Bocairent Old Town

Bocairent's old town was declared a national historic-artistic site in 1975, and the Tourist Info recommends seeing it first from the entrance road, hanging over the rock, before going into it. Inside, the houses crowd the hillside and leave narrow, stepped streets of Arab layout: climbs, descents, stairways, twists, little squares and alleys with fountains and plant pots. You can walk it in an unhurried hour, free and under your own steam.

A little history

According to the town council, Neolithic settlements have been found in the caves of the Vinalopó and Sarsa rivers, and there were Iberian settlements on the hills and Roman villas in the municipality. The Muslim period is the one that left the most mark on the music, cooking, festivals and customs. In 1245 the town passed to the Crown of Aragon, in 1418 it was declared a royal town and in 1587 Philip II granted it the title of Royal Cloth Factory, with a Book of Privileges regulating the textile trade, which is now displayed in the Parish Museum. Textiles are still the town's industry.

What to see on the walk

• Streets and little squares. Les Voltes, Sant Joan and l'Emboç, and the little squares of la Canterería and Sant Vicent. The portals, or old entrances, of Agost, Sant Blai and la Calzada Excusada remain.
• The hermitages. Three within the old town: Sant Joan, la Mare de Déu dels Desemparats and la Mare de Déu d'Agost.
• The fountains. Those of Gràcia, Sant Jaume, l'Aljub and dels Manyàs, built between 1793 and 1794, and a restored old washhouse.
• Medieval houses. In 2008, during renovation work, dwellings came to light that show how people lived at the start of industrialisation, when textile work was done at home beside the vegetable plot and the animals.
• Viewpoints over the Sierra de Mariola Natural Park and over the Covetes dels Moros.

At the very top is the Church of the Assumption, built on the ruins of an Arab castle, with the Parish Museum; beneath it, the "Vicent Casanova" municipal archaeological museum. Going down towards the little square of Sant Vicent is the Museum of Trades and Customs, with an old loom that still works; it is open Saturdays and Sundays from 11:30 to 13:30, for €2.

Tips

Wear shoes with grip: there are many steps and the stone is slippery. The old town is pedestrian and cars are not allowed in; leave your car at the car park on Calle Batalla de Lepanto and Calle Joaquín Sorolla. It is not a walk for pushchairs.

The Tourist Info, on the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, is open Tuesday to Sunday and public holidays from 10:00 to 14:00, and Tuesday to Saturday also from 16:00 to 18:00. There and at entradas.bocairent.org you buy tickets for the monuments.

What to combine it with

From the old town you can walk to the Cava de Sant Blai and the Covetes dels Moros, and the bullring is a few minutes away. For lunch in the centre, El Cancell; to sleep inside the town, L'Àgora Hotel Boutique.