This
is Europe’s greatest palm grove. It has 200,000 palm trees, all protected from felling.
Visitor can enjoy this palm grove both within the Municipal Park, (covering
150,000 square metres)
and in other, smaller scenic areas, such as the Huerto del Cura, or the Hort del Gat. The total area covered
by the palm groves is 1063 acres.
The
present location of Elx is heir to the archaeological site of L‘Alcudia, 3km
further south. Here an important prehistoric lberian settlement gave way to the
Roman municipium of Illici, creating a highpoint that later declined,
until it was finally abandoned under the Moors. The Vila Murada, or walled
town, is where traces of Arabic culture can still be found: the Torre de
la Calaforra, the Arab Baths (Convent of La Mercé) and considerable
remains of the town wall along the left bank of the river Vinalopó. The Torre
del Consell (today’s town hall) was one of the gates to the walled town and
in its square, on the Torre de la Vetlla, the hours and quarter hours
are struck by Colendura and Colendureto, two popular figures
dating from the 18th century. The Basilica de Santa Maria, built in the
Valencian Baroque style, on the site of the old mosque, is where the Misteri
d’Elx is staged. The Contemporary Art Museum is in the Raval, the
old Moorish and Jewish quarter.
Elx
has a long, 9km stretch of coastline within its municipal boundaries,
providing handsome beaches, which, from north to south, are called L’Altet Arenales del Sol and Carabassi, down to Pinet,
La Marina and Les Pesqueres-El Rebolló in the Elx-Guardamar dune area beside the mouth of the
river Segura. Southeast of the city, the Hondó lagoons form a large
nature park with a wide variety of animal species and plant life. Of note here
is Europe’s only population of marbled ducks.
TO
VISIT THE PARK, PHONE: 96 667 85 15.
On
August 4th 1897 the legendary bust of the Lady Of Elche was found
at Elx’s old Roman site. Some say she is a priestess, others a noblewoman. Her
hair is covered by spectacular whorls on either side of her head, and she is
the purest example of Iberian art produced near the Mediterranean basin. The
site is about 2 kilometres south of the town, accessed via the Dolores road. The original
statue can only be seen in the National Archaeological Museum in Madrid.
Calahorra
Tower; Altamira Palace; Town Hall; Convent of La Mercé;
Basilica
of Santa Maria;
Los
Vaillos de Llanos and Ressemblanch watchtowers; Moorish Bath
Museums:
L’Alcudia
Archaeological Museum, Tel.: 96 661 15 06;
Contemporary
Art Museum Tel.: 96 545 49 82;
Municipal
Archaeological Museum, Tel.: 96 545 36 03;
Puçol
Schoolchildren’s Agricultural Museum, Tel.: 96 663 04 78
Museo
de la Festa, Tel.: 96 545 34 64
Mystery Play, August 11th to 15th - (1
November, even years).
Town
Settlers Fiesta, July 28th
Moors
and Christians, first week n August
Holy Week,
particularly Palm Sunday
Arrival
of tee Madonna, December 29th
Independent
Cinema Festival, July
Medieval
Music and Theatre Festival, October of even-numbered years
The Misteri d’EIx is the grand annual festival held in Elx in mid
August. It is the only choral religious mystery play that was allowed to be
performed inside a church, after the Council of Trent’s ban, in the 17th
century. The scene in which the Angel descends to announce the ‘Sleep and
Assumption of Mary’ is the highpoint: a pomegranate opens to form a palm-tree
of brightly coloured
leaves sheltering the heavenly messenger. The performance takes place in the
magnificent Baroque church, dedicated to Our Lady (built 1672-1784). It is sung
exclusively by the amateur actors and actresses who play the characters of the
Mystery.
This
has an altitude of 140m, which in the province of Alicante on the Mediterranean
coast is high enough to command a panoramic view over the sea, and also to
protect the town of Santa Polo from the easterly winds. The elongated shape of
the island of Tabarca can be seen from there.
The
fishing port is proud of having been famous since the days of the Romans, who
called it Portus Ilicitanus, the Port of Elx. Traces of that
period remain in the Roman villa at the Palmeral and in the fish-salting
factory dating from the 4th century BC. The modern, well-equipped marina is a popular anchoring spot.
These
wetlands are geologically related to the Hondó nature park. The N-332 main road, which travels
along the coast, runs across these wetlands. Guided visits can he
arranged, starting at the Santa Pola basins and finishing at the Pinet dunes.
The characteristically shaped Tamarit watchtower guards the salt flats, which
are highly appreciated by ecologists.
INFORMATION
CENTRE: (96) 692 04 04.
The
Santa Pola castle was built on orders of King Felipe II (16thC) to protect against
raids from Barbary pirates. Inside the Castle visitors can see a documentary
history of the area in the showcases of the Museo del Mar maritime museum. Tel:
96 669 15 32.
Sea
life fans will want to visit the municipal aquarium, also located here. The
most picturesque streets in the town centre start at the Castle.
Our
Lady of Mt Carmel, patron of sailors - July 16th
Our
Lady of Loreto, with Moors and Christians parades - September 1st to 8th
Arrival
of the Madonna, by sea - December 10th
The
only inhabited island in the Land of Valencia is reached by boat from Santa
Pola. Alicante, to which the island belongs administratively, also offers boat
trips to Tabarca. The island was baptized Nueva Tabarca in the 18th century,
when King Carlos III decided to populate it with Genovese families who had been
held prisoner on the Tabarka peninsula between Tunisia and Algeria. The island
was fortified and from then on Barbary raiders from Africa were met with
resistance they had not previously encountered.
To
discover Tabarca - where there are no cars there is a walking route all
around the island from which the coastline can be enjoyed and seabirds can be watched.
Tabarca is less than 2km long and its maximum width is 400 metres. Its underwater nature reserve,
established in 1986, is much appreciated by divers. Above the seabed,
fish glide through the characteristic ribbons of the posidonia oceanica
‘meadows’. Underwater fishing,
scuba diving without permission and anchoring boats are all forbidden within
the limits of the reserve.
There
are three gates in the wall surrounding the village. Narrow streets lead to the
church square. The most notable building is the Casa del Gobernador
(Governor’s House), which is now the only hotel on the island. Outside the
walls, the Torre de San José is midway along the walls and the
lighthouse and cemetery are at the far end of the island.