In a new travel series called Pit Stop Spain, The Spanish Eye editor Laurence Dollimore visits the country’s lesser known towns, cities and sites that can be enjoyed in 24 hours or less.
After covering the ‘anti-tourism’ protests in Alicante last week, I decided to visit a lesser-known inland gem that has long been on my list of places to see in Spain.
Around a 30-minute drive inland from Alicante, Elche is is one of Europe’s oldest cities, having been continuously inhabited for more than 2,000 years.
It has seen civilisations come and go, most notably the Romans and Moors, with both leaving impressive remnants of their respective centuries of rule.
What I found was a citadel drenched in history and an incredible amount of greenery, and all walkable within a couple of hours – or longer, depending on your pace.
I started at the Huerto del Cura (The Priest’s Garden), in the heart of Elche, which cost a fair €6.50 to enter.
The botanical garden is one of Elche’s most iconic sites and forms part of the Palmeral de Elche, the UNESCO-listed palm grove that is the largest of its kind in Europe.
The gardens were impressive and offered some welcomed shade in the late July heat – and the roaming peacocks were a cool addition, too.
The Palmeral de Elche spans 13,000 square meters and is a meticulously landscaped space filled with hundreds of species of palm trees (especially Phoenix dactylifera, the date palm), Mediterranean and tropical plants, cacti and ornamental flora.
Its most famous resident is the Palmera Imperial, a stunning date palm with seven trunks growing from a single base, which have been held together by a metal contraption.
The rare natural phenomenon was named in honour of Empress Elisabeth of Austria (better known as Sissi) after her visit in 1894.
The garden gets its name from Chaplain Jose Castaño, the priest who owned and curated the space in the early 20th century. His careful cultivation and design turned it from a simple orchard into a masterpiece of botanical art.
After getting my palm tree fix, I took a short walk to the Basilica de Santa Maria, perhaps Elche’s most iconic building.
The Baroque structure was originally built in the 13th century and on the site of a mosque following the Christian reconquest over the Moors.
It was then rebuilt in from the 1600s, when its signature blue-tiled dome was added.
Basílica de Santa María (Basilica of Saint Mary), an iconic Baroque structure that dominates the city’s old town and serves as both a religious and cultural heart of Elche.
I entered the church shortly after its afternoon opening at 5.30pm, when locals were filling up the pews for a mass – despite the stifling heat and no air conditioning inside.
The basilica is most famous for hosting the Misteri d’Elx, a medieval play that is performed every August.
The play, which tells the story of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, has been declared a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO (2001) and a National Monument since 1931.
Inside, the church boasts a dramatic altar, a richly decorated nave and a soaring dome that contributes to its grand acoustics – perfect for the Misteri’s haunting medieval chants.
You can climb the church’s bell tower for panoramic views over Elche, including the palm grove, the Huerto del Cura and the surrounding countryside.
Upon exiting the basilica, I took a wonder through the city’s streets, which were narrow, winding and cobbled, a typical hangover from Moorish rule in Spain.
Although it was the Romans who gave the city its Latin name, Illici, transforming it into a prosperous colonia.
Then came the Visigoths, and later, in 711, Muslim forces arrived, shifting Elche’s centre to its current location.
For centuries, it thrived under Islamic rule, becoming a model of Moorish urban planning – narrow streets, irrigation channels, and, of course, palm trees imported from North Africa.
But everything changed in 1265, when Christian forces reclaimed the city during the Reconquista. Elche adapted again, as churches rose where mosques once stood, although the palm groves, thankfully, remained.
It is one of the greenest small cities I’ve seen in Spain, with a waterway that runs through Elche boasting an abundance of large trees and vegetation.
But outside of historic sites and greenery, it is also a proper city, with a shopping centre and a strong bar and restaurant scene typical of any popular Spanish destination.
So if you ever find yourself driving past Elche or are looking for a mini city break, it is definitely worth a pit stop.
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