The Santa Claus Parade at La Zenia Boulevard brings festive floats, dancers, and thousands of spectators together in Orihuela Costa each year.
Credit: Mary-louise Chandler / Facebook
One of the most eagerly anticipated events on the Orihuela Costa calendar returns this December: the annual Santa Claus Christmas Parade at La Zenia Boulevard.
Scheduled for Saturday, December 20, the parade is expected to draw large crowds as it delivers its established blend of colour, music and festive energy.
The event has become a reliable highlight for families, visitors and residents, marking the start of the main Christmas celebrations in the area.
A Parade of Music and Magic
The parade begins at Calle Nicolás de Bussi at 5pm, assembling a large number of participants from local performance groups, professional dance troupes and community organisations.
The route takes the procession through several key streets before it reaches La Zenia Boulevard, with an estimated travel time of around 50 minutes. This can vary slightly depending on traffic controls, audience turnout and weather conditions.
Floats are designed specifically for the event, featuring themes linked to Christmas stories, winter scenes and well-known festive characters. Performers include dancers, stilt walkers, acrobats and musicians, all choreographed to maintain a steady flow along the route.
The combination of amplified music, live routines and coordinated movement ensures that spectators experience continuous entertainment from start to finish.
Santa Claus Takes Centre Stage
The end of the parade is the arrival of Santa Claus at the shopping centre. He completes the final stretch of the route by greeting spectators lining the avenues and central plaza areas of La Zenia Boulevard.
This appearance traditionally attracts the largest concentration of onlookers and signals the opening of the centre’s full Christmas programme, including late-evening shopping, children’s activities and seasonal displays.
A Community Celebration
Attendance has increased steadily in recent years, with thousands of spectators coming not only from Orihuela Costa but also from Torrevieja, San Miguel, Pilar de la Horadada and other surrounding towns.
The event’s popularity is driven by its accessibility, clear scheduling and broad appeal. The parade is designed for all ages, and the combination of bright lighting, detailed costumes and polished performances ensures consistently high engagement from the crowd.
Local businesses typically benefit from the influx of visitors, with cafés, restaurants and shops experiencing more people throughout the afternoon and early evening. For many families, the parade has become an annual tradition, and its predictable route allows regular attendees to choose reliable viewing points year after year.
Plan Your Visit
Those planning to attend are advised to arrive well before the starting time, particularly near La Zenia Boulevard, where the viewing areas fill quickly. Parking availability decreases as the afternoon progresses, and public transport or car sharing may help avoid delays.
The event is free of charge and requires no booking. As the parade is outdoors, suitable clothing for cooler evening temperatures is recommended.
The Santa Claus Christmas Parade offers a straightforward but well-executed festive experience, combining entertainment with a strong community atmosphere and providing one of the region’s most consistent Christmas traditions.