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ELCHE, A MEDITERRANEAN OASIS

All that Elche has to offer.

• WORLD HERITAGE

• SPORT AND HEALTH

• ACTIVE AND FUN

• BUSINESS MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES

Elche, the city of the Lady, has many charms to reveal and that is reason enough for you to come visit us. More than 40 experiences to enjoy our history, culture, festivals and natural spaces. 9 kilometers of natural beaches . Three sites listed in the different categories of UNESCO’s World Heritage lists, the Historic Palm Grove, the Mystery Play of Elche and the Pusol School Museum. Enjoy with your partner, with your friends, alone, or with the family… endless experiences await you. Discover the Mediterranean Oasis!

What you can't miss when you come to Elche

Must-have Elche Experiences

Cuídate en el Oasis

Viajar también es renovarse, cuidarse y dejarse llevar por la tranquilidad. Los viajeros que buscan destinos con espacios para el relax y la salud, hallarán...

Actívate en el Oasis

Vive aventuras en familia, en grupo, en pareja, despedidas y mucho más en Elche. Descubre las experiencias  para disfrutar la ciudad y su término municipal...

Aventuras en familia

Disfruta de unos días inolvidables en familia, en Elche hemos diseñado propuestas especialmente pensadas para disfrutar experiencias únicas con los que más quieres.

MÁS EXPERIENCIAS

Vive Elche a tu medida

Conoce al dinosaurio solidario

Next events in town

Programa de Semana Santa Elche

Programa oficial de la Semana Santa de Elche

The Hallelujah’s Procession in Elche – Easter Sunday

Procesión de las Aleluyas On Easter Sunday or Resurrection Sunday morning, the Procession of the Alleluias takes place. It involves the images of the Resurrected Christ and the city’s patroness, […]

SALMAYA LIVE FESTIVAL ELCHE

SALMAYA LIVE FESTIVAL ELCHE OASIS MEDITERRÁNEO 2024 Del 21 al 30 de junio 2024 Rotonda del Parque Municipal Entre los días 21 y 30 de junio tendrá lugar en Elche […]

Descubre la esencia y la actualidad en Elche en nuestro blog

7 Tips para visitar el Palmeral de Elche

1️⃣Recorre los lugares más emblemáticos del Palmeral de Elche con el Tren Turístico. Las salidas son desde la puerta de la Oficina de Turismo. Realiza 3 paradas más, el Palomar […]

El Hort dels Pontos, la casa de huerto tradicional más antigua de la ciudad

Enclavado en la Ruta y Sendero del Palmeral PR-CV 439, el Hort dels Pontos forma parte del Palmeral Histórico de Elche, declarado Patrimonio Mundial de la UNESCO. En el huerto […]

8 cosas que debes hacer si vienes a Elche por primera vez

Elche Oasis del Mediterráneo,  un municipio con más de 2500 años de historia en el que se encuentra el palmeral más grande de Europa. Piérdete en sus verdes bosques de […]

Agenda cultural

AGENDA CULTURAL DEL LUNES 25 AL DOMINGO 31 DE MARZO 2024 La Pasión de Elche llega este fin de semana al Gran Teatro Continúa el “Mes del Teatro” en el […]

Semana Santa en Elche

Ven a Elche a disfrutar de su Semana Santa, de su espectacular Domingo de Ramos, Fiesta de Interés Turístico Internacional… y más de 40 experiencias únicas. Considerada como el Oasis […]

Representaciones de La Pasión por el Grupo Cultural Jerusalem

La Pasión del Grupo Cultural Jerusalén es una obra de corte clásico, en la que se escenifican los episodios evangélicos que narran los sucesos protagonizados por Jesucristo desde la entrada en […]

Cristina Alcázar – Actríz y directora de cine Elche es una de las principales fábricas de espíritus creativos de nuestro país. No sé cuál es el motivo. Tal vez sea ese cruce de culturas que siempre ha caracterizado nuestra ciudad. O quizá se deba a raíces tan profundas ... Read More

Miguel Bosé – cantante "Mi primer contacto con Elche fue un amanecer en el que desperté en la magia de su palmeral. Fue como entrar en uno de los jardines de Las mil y una noches".

Iván Botella- Deportista Nací en 1988. Soy discapacitado y por suerte vivo en Elche, una de las ciudades españolas mejor adaptadas para las personas discapacitadas.  Cuatro veces campeón de España de slalom en silla de ruedas, subcampeón mundial en dos ... Read More

Nuestros colaboradores

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SpainMadeSimple.com

ESSENTIAL Elche (Elx) Tourist Guide: Advice & Tips from Locals

Table of Contents

Elche is the third largest city in the Valencian community after Valencia and Alicante and the twentieth most populous city in the whole of Spain.

Elche has a permanent residential population of almost 230,000 people.

Elche is a stone’s throw away from two international airports of Alicante and Murcia with easy motorway links to Torrevieja and Cartagena. To see the location of Elche or to get driving directions see our dedicated Elche map page.

Once at the airport you have a range of different airport transfer options to Elche including private shuttle buses, taxis or Elche car hire.

Weather wise Elche is blessed with over 300 days of sunshine a year with long hot summers. See Elche weather for more details.

Elche Tourist Attractions and Things to Do and See

Elche’s economy is not based on tourism or construction but on footwear. Elche has over 1000 shoe factories which is important not only for Spain but also for the rest of Europe. Part of the municipality is on the coast but mainly the city is fifteen kilometres away from the Mediterranean Sea.

Agriculture still plays an important role in Elche producing dates, olives, cereals and pomegranates. The rubber trade employs close to 20% of Elche’s inhabitants.

Make sure you visit the local market selling fresh fruits and vegetables as well as other locally-made goods and produce – market day in Elche is on a Monday.

Elche is famous for its palm trees. The Elche Palm Grove is an orchard with over 200,000 palm trees and has been proclaimed a heritage site by UNESCO in 2000.

Huerto del Cura (Priest’s Garden)

The Huerto del Cura or Priest’s Garden is a hidden gem especially attractive on a hot summers day as the hundreds of palm trees there provide some welcome shade from the scorching sun. Surrounded by busy city streets, this is a strangely tranquil place, the stone walls encircling it, blocking out much of the city noise.

Inside you will find hundreds of species of palm trees of varying sizes, culminating in the huge eight armed Imperial Palm, the pride of the garden, which is some 170 years old and is supported by metal straps which prevent it from collapsing under its huge eight tons of weight.

Rio Safari Park Elche

Wherever you are staying on the Costa Blanca a great idea for a day out or excursion is to travel to the Rio Safari Park. This family friendly animal park has many attractions including a ‘train’ ride and some entertaining animal shows including an elephant show, a parrot show and a sea lion show.

Feeding the animals is something your children will enjoy as much as yourself, with monkey nuts and carrots for sale in the park shop. Make sure your kids feed the giraffes and the hippo especially. You can also take a ride on a camel or a donkey and visit the farm animals section with cows, pigs, goats, horses and sheep.

Elche’s first inhabitants can be traced back in history as being the Carthaginians and Romans.

Elche was also occupied by the Moors but James II of Aragon took Elche out of Moorish occupation during the 13th century. Elche grew larger during the 18th century and became a city of great importance during the 19th century with the arrival of railway links and its production of footwear.

Elche has many great archaeological finds of which the Lady of Elche is the greatest. The most important attraction in Elche is the orchard better known as the Palmeral de Elche in Spanish, or as Palmerar d´Elx in Valenciano which has a staggering 200,000 palm trees.

The Altamira Castle was built during the 12th and 13th Centuries and has been used recently as the town hall and as a prison during the Spanish Civil War. The Arabic baths, Basilica of Santa Maria, and Calahorra Tower are also worth a visit.

If you are visiting Elche in August be sure to go and see the Mystery Play which is a lyrical drama set in the Middle Ages.

Accommodation and Where to Stay in Elche

The local tourist office offers a service where they can help you find accommodation in Elche. There are hotels, pensions, apart-hotels and hostels. There are lots of Elche rentals with plenty of Elche apartments for rent and Elche villas for rent.

Elche Tourist Information Office (Oficina de Turismo)

Elche Tourist Office (Elx) Address: Plaça del Parc 3, 03202, Elx/Elche. Telephone: +34 966 658 196 Website: https://www.visitelche.com Email: [email protected] Opening Hours: Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 18:00 h. Saturdays from 10:00 to 18:00 h. Sundays and holidays from 10:00 to 14:00 h.

The tourist centre office in Elche can help you will local information such as maps, guides, brochures, help with accommodation and they can answer any questions you have about dates for festivals, fiestas, weather information, transport and airport transfers to Elche.

Nearest Beaches

Elche has a twelve kilometer stretch of golden beaches a fifteen minute drive away from the city centre. The coast line is divided into two parts one which belongs to Altet and the other belonging to the Marina.

In the Altea area the busiest most popular beach is the El Arenals del Sol and there is also another beach called El Carabassi. The beaches in the Marina area are surrounded by pine trees and sand dunes.

The El Pinet La Marina, Les Pesquers and El Rebollo beaches also make for a great day of sun and surf. The beaches offer all the water sports as well as having two dive centres with excursions to Tabarca Island.

Excursions and Day Trips from Elche

Elche is not far away form the hustle and bustle of the popular sea side resort of Torrevieja with its promenade, marina, markets, restaurants, nightlife and Habeneras shopping centre.

One hour north of Elche you can find Benidorm with its theme parks of Aqualandia, Terra Mitica, Mundomar and Terra Natura.

Moving to Elche

If you are thinking of moving to Elche, then you must read our expat interview with Miguel Angel Martinez Perez of Marhouse Internacional below:

Miguel, what would you say would be the advantages to living in Elche compared to other Costa Blanca towns?

Definitely you will live in a “real” Spanish town. What I mean is that many foreigners used to buy properties in some areas where it is even difficult to find Spanish people, like a “guettho”, but if you wish to live like a “real” Spanish, Elche is a very good choice. Elche is the second biggest town in Alicante province and the third one in Valencia Region and it offers everything you would find in a medium town (about 225,000 people). There are many companies based here and the main industry is shoes. It has universities, international schools and it is very well communicated to the rest of Spain and Europe through the International airport. It is a dynamic city where everyone will feel comfortable.

Would the area not suit certain types of people, i.e. are there any possible downsides?

Well, if you prefer to live in a very touristic area and not to mix with local people, there are better choices in Alicante province.

What proportion of the local population are Spanish?

I don’t really know. You can find people from many nationalities. However most of us are Spanish. It is not like other towns where there are even more foreigners than Spanish people.

What are your favourite things to do in the area?

I like running and the river side is an excellent place to practice sports. I also enjoy the beach. Elche beaches are gorgeous. Arenales del Sol, for instance.

Can you give us some insider tips to the best bars or restaurants?

The offer on restaurants is huge. There are many students from universities, so there are several cheap bars and restaurants for tapas (the old town – city center is a very good area for “tapeo”). For a real Spanish experience I would choose El Granaino restaurant and for a very special dinner La Finca restaurant (1 Michelin star, just fantastic!)

Are there many facilities such as doctors and dentists, shops etc?

Yes there are. There are 2 big public hospitals, 1 private hospital and several clinics. I think you can find every specialist here.

Regarding the shops, you can find them in every neighborhood, but I will suggest the city center and L´Aljub commercial center (very popular).

Are there smaller villages nearby that you might also recommend?

Elche is very well communicated to the rest of the province, so in 1 hour driving you can be in Altea (which is lovely). I suggest to visit Tabarca island: you can drive to Santa Pola and take a boat in the harbour (very nice trip).

What are the nearest international schools and how good are they?

Laude Newton College and La Devesa are in Elche. I have heard that King´s College will start to build a school this month. These schools are in Elche, all of them near the football stadium.

Newton College is recognized every year as one of the best schools in the region.

Is crime an issue for expats?

Not at all. Elche is a safe place to live.

Coming onto buying property, what is the market like now in terms of prices going up, or down or staying the same?

The market has been very quiet during some years. 2015 was the first good year and 2016 is growing nicely. Prices started to go up last year. I must say that we work with many Chinese clients who are investing in Real Estate for the golden visa. These clients are not affected by the Spanish recession.

Is this a good time to buy and are there any repossessions or very cheap properties still available to buy?

Without a doubt, it is a good time to buy. Prices are not going to go down further. On the contrary, they have started to increase a little bit. There are some repossessions but not that many as in the past and you can still find some cheap properties and many properties are now value for money.

What urbanisations are there and can you describe each one and how they might differ from each other?

Clients are now looking for apartments and townhouses in urbanisations in the new neighborhoods of Elche like new area of Altabix, Cantallops, Football Stadium. People are looking for urbanisations with swimming pools, playground area for children and paddle tennis court.

How much are the typical property prices in Elche for apartments, villas etc?

140,000 euros for a 3-bedroom apartment in an urbanisation in the new areas . In an older neighborhood you can find a 3-bedroom apartments from 80,000 euros.

Regarding the villas, a typical price is 270,000 euros for a property in a plot of land of 2,000 euros.

Any tips and advice to people looking to buy in Elche or surrounding area?

Elche is everything you can need and the weather is exceptional. It is not the kind of town that is full during the summer and empty in winter. From an investing point of view, I would choose to buy in an urbanisation in a new neighborhood: there is a big demand, people want to live there and it is easy to rent.

Miguel, thank you so much for taking the time to help our readers with your experiences in Spain. If you want to contact him, you can find his details below.

Avenida de Alicante, 13 03202 Elche Tel. +34 966 613 870 Email: [email protected] Website: www.marhouseinternational.com

The video below has images and pictures of the town of Elche, showing you exactly what it looks like, including all the most famous sights and attractions if you are planning a visit to Elche on Spain’s Costa Blanca.

Contact us to be featured – we want more expat interviews for our newsletter and website. You don’t need to be an estate agent, we want to hear from anyone who lives in Spain whether you are working or retired.

Elche Page Summary – This page contains unique content about the large inland town of Elche on the Southern Costa Blanca coast of Spain.

This page contains useful information for people intending to visit or holiday in Elche. In this tourist guide to Elche we help visitors who are planning a trip with useful and practical advice on many tourism related subjects such as accommodation, sightseeing, weather, where to go, where to stay, travel information, excursions and what to see and do in and around Elche.

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About the Author

Mark Eastwood

Main author and owner of SpainMadeSimple.com which was started in 2004 when I first moved to Spain.

Spain Made Simple features expert advice on all aspects of moving to and living in Spain as well as useful tourist information and travel tips.

As well as my own articles we have many contributions from professionally qualified experts in varied occupations in Spain.

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Reader Interactions

Yellard says

April 14, 2017 at 10:31 pm

It’s possible to get apartments in elche for less than 80k euros. If it’s in a building without a lift, a thrid or even second floor apartment can be obtained for 40K and a lot less if it needs refurbishment. There are a few areas that one should not touch, but most of the town is very safe and livable.

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