Elche, Elx in Valencian, with about 245,000 inhabitants, is the third city of the Valencian Community and the second in the province of Alicante. It is famous for two unique UNESCO listings, the Palmeral and the Misteri d'Elx, and is an important industrial centre, especially for footwear.
The Palmeral
The Palmeral of Elche is Europe's largest palm grove, with about 200,000 date palms in orchards, huertos, in and around the city. It was created by the Arabs, who introduced an irrigation system still in use, and has been a UNESCO site since 2000. Explore it along the Ruta del Palmeral. The most famous garden is the Huerto del Cura, with cacti, tropical plants and the Imperial Palm, a palm with eight arms. Woven palm fronds, palma blanca, are sent all over Spain for Palm Sunday.
The Misteri d'Elx
The Misteri d'Elx is a medieval sacred drama, sung in old Valencian, depicting the death, assumption and coronation of the Virgin Mary. It is staged every year on 14 and 15 August in the basilica of Santa María, with stage machinery descending from the dome. It was among the first works recognised by UNESCO as intangible heritage, in 2001.
What to see
- The Baroque basilica of Santa María, home of the Misteri.
- The Palau d'Altamira, a medieval castle-palace housing the Archaeology and History Museum, MAHE.
- The Calahorra, a Muslim tower, and the Banys Àrabs.
- The Palmeral Museum and the municipal park.
- The Iberian and Roman site of La Alcudia, where in 1897 the Lady of Elche was found, the 4th-century BC Iberian bust now in Madrid's National Archaeological Museum.
Beaches and surroundings
The municipality has beaches with dunes and pine woods, such as Arenales del Sol, El Altet and La Marina, and the Clot de Galvany natural area. A few kilometres away are the Santa Pola salt pans and El Hondo natural park.
Getting there
Alicante-Elche airport lies within the municipality of Elche, about 10 km from the centre. The city is linked by train and bus with Alicante and by AVE with Madrid.