Elche, a city inside a palm grove.

Elche has a forest inside it: the Palmeral, thousands of date palms planted in orchards irrigated by channels since Islamic times, which UNESCO declared a World Heritage Site in 2000. Among the orchards lies the old town, with the Basilica of Santa María, where the Misteri is sung every August, and a wall tower that lost ten metres in an earthquake. It can all be seen on foot in a day. It is 25 minutes from Alicante and 45 from Murcia, and Sunday is its best day: several museums are free in the morning and lunch is arroz con costra.

How do I get there and where do I park?

By car, on the motorway from Alicante, about 25 minutes, or from Murcia, about 45. Once in the city, leave the car in a car park in the centre and get around on foot: plaza del Parque, the basilica, the Calahorra and the Huerto del Cura are less than fifteen minutes' walk from each other. Alicante-Elche airport is within the municipal area and has an information point in arrivals. Start at the Tourist Info in plaza del Parque, which opens on Sundays from 10:00 to 14:00.

What can you see in a day?

In the morning, the centre. The Municipal Park is the most central palm orchard and has free entry. Next to it, the Palacio de Altamira houses the city history museum, from the Iberians of La Alcudia to the present day, free on Sundays. Five minutes away, the Baroque Basilica of Santa María, built where the main mosque once stood; its tower, with 170 steps, costs €2 and is the best viewpoint over the rooftops and the palm tops. Next to it, the Torre de la Calahorra and the Arab Baths, also free on Sundays.

If you prefer to be told about it, the tourist office's guided tour leaves every Sunday at 11:30 from plaza del Parque: an hour and a half through the Municipal Park, the basilica, the old town and the Glorieta, for €5.

Is the Huerto del Cura worth it?

Yes: it is the Palmeral turned into a garden. The Huerto del Cura has been a National Artistic Garden since 1943, with ponds, Mediterranean and tropical plants and the Imperial Palm, the most famous one. Admission costs €6.80, with discounts for children, students and seniors. From November to January it opens on Sundays from 10:00 to 15:00 and the rest of the week until 17:30. Opposite, the Palm Grove Museum, in a traditional orchard, explains how palms are pruned, climbed and blanched; it costs €1 and is free on Sundays.

What is the Misteri d'Elx?

A sung sacred drama of medieval origin, about the death and assumption of the Virgin, performed inside the basilica. It was the first Spanish property declared by UNESCO a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, in 2001. The main performances are on 14 and 15 August, with free entry and queues of hours; the dress rehearsals, from 11 to 13, are paid. In even-numbered years there are extraordinary performances at the end of October: in 2026 they were on 30 and 31 October and 1 November. Outside those dates, the Museu del Misteri, on calle Major de la Vila, shows the festival and is free on Sundays. More in the Misteri entry.

And outside the centre?

Elche's municipal area reaches the sea and two wetlands. To the south-west, in the El Hondo Natural Park, Avanzatour runs routes with an ornithologist guide among reeds and hides, in search of flamingos and white-headed ducks, from €78 with a picnic. On the coast, the Clot de Galvany has a free guided route on Sundays and public holidays at 10:00, with ponds, dunes and Civil War bunkers, and next to it Arenales del Sol beach, where Parres Watersports offers paddle surfing and kitesurfing all year.

In the countryside, south of the city, is La Alcudia, the site of Iberian and Roman Ilici where the Lady of Elche was found: €5, Tuesday to Sunday mornings. Nearby are the Puçol School Museum, the city's third World Heritage asset, and the family bodega Faelo, in Matola, with tours and tastings Monday to Saturday.

Where do you eat on Sunday?

Elche's dish is arroz con costra: rice with meat and sausage, covered with egg and finished in the oven. To eat it, head out to the Camp d'Elx: the Restaurante Cachito, next to the Puçol museum, cooks rice dishes over vine-cutting fires and is open on Sundays until 18:00; it is closed on Tuesdays. In the Palmeral, Els Capellans, at the Hotel Huerto del Cura, is the table for a special meal, and La Taula, in the Jardín Milenio, offers market-garden and sea cooking. Book at all three.

Where to sleep

Inside the Palmeral, the Hotel Huerto del Cura spreads its rooms in bungalows among palm trees, with a pool. A little further south, the Port Jardín Milenio has an outdoor pool and a restaurant, but does not accept pets. In the centre, the three-star Hotel Elche Centro is five minutes' walk from the basilica.

When to go

From October to May, when it is pleasant to walk among palm trees. In summer, do your visit first thing and take refuge in the museums at midday. August is hot, but it also has the Misteri. Sunday is a good day to go, but note: the free municipal museums close at 14:00 or 15:00, so the morning is for the centre and the afternoon for lunch and a stroll through the Palmeral.