A Spanish Villa Guide to Elche in the Costa Blanca region of Spain

Elche – City of Palms and History. The city of Elche is situated in an ear of the Costa Blanca known as El Baix Vinalopó, nine kilometres from Alicante’s El Altet airport. 

Within easy reach of Alicante city and the Murcia highway, it stands 86 metres about sea level but also includes the seaside resorts of La Marina, Gran Alacant, El Altet and Arenales del Sol.  The city is also a few kilometres away from the popular coastal resort of Santa Pola.

With a population of just over 207,000 inhabitants, it enjoys a varied history dating back over five thousand years.  But it is a place of total contrasts, where historical buildings stand beside modern architecture, and where a bustling commercial centre flanks spacious parks full of palm trees.

Elche is famous for several things: first, it has the largest palm tree forest in Europe and the groves are recognised of importance by UNESCO; second, it is the hub of Spain’s footwear manufacture; third, the annual Misteri d’Elx (Mystery Play) choral drama which features on UNESCO’s World Heritage list, attracts thousands of people from all over Spain and Europe; and fourth, the ancient Dama d’ELX monument is considered an important part of Spain’s historical patrimony.

Palm Trees
There are around 200,000 date palms in and around the city of Elche, which are part of the city’s natural heritage.  The trees can be found in the Huerto del Cura, a 13,000m2 garden which also boasts a mixture of Mediterranean and tropical plants in a tranquil atmosphere, and the Parque Municipal (Town Park).  One of the area’s main handicrafts is the waving of palm leaves and Palm Sunday is an important day on the annual calendar.

Footwear Industry
Factories in Elche manufacture around 40% of Spain’s footwear, many of which is exported to countries around the world.  Over the years technology has taken over from tradition but quality is still a main concern.  There is a shoe museum that people can visit in the neighbouring town of Elda.