This route starts in a city that is full of history as well as new experiences. It is old in receiving temporary settlers thanks to its strategic position next to the Vinalopo river, and in taking in travellers who are looking for a permanent place to settle. A city to be enjoyed. A place in which to experience different things and to take advantage of its rich heritage and natural landscapes. This is Elche, the fourth largest city in the Valencian community and a referent for quality of life in Spain thanks to its cultural and leisure options, heritage and beautiful natural landscapes.
El Palmeral de Elche, with over 200,000 palm trees, is a natural oasis located in the middle of the city. It has managed to survive over the centuries thanks to its residents, and has created a city in which palm tree gardens are intertwined with buildings and houses, creating places of outstanding beauty in the city's urban area. Without a doubt, this is an example of the efforts of generations of men and women who have fought to preserve this world heritage site.
This human effort also enabled the Misteri d'Elx, another of the city's symbols, to be named a UNESCO Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2001. This holy liturgical drama of medieval origin, dating back to the 15th century, is a unique play that is performed inside the Basilica of Santa María on the 14th and 15th August every year. It recreates the Dormition, Assumption and Coronation of the Virgin Mary following the Assumptionist style of the 15th century.
But Elche does Culture, with a capital c, differently. The city centre offers the modern Museum of History and Archaeology (MAHE), the Municipal Museum of the Misteri Festival, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Arab baths and the Altamira Palace, all within walking distance of each other. A little bit further out is the Archaeological Site and Museum of La Alcudia. Culture leads to leisure and tradition during the celebration of the city's fiestas in August, which include the Moors and Christians festival and the Nit de l'Albà, on the 13th August, a magical firework display which fills the city's sky with colours. Elche's nine-kilometre coast, characterised by its golden sand and blue sky, is made up of six beaches which, from north to south, are: El Altet, Los Arenales del Sol, El Carabassí, El Pinet, La Marina and Les Pesqueres-Rebollo. These natural beaches seem to have been created for your enjoyment and amusement because, especially those of El Altet and Arenales del Sol, constitute natural spaces which are difficult to find in other parts of the province.
The neighbouring city of Santa Pola has also become a national reference thanks to its beaches and coves (El Pinet, La Gola, Tamarit, Lisa, Gran Playa, Levante beach, Calas Santiago Bernabéu, Varadero beach, Calas Santa Pola de Este, Calas de l'Aljub, Calas del Cuartel and la Ermita beach) and the World Championship Formula Windsurfing, which has led to the creation of schools and organisations which offer courses for various water sports. Gran Playa and Lisa beach are the main areas offering these courses, but windsurfing is practiced throughout its coastal region.
Its gastronomy and cooking style are amongst other major attractions of Santa Pola. In fact, there is no shortage of raw ingredients in this municipality, where fish has its very own brand, Peix de Santa Pola, which is well-known throughout the Mediterranean. Seafood, fish and rice are the main ingredients for typical dishes such as caldero (rice cooked in a cauldron), arroz a banda (rice in fish broth) and arrós i gatet (rice with fish and vegetables). These dishes are also offered on the Island of Tabarca, which you can get to from Santa Pola and see from the Santa Pola mountain range. Interesting places to visit in Santa Pola include the Sea Museum, the Salt Museum and the Fishing Museum, as well as the Fortress-Castle Cultural Centre, the Vigía de Tamarit Tower, the popular lighthouse, the Massapà wells and the remains of a Roman villa.
Crevillent, on the other hand, is famous for its Moors and Christians Festival, declared of National Tourist Interest, and its celebration of the Holy Week, of International Tourist Interest. Their mountains ranges, squares and monuments make this town a special place to go back in time two-hundred centuries. They have witnessed a number of bloody bandit stories, such as that of Jaime El Barbudo, who was executed in Santo Domingo Square after fighting against the French during the Napoleonic invasion.