Ricote old town and the Olivera Gorda

What to see

Ricote gives its name to the valley and was one of the last places in Spain where Moriscos continued to live after Philip III's expulsion decree. In its streets remain the Llamas mansion, the Encomienda house, the church of San Sebastián and the Al-Ricotí interpretation centre. On the outskirts is the Olivera Gorda, an olive tree listed as a monumental tree which the tourism consortium reckons to be about 1,400 years old. From the Cabecico de la Doctrina viewpoint you see the village above its irrigated garden land.

A little history

The tourism consortium presents Ricote as the historic heart of the valley, with a history tied to al-Andalus, the Order of Santiago and the communities that shaped the huerta. From the Andalusi period comes a good part of the irrigation system still in use: channels, weirs and waterwheels that carry the Segura's water to the lemon groves. After the Castilian conquest, the communities of Morisco origin stayed for generations and kept their identity and agricultural knowledge longer than in other areas, until the expulsion decreed at the start of the 17th century, by which many villages lost a good part of their population and a long repopulation began. That is why the valley is called the last Morisco enclave of the Levante. Ricote castle, which several paths climb to from the village, recalls the strategic value of the place.

The Olivera Gorda is recognised as a historic tree, and local tradition links it with episodes from the valley's Andalusi past.

The walk through the village

It starts in the square, next to the church of San Sebastián, Ricote's patron saint, and continues along the streets of the old quarter towards the Llamas mansion and the Encomienda house. The Al-Ricotí centre helps you understand the valley's history and culture before heading out into the huerta. For views, besides the Cabecico de la Doctrina, Ricote's municipality has the viewpoints of La Calera, Fuente Buena, El Rincón and the Estrecho del Solvente, from which you see terraces, channels, ranges and the river.

If you still feel like walking, the Senda de los Moriscos (PR-8) leaves the village and makes a circuit of about 8 km through orchards and pine woods, and the Barranco del Pozo trail is another waymarked option. In spring, when the orange blossom is out, the surrounding lemon groves are in flower.

Eating and local products

The village's cooking is from the huerta and the mountains: rice with rabbit, wheat gachas, migas, michirones and home-made sweets. Many houses still make wine and liqueurs for their own consumption. For a sit-down meal, El Sordo is a village eatery open since 1917.

Information

The tourist information point is at the Town Hall, at calle San Francisco 7 (968 69 70 63). The website does not publish monument hours: ask there what is open that day. Without a car, the Ricote Valley intercity bus stops on avenida de la Libertad; the timetables are published by Interbus.