 1229. This historical re-enactment will feature the young knight, who is only 21 years old, accompanied by many other characters, such as knights, labourers, ecclesiastics, engineers, doctors, noble ladies, chefs, peasants and many others.   

The route will start at the Plaça del Teatre Auditori (TAS) and will end with a final show, including a performance by all the entertainment groups, on Platja de Llevant.   

Cultural activities 

With the aim of raising awareness of this milestone, with the utmost historical rigour, Salou has prepared a series of cultural activities that revolve around the period in which King Jaume I was present in the town of Salou, almost 800 years ago.   

This Friday, 6th of September, at 6:30 p.m., the Sala Costa Daurada at the Salou Civic Centre will host the conference ‘1229: Preparations for a conquest beyond the horizon. Protagonists and challenges’. This event will be led by Esther Lozano, PhD in Art History.   

The following day, the 7th, the talk ‘Jaume I: Life and facts’ will be given by the renowned author Juan Ramón Barat, and organised by the Associació Cultural i d'Esbarjo Jaume I de Salou. It will take place at the Salou Library at noon. On the same day, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the youngest members of the family can enjoy a children's workshop in the Plaça del Carrilet.  

 Finally, on Sunday, 8th of September, the literary prizes for the ‘Short Stories Jaume I’ competition will be awarded in the Sala Costa Dorada of the Civic Centre. 

Rei en Jaume Regatta 

Among so many activities, the Rei en Jaume regatta cannot be missed, which is a fascinating sporting competition of speed between boats, now in its 38th edition. It will be held from the 5th to the 8th of September in the waters of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands. It is organised by Club Nàutic de Salou.   

Don't miss this spectacular festival, where you can soak up knowledge and culture. BusPlana offers regular bus lines, so you can travel with your friends and family to Salou, either from Tarragona, Vila-seca La Pineda, Cambrils or Reus, among other municipalities. You can check the schedules on our website. We also remind you that we are the official airport shuttle service, so you can buy the official tickets for your transfer from Barcelona Airport to Costa Dorada online.