The historic city of Elche and the largest palm grove in Europe

The most important tourist attraction in Elche is undoubtedly the largest palm grove in Europe, the Palmeral de Elche (Hort del Clot dels Tres). Covering an area of about 1.5 square kilometres, it is home to 70,000 palm trees and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. However, the picturesque town boasts a number of other places of interest.

Elche (Elx in Valencian Catalan) is about 15 kilometres from the Mediterranean coast of the Costa Blanca, but its suburbs reach almost to the sea. Inland, to the west, the thousand-metre peaks of the Sierra de la Pila rise above it, and on the other side lies the Aeropuerto de Alicante-Elche (El Altet) international airport.

History, sights and attractions in Elche
The town was founded at the end of the 10th century by the Moors, who developed an ingenious irrigation system that is still in operation thousands of years later. With 230,000 inhabitants, today's Elche is the second largest in the province of Alicante and, with neighbouring Alicante, forms the eighth most populous metropolitan area in Spain.

In addition to the palm grove, in Elche you can visit the archaeological and historical museum in the 13th-century Altamira Castle (Alcázar de la Se~noría), the Basilica of Santa María and the Calahorra Tower with its beautiful views. The Palaeontological Museum has a unique exhibition, the Huerto Del Cura Jardin Artistico Nacional with its pond is a great place to relax, and it's not just children who will appreciate a visit to the Rio Safari Elche Zoo.