Elche is a town of national importance as it has been nominated as a UNESCO world heritage site. When you first arrive here the one thing that strikes you is the number of palm trees here. There are hundreds of them that line the streets and plazas and are great for shade on a hot summers day. Elche's history dates further back than the Byzantine Empire, as a result there is an abundance of architecture to be explored. Elche is also known world wide for its Mystery Play, chronicling the life of the Virgin Mary. Currently the economy depends not only on tourism but the production of foot ware which is a rather large industry in itself. When on holiday in Elche there are two major choices to make, do we spend the day investigating the historical areas in Elche or do just say what the heck and take a short 12km drive down to the excellent sandy beaches and all they have on offer, nice to have a choice.
If you have chosen Elche the question to ask is where do we start? the best thing to do is make a list of what you want to see and may I suggest that you start at the River Vinalopo as it runs through the city and has several bridges over it that offer excellent photographic opportunities, that is if you have not forgotten your camera. Next is the old city of Elche that dates back before the Muslim occupation. Here you find the Altimira Palace, the domed church of Saint Maria and La Calahorra, a fortress from the seventh century. It's near the end of the day but we still have time left for a visit to the Jose Maria Castano garden as it has a magnificent variety of flora. The Imperial Palm is to be found here and is over one hundred and fifty years old with seven branches that look like the arms of a candelabrum. Besides the palm trees there are cacti and aquatic plants. There are many places to sit and relax while you reflect on today's journey. Tomorrow we can look at the different architectural styles that reflect Elche's long history but that's another day.
If you can bring yourself to part with Elche for even a day I might suggest a trip to Rio Safari park. There are a wide range of animals here including dolphins and aquatic bird life. If you do go take you swimming costume with you as there is a swimming pool and water slides where you can cool down or you can be like most people and make a run for the beach with it's array of water sports for all to enjoy. You have got to eat while you are here and there is no better place than Elche to have a culinary attack. Some of the top class restaurants located in Spain can be found here along with night-life which is rated as second to none. So come on down and give all of this a chance but more to the point to give yourself a holiday.
