Destination / Costa Blanca

ELCHE, WORLD HERITAGE

To visit Elche is to enjoy one of the few cities in the world that has three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: El Palmeral, El Misteri and the Pusol School Museum.

All of them are the result of the heritage received by the different cultures that have passed through this Mediterranean enclave over the centuries and of the care with which the people of Elche have managed to keep such a generous legacy that is still valid in every corner of the city, giving it a stamp of unique cultural identity.

El Palmeral, with its more than 200,000 specimens of palm trees, is configured as a unique landscape in Europe and a clear example of conservation of natural spaces integrated into the city.

The Misteri d’Elx received the UNESCO distinction as Oral and Intangible Heritage. This sacrolyric drama dates back to the 13th century, and continues to be performed uninterruptedly until today thanks to the efforts of an entire town that has kept this cultural tradition alive.

The Pusol School Museum was born as a pedagogical project and today it has become a piece of the history of Campo de Elche, its traditions, trades and customs brought to our time so that the new citizens know their roots. Thanks to the effort spent over several generations, this museum has been declared a World Heritage Site.

In addition to its rich heritage, Elche stands out for being a modern and dynamic city with an important shoe industry that stands out worldwide for its high-quality and designer footwear. A city of services, oriented to commerce and always ready to show all its charm to the visitor who will be welcomed as if in their own land.

a city for sport

Elche is a city highly prepared to host high-level international sporting events. The Torrellano Cup will take place in one of the most dynamic areas with the greatest business and economic projection on the Mediterranean Coast.

Eminently oriented towards tourism and services, Elche breathes modernity and avant-garde while offering an excellent connection with all corners of the world. The importance of tourism is reflected in the percentage of passengers on international flights, 80% of the total. Countries like the UK, Germany and the Netherlands are regular visitors to our coast.

Elche and the province of Alicante are in turn linked to the main cities of the country through regular daily flights, a complete rail network of high-speed trains and a complete road network of highways and motorways.

In the past year 2013, the International Airport of Alicante – Elche registered a traffic of almost 10,000,000 users.

Elche is one of the most important cities on the Costa Blanca. And to speak of the Costa Blanca is to speak of the Mediterranean and its culture. It is talking about dream beaches and coves. On the Costa Blanca, modernity and tradition converge in an ideal climate for practicing sports and social life on the street.

Under the intense light of the Costa Blanca, a rich artistic and cultural heritage is also preserved, memory of the passage of a large number of civilizations that left their mark on these lands. All this heritage can also be appreciated in its popular festivals, its rich Mediterranean cuisine, its art, its avant-garde and endless possibilities that will not leave you indifferent.

connections

39 Airlines with 101 national and international destinations

The Costa Blanca is close to everything. It is easy to come from anywhere in the world and it is easier to live a few days in this land and fall in love with it.

ALICANTE – ELCHE Airport stands out for its intense international flight traffic, but it is also a geographical area that is very well connected with the rest of Spain by train and motorway.

In the urban center of the city of Alicante, the modern train station is located where the High Speed and Cercanías trains arrive.

The connection between Alicante and Elche is very fluid, they have regular bus lines and a rail connection every 30 minutes.

300 days of sunshine a year

The Costa Blanca is characterized by a special climate as its inhabitants enjoy more than 300 days of sunshine a year with average annual temperatures of 18 degrees.

During the month of May, where the competition will take place, the average temperatures are very pleasant, hovering around 20-22 degrees Celsius, and temperatures of between 25-28 degrees can be reached at noon.

Little or no rainfall and days of great luminosity accompany the days of May.

Landscapes and beaches

Elche has extensive beaches that are one of its main tourist attractions. Year after year they receive the recognition of the European Union with Blue Flags that give them a deserved international prestige and give a good account of their quality.

Among its beaches, Los Arenales del Sol Beach, the La Marina dune complex and El Pinet Beach stand out.

Art and Culture

More than 3,000 years have served to contemplate the passage of different civilizations and their corresponding cultures through Elche. All of them have been shaping these lands and leaving a rich legacy that can be seen not only in the cultural and artistic heritage but also in the open, innovative, warm and hospitable character of its people.

Elche Palm Grove: If there is one element that perfectly represents Elche, it is its palm grove, a unique landscape with more than 200,000 specimens, the largest in Europe. This plantation made for agricultural purposes has its origin in the 10th century, when the Arabs moved the city to its current location. The Palm Grove of Elche was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in the year 2000.

The Misteri d´Elx: Religious sacral-lyrical drama that recreates the Dormition, Assumption and Coronation of the Virgin Mary. The work is divided into two acts and is staged every August 14 and 15 inside the Basilica of Santa María.

It is the only work of its kind that has been performed without interruption from the fifteenth century to the present. In 2001, UNESCO declared it a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, adding to Elche its second World Heritage figure.

Routes with Culture

Torrellano Cup participants and visitors cannot miss the opportunity to learn in depth about the cultural, social and gastronomic wealth of this province.

This is the purpose of cultural routes, capturing the depths of the Mediterranean feeling through unavoidable crossing points.

ROUTE OF THE CASTLES

The Route of the Castles is a historical and cultural itinerary that invites you to visit some of the most representative fortresses in the province of Alicante, most of them located in the Vinalopó region.

WINE ROUTE

Enjoy the oenological tradition of the province of Alicante. Let yourself be captivated by the wealth of wine through visits to historic wineries and wine tasting with the identity of the territory.
Try traditional menus and avant-garde pairings in the most traditional restaurants, and of course go through the natural surroundings that narrate the oenological evolution of these lands.

GASTRONOMIC ROUTE: MICHELIN STARS

For lovers of haute cuisine, the White Thing is a little paradise.

Dacosta Restaurant: Chef Quique Dacosta one of the best international chefs. Three stars in the prestigious Michelin Guide recognize and endorse each of the lines that Quique Dacosta has created so far in his professional career. He bases his proposal on sensory experiences, personal treatment, hospitality and the ability to create a comfortable atmosphere, always supported by the best raw materials from the land and sea of Alicante.

Monastrell restaurant in Alicante. Chef Maria Jose San Roman. Cuisine that combines innovation with a Mediterranean touch in its recipes, recognized for the quality of its products and the use of local ingredients. A Michelin Star.

La Finca Restaurant in Elche. Chef Susi Diaz. José Mª García and Susi Díaz run this restaurant with the utmost attention to detail and a permanent innovative spirit. Cuisine in constant evolution where clean and light flavors prevail, enhancing the purity of the product. Recognized with a Michelin Star.

Other Michelin Star restaurants; BonAmb in Jávea, Casa Alfonso in Dehesa de Campoamor, Casa Pepa in Ondara and L’Escaleta in Cocentaina.

Gastronomy

Known worldwide for its health benefits, the Mediterranean diet is especially evident in Elche thanks to the products from its fertile lands and the fish and shellfish from its sea.

In these lands, rice is undoubtedly the main character in most dishes accompanied by fish, shellfish, meat and vegetables. We highlight among them the “arroz a banda”, the “rice alicantina”, the caldero, the arroz caldoso or the popular “olleta” from Alicante based on vegetables and legumes.

Among the desserts you have to try our nougat with denomination of origin, horchata and 100% handmade ice cream.

As a complement to these delicacies, you have to savor the Alicante wines that enjoy recognized prestige and fame. Among them stands out the “Fondillon” exclusive wine of the Designation of Origin Alicante made with 100% Monastrell grapes overripe in the vine and with a minimum aging of 10 years. With a historical tradition that continues to this day thanks to the 11 unique and exclusive wineries that are authorized for its production.

The gastronomic richness also extends through the wide variety of montaditos and tapas that use meat, vegetables and salted meat as ingredients.

In Elche lands we find dishes based on the garden and its fish. Rice with a crust, rice with rabbit and snails, Mujol del Hondo with all i oli and the traditional stew with balls are a good example of this. Among the desserts, its fruits of the land, dates, figs, pomegranates, as well as the Tortada de Elche or the Fig Bread stand out.

Elche offers a wide range of restaurants of all categories, from the most elegant and sophisticated to those with a more relaxed atmosphere. In any of them you can taste the delicacies of our gastronomy.

Shopping

Elche has historically been an important center of commerce. For centuries there have been many civilizations that have used its streets as a source of product exchange, a tradition that is preserved to this day with countless shops where visitors can find everything, from the most modern and prestigious brands to the typical products of the earth.

Luxurious boutiques, numerous shopping centers or small and medium-sized traditional businesses offer their customers products ranging from nougat, chocolates, dates, liqueurs, wines, preserves, toys, footwear, leather garments, rugs, handicrafts, ceramics and also leading world brands. of textiles, jewelry, sports products and everything that the visitor may need.

The center of the city of Elche also becomes a shopping paradise, a space where traditional and modern shops coexist with the promenade of visitors and citizens, squares for rest, palm trees and gardens. In them you can find products as exceptional as pomegranates and fresh dates from the Elche palm grove, leading textile and footwear brands as well as handicrafts.

The offer is completed by the shopping centers of the city where there is everything and for everyone.

Special mention deserves the outlet route in the Elche business park.

Top brands at the best prices

The footwear produced in Elche enjoys well-deserved international recognition for its great variety in fashion, design and quality. It is not in vain that the leading brands in the sector export their production from their facilities in "Elche Parque Empresarial", among which the Inditex Group, owner of the Zara and Massimo Dutti brands, among others, manufactures all its footwear here, and companies such as Cuplé, Panama Jack, Garvalin, Geox, Gioseppo, Kelme, Mustang, Nordikas, Pikolinos or Wonders among the most famous names. Elche Industrial Park is located just 5 minutes from the WVC 2016 headquarters (5 km), 10 minutes from the International Airport, both with direct access through the park road, 11 km from Elche and 16 kilometers from Alicante. The outlet route constitutes a surprising shopping proposal at unbeatable prices, made up of 29 companies of leading brands of footwear, textiles and accessories that lovers of good shopping and good prices will not be able to resist.

Popular Festivals

Fire, gunpowder, music, color, exhibition and spectacle are consubstantial elements of the festivities in our territory, organized for centuries to be lived in the street, in the coexistence of neighbors and visitors because hospitality and the invitation to participate in the acts holidays becomes a social event in all towns and cities.

Among the infinity of festivals, it is worth highlighting those that have been declared of International Tourist Interest.

In Elche, El Misteri stands out, or Festa d’Elx, the most genuine hallmark of the city, it is a sung drama, of medieval origin, which recounts the dormancy, assumption into heaven and coronation of the Virgin Mary. It is divided into two acts: the Vespra (Eve), which is performed on August 14, and the Dia de la Mare de Déu, on August 15. The setting is the baroque basilica of Santa María, in whose construction this destiny was taken into account.

Other fundamental milestones are Palm Sunday, with thousands of white palms -from the palm grove and the meticulous work of artisan hands- accompanying the passage of the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, popularly known as the burreta.

Also in August, in addition to the Moors and Christians, which commemorate the conquest of the city by the troops of King Jaime I in 1265, the Nit de L’Albà, on the night of the 13th, and the Nit de la Roà, at dawn. from 14 to 15, they accompany the Misteri performances.

But there is more, much more. Enter and immerse yourself in the festivities of a hard-working town like few others but festive like almost none and enjoy, in the midst of the joy of life, with the men and women who make possible one of the richest festive calendars in Spain.

Leisure and fun

Its pleasant climate, its sunny days and the open and hospitable nature of its inhabitants make the Costa Blanca the ideal place to enjoy free time in all its forms.

A swim in its warm beaches, unforgettable walks, outdoor sports, an ice cream in emblematic terraces, a dinner with friends, dancing and laughing until your body lasts… all this and much more is what visitors can find in these lands.

Strolling through the streets of the cities and towns of the Costa Blanca is a bath of vitality, enjoying its intricate historic quarters, its monumental buildings, its avant-garde and its tradition, its shops, its bars and restaurants, its urban beaches, its squares public, its gardens, everything invites you to breathe the Mediterranean atmosphere to give life a hug.

The Palmeral de Elche and its Municipal Park next to the Vinalopó River or the historic center of Elche are some of the best places that visitors can find, but there are many more, you just have to discover them.

At night the cities do not sleep, the hubbub of people begins looking for the best tapas bars to gather strength before a long night of dancing and laughter in the best party venues.

Elche concentrates its most playful offer in the downtown area of the city where there are terraces and cocktail bars, the “El Raval” neighborhood with a family environment and the Altabix industrial estate, an area of macro-clubs par excellence.