Elche

Elche, in Alicante, is a city where you can enjoy three cultural sites protected by UNESCO for their great value to humanity. Imagine how fulfilling your stay will be! Get away for a few days and discover monuments, history, incredible landscapes and beaches to enjoy.

What to do in Elche

Your plans in Elche must include a stroll under the shade of thousands of palm trees. The Palmeral de Elche is a group of centuries-old date palm groves, home to more than 200,000 trees and a World Heritage Site. Among the different groves, the one known as Huerto del Cura stands out for its beauty. We recommend a guided tour to find the monumental palm trees!

Continue through the streets of the Historic-Artistic Site of Elche, which preserves stately homes and the remains of walls and towers. You must also visit the Basilica of Santa María, where every year, on 14 and 15 August, the Misteri d’Elx is performed. This is a medieval sacred-lyrical drama sung in verse, which has been declared a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

If you can’t make it to the performances, an alternative is to visit the Municipal Museum of the Festival, dedicated to this celebration. Next is the Castle-Palace of Altamira, dating back to the 13th century and featuring architectural elements from later centuries.

This fortress is currently home to the MAHE, the Archaeological and History Museum of Elche. Its collections will take you back to the Neolithic period and give you an in-depth understanding of the L’Alcudia archaeological site. We also recommend visiting the ancient Arab Baths.

There is still much to see in Elche! Two Baroque buildings, the Jorge Juan Palace and the Church of the Former Convent of San José, are a must-see on your tour. We will stop to enjoy the third UNESCO-recognised institution in Elche, the Pusol School Museum Centre for Traditional Culture. This large ethnological collection will surprise you with its wealth of objects.

During your visit to Elche, be sure to include the archaeological site of L’Alcudia, where the city of Ilici was located and where an ancient treasure, the Lady of Elche, was found. And now let’s take a look at the city’s natural and scenic heritage!

The Clot de Galvany Municipal Natural Park and the fantastic El Hondo Natural Park are of extraordinary ecological value. Here you can observe a large number of bird species as you explore the park along its four hiking trails. Finally, we remind you that Elche has beautiful beaches, such as Arenales del Sol, El Pinet, La Marina, Les Pesqueres-El Rebollo… You’ll need a few days!