Enjoy the UNESCO sights in Elche,
a town famous for its palm grove
Visit the palm grove of Elche on the Costa Blanca
- The town with the largest number of palm trees in the world
- Discover the Mystery Play of Elche
- Historic sights
- Only 35 minutes from our resort
The Costa Blanca immediately evokes images of sun, beach and sea. But did you know that the Costa Blanca has much more to offer? Visit beautiful Elche, for example, with its many palm trees. This town occurs on the UNESCO world heritage list three times and is situated about 35 minutes by car from Dormio Resort Costa Blanca. We highly recommend a visit! This is a great place to cool down among the beautiful palm trees.
Visit the unique palm grove in Elche
One of the most characteristic places in Elche is the Palmeral de Elche. With more than 200,000 palm trees, this is one of the largest palm groves in the world! This area was formally laid out by the Moors and is well-known for its ancient irrigation system. This unique palm grove was added to the list of UNESCO world heritage sites in 2000. Apart from palm trees, you will find lemon trees, orange trees, pomegranate trees, cacti, artichokes and carob trees here. Take plenty of time to stroll through the beautiful park and find a cooler spot under the palm trees. The park also has a restaurant and a visitors centre.
Discover the Mystery Play of Elchea
The Mystery Play of Elche is a sacred musical drama about the death, the passage into heaven and the crowning of the Virgin Mary. Every year on 14 and 15 August, this play is performed to celebrate the Assumption of Mary. This has been done in the Basilica de Santa María since the 15th century. This tradition was added by UNESCO to its list of intangible cultural heritage in 2001.
The Basilica de Santa María is open to visitors all year round. The main entrance has an ornate baroque portal and is very impressive. From the tower you have a spectacular view of the town and all its beautiful palm trees.
Enjoy all that Elche has to offer
But Elche has so much more to offer! For example, visit the Alcázar de la Señoría, a fortress from the 12th century. During the Spanish Civil War it served as a prison, but it has also been used as a factory and a town hall. Nowadays, it accommodates the Museo Arqueológico y de Historia de Elche (MAHE). You can also visit the Baños Arabes - the Arab Baths - in the town centre. These baths were built by the Moors in the 12th century and symbolised the town’s economic growth and prosperity. You can see the remains of a cold bath, a warm bath and a hot steam bath. We highly recommend a visit during your stay on the Costa Blanca!