Elche – The City of Palm Trees
Elche The City of Palm Trees
Elche The City of Palm Trees
Elche is the third largest city (by population) in the Valencian Community.
Famous for its huge palm tree forest, Elche (Elx) has a history stretching back to ancient times. The palm grove was created by the Phoenicians in the 6th century BC taking advantage of a warm climate and an ingenious irrigation system, and later consolidated by the Arabs. The palms now number over 200,000 covering an area of about 430 hectares, forming the largest palm forest in Europe.
The Elche Palm Grove was named a World Heritage Site in the year 2000 by U.N.E.S.C.O and every palm tree is now protected.
A place that is well worth a visit whilst in Elche, to see these palm trees at their most spectacular, is the famous Huerto del Cura (Priest's Garden). Here you can wander the gently curving paths ad see a large variety of palm tree species, including the incredible 7-armed Imperial Palm.
The female palms produce dates in the winter, and the bleached palms of the male trees are used for handicrafts and in festivals all over the region.
There is also a cactus garden and a shop where you can buy dates from the date palms that grow in the garden or if you are the green fingered type, you can even buy your own small palm tree.
The city itself is split in two by the River Vinalopo (although don't expect to see a large free flowing river, the river' Vinalopo is more like a creek). Many of the best attractions in Elche can be seen in the area around the river. The ancient part of Elche houses the most interesting and important buildings including the Altamira Palace, the Moorish fortress, the Basilica of Santa Maria and the Moorish Baths.
On the road out of Elche towards Santa Pola you will find the Rio Safari Elche. This is a popular zoo / safari park with a 'train' ride, animal shows, swimming pool, go-karts and lots of other attractions. There are crocodiles, Hippo's Elephants (who perform in a show), sea lions, parrots, tigers, llamas, monkeys, birds of prey and many other animals and birds. The Giraffes are a favourite with the kids, they will often lope towards you ad take a carrots out of your hands. A great day out with the kids. Your entrance fee includes all the shows.
For its ecomony, Elche relies mostly on tourism, the shoemaking industry, agriculture, clothing and sweets. The footwear industry is very important and the city has over 1,000 shoe factories - so if you are looking for Spanish made shoes, Elche is the first place to go.
Although Elche can be visited at any time throughout the year, the best time to visit the city is during the month of August when there are many fiestas in honour of the Virgin of the Assumption. A medieval lyrical and religious mystery play, Misteri', is performed at this time and is an event not to be missed.
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