All About Elche (Elx)

All About Elche (Elx)

All about Elche/Elx - Elche is also known as the City of Palms as it is located within the largest Palm Forest in Europe. This city has two international UNESCO awards; one for its palm groves and the other for its religious play, the Misteri d’Elx which the people of the city have performed annually in August since Medieval times. The week’s play is rounded off with one of Spain’s loudest firework displays known as the Nit d’Alba.  

Elche is Situated about 1 hour's drive from Benidorm and well worth a visit.

You can explore Elche by following the Elche city walking route. There are two self-guided walks; the Historic Palm Grove Route and the Monumental Route (leaflets in various languages are available from Tourist Offices). Both routes are a great introductions to this wonderful city.

Elche Tourist Train 

Enjoy a mini tour of Elche, sit back, relax, and see the most emblematic areas of the city, including the Municipal Park and the historical Palm Grove. During this train ride, which lasts about an hour, there will be a stop at the Palm Museum where you can learn about the history and culture of this city.

MEETING POINT: Tourist Office,Plaça del Parc, 3, 03202 Elche (closest car park is Parking Saba, Cases Mare de Déu, 03202 Elx)

TIMES: Leaving everyday on the hour from 10AM-5PM

TICKETS: Adults 3,50€, Children & Pensioners 2,30€ (Purchased in cash only from the driver, 15 minutes before the train departs)

Please note: The Palm Museum and most of the other museums in Elche are closed on Mondays.

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All about Elche

Places of interest

• Archaeological Museum MAHE: located in the Palacio de Altamir it has permanent displays of Iberian and Roman pieces, entrance to the museum also includes the Castle. Please note the Castle itself is currently closed (June 2024) 

• Fiesta Misteri d’Elx Museum: a two roomed museum all about the Mystery Play.

• Arab Bath Museum: displays the remains of an Arabic bathing house.

• Casa de Belen Nativity Museum

• Museum of Contemporary Art: has a large collection of vanguard art, especially by Spanish artists.

• Pucol Agricultural Museum: an insight into rural life including agricultural artifacts, rural housing, clothing, hunting, education, commerce and industry.

• La Alcudia Museum: archaeological site where the bust of the ‘Dama de Elche’ was discovered.

• Palaeontological Museum: displays in chronological order the history of the earth including fossils and archaeological finds.

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• Palm Grove Museum: reveals the origins, history, development and culture of the Elx Palm Groves.

• Municipal Park: covering an area of approximately 20,000m2 these plantations were bequeathed to the city in 1661, a beautiful green space for all to enjoy.

• Visitors Centre: houses a detailed audiovisual presentation on the city: its history, traditions, culture, fiestas and economy.

• Huerto del Cura Museum is an artistic garden, covering 13,000m2 with displays of Mediterranean and tropical plants including the famous Imperial Palm, which is almost 200 years old.

• Basilica de Santa Maria: the cathedral of the city, climb the narrow steps (around 180) up to the bell tower, from where you get a wonderful view over Elche and its palms, cost 2€ per person (2023 prices).

• Espai d’Art a’Elche: a permanent open air sculpture exhibition next to the municipal park.

• Torre de la Calahorra Building: The square Moorish Tower from the late 12th century defended the city’s most important gate to the road to Alicante.

• Palacio de Altamira Building: the residence of the lords of the city between the 15th and 19th centuries, now contains the Archaeological Museum.

• Town Hall Building: The Torre del Consell tower is the oldest municipal building in the southern part of the Comunidad Valenciana region

• Torre de Calendura Building: It houses a fascinating clock with two figures. Since 1759 the figure that tells the hours has been known as Miquel Calendura while the smaller figure that tells the quarter hours has been known as Vicentet Calendureta.

• Gran Teatro Building: the elegant theatre constructed in Italian style in the 1920s.

• Palm Grove: declared a World Heritage Site in 2000 by UNESCO it is the largest in Europe, boasting more than 200,000 palm trees, best explored via the walking route.

Remember that most museums are closed on a Monday and for siesta which is generally 14.00-16.00 in the winter and 14.00-17.00 in the summer. 

Shopping in Elche

The L’Aljub is a large indoor mall with Eroski, Bershka, C&A, Zara, H&M, Primark and many more shops, plus a Comic Park to keep the Children entertained and free parking! ( Carrer Jacarilla, 7)

El Corte Ingles department store (Avda. Mayor Ramon Pastor, 2), sells everything that you would expect, is open during siesta and has free parking!

All about Elche

Getting to Elche from Benidorm 

Drive - around 50 mins AP-7 or via A-70 and AP-7 or via N-332 and A-70.

Tram to Alicante 1 hour 9 mins - Alicante to Elche - 29 mins

Taxi around 50 mins cost aprox 85€ - 110€

Bus -  Interbus bus departing from Benidorm and arriving at Elche. Services depart every three hours, and operate every day. The journey takes approximately 1 h 15 min.

If you are in this area with a car then the Pantano de Elche - Elche Reservoir is will worth a visit, it's a wonderful area with nature reserve and swampland teaming with interesting and colourful flora & fauna.  Find more information HERE

Just a short distance from Pantano de Elche and 15 minute drive from the centre of Elche is the wonderful El Cau de Elche, which is an open air museum of over 100 limestone sculptures.  Find more information HERE

Find more places to visit in the Surrounding Area

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