How to visit and what to see in Palmeral de Elche (Alicante)

Maybe you don't know that the town of Elche, very close to the city of Alicante, is doubly considered Heritage awarded by the Unesco.

This double protagonism is due, on the one hand, to the ancestral representation of Mysteries and, on the other, its imposing palm grove of Arab origin.

Without a doubt, discover the Elche palm grove It is a good excuse to visit this Levantine town, whose main reference you surely have for its famous Lady of Elche.

I remind you that the original of this sculpture of origin Iberian you can see it in the National Archaeological Museum, riding a Madrid. and that in the Archaeological Museum of Elche MAHE you have a replica.

Curiosities history Palmeral of Elche

To prepare your visit, we are going to tell you 6 curiosities about the history of the Palmeral of Elche.

What is the origin of the Palmeral of Elche?

El Elche palm grove It is a large oasis that was planted by the Arabs after the occupation of the peninsula, in the 8th century.

In this Levantine area there were already date palms since the times of the iberians, but the Arabs planted thousands of them in an orderly manner, setting up orchards and developing an irrigation system.

How many palm trees are there in the Palmeral of Elche

At present, the Elche palm grove It extends for about 500 hectares and preserves more than 200.000 date palms, but the oasis had a much larger area in Arab times.

In your visit to the Archaeological Museum of Elche You can see a large model of the town in which, with visual effects, you can see how it has spread throughout history, and how this growth was carried out at the expense of the palm grove lands.

What are the palm trees like?

Palm trees are not trees, but plants of enormous dimensions that in Elche can reach 30 meters in height, with specimens up to 300 years old.

Why the Palmeral of Elche is a World Heritage Site

In November 2ooo Palmeral of Elche was declared Heritage awarded by the Unesco, highlighting that it is the largest palm grove that exists in Europe and one of the largest in the world.

It is also an example of the transfer of landscapes characteristic of one culture and one continent to another.

How to visit and what to see in the Palmeral of Elche

When visit Elche, you will be able to see that the town is immersed in a sea of ​​large palm trees.

You can verify that by climb the tower of the Minor Basilica of Santa María, from where you have the best Panoramic views of the town and its surroundings.

A good place to visit the Palmeral of Elche is Municipal park located next to the historic center of the city.

In this park of only 6 hectares, the palm grove shows us a characteristic garden layout.

Also near the center is the Orchard of San Placido, with a traditional 19th century house that houses the Palm Grove Museum, as well as a white palm craft workshop.

And very close is the Priest's Garden, an artistic garden of 1,3 hectares where you can see what is perhaps the most emblematic palm tree in Elche, the Imperial Palm, an exceptional specimen of date palm with seven arms that grow from the same trunk.

The palm trees are also protagonists of the great Filet de Fora park, one of the largest in Elche.

White palm crafts in Elche

A wide cultural spectrum has developed around palm trees in Elche.

That is the case of the white palm crafts, so popular in the festival of Palm Sunday en eastern.

For this purpose, during the period preceding the festival, the artisan workshops of Elche produce up to 70.000 white palms in their various varieties, such as smooth, curly or lapel.

Fresh dates from Elche

Also worth highlighting is the research that has been carried out in recent years by Santiago Orts, biologist and director of the Huerto de Elche nurseries, together with the prestigious chef from Aranjuez, Rodrigo of the Street, for the development of fresh dates.

In this way, the fresh dates from Elche have become a new specialty used in haute cuisine.