What’s in the Mountains Near Elche, Spain?
Elche is famous for its palm groves – a vast, UNESCO-listed forest of date palms unlike anywhere else in Europe. But this walk headed the other way, up into the dry hills behind the town, to see what is there: canals, sculptures, and one animal I could not quite identify.
If you have time for nothing else, watch the film first. Everything below is the context.
Where I went
Elche (Elx in Valencian) sits inland from Alicante, in south-eastern Spain, about twenty minutes from the coast. Most visitors stay among the palms in the centre; this walk left them behind and climbed into the sierras and scrubland on the edge of town, following old water channels up into the hills. It is a few miles, with some gentle ascent, on dry tracks – the kind of route where you want water and a hat more than a guidebook.
Why this place
Elche is two things at once. There is the famous palm grove, the Palmeral – a green, shaded world of date palms that has been cultivated for over a thousand years. And there is the landscape just beyond it: dry, sun-baked, scattered with the canals and waterworks that have always made farming possible here. I am usually drawn to the second kind of place – the bit most people never bother with – and the hills behind Elche did not disappoint.
What you will see in the video
- The edge of the famous Palmeral, the great palm grove.
- The dry hills and sierras behind the town.
- Old irrigation canals and waterworks threading through the landscape.
- Some unexpected sculptures – and one animal I genuinely could not identify.
- [Patrick – name the specific trail, hill or reservoir featured.]
Practical notes
- Best time of year: spring and autumn – the summer heat inland is fierce.
- How long: a half-day for the walk itself.
- Walkability: dry tracks with some gentle climbs; sturdy shoes, water and sun protection.
- Getting there: Elche is a short train or bus ride from Alicante, and the palm grove is right in the centre.
- What I wish I had known: [Patrick – the tip from the day.]
A little history
The Palmeral of Elche is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the largest palm grove in Europe, planted and irrigated since at least the time of the Moors using a system of channels that still works today. Elche is also where the famous ancient sculpture known as the Lady of Elche was found, and the town stages a centuries-old mystery play each August. The hills behind carry the same long story of water, farming and survival in a dry land.
Related walks
If you enjoyed this one, you might like the rest of the Costa Blanca trip:
- What’s in the Mountains Near Elche, Spain? — what’s hiding in the mountains behind Elche.
- Tabarca Island: Paradise Until the Pills Kicked In — a small Mediterranean island that wasn’t quite the paradise I expected.
- Hitchhiking to Santa Pola’s Salt Hills — a hitchhike to the salt hills above the town.
- I Walked from Alicante Airport in the Dark (and Got Lost) — walking out of the airport in the dark — and getting lost.
Stay in touch
New walks land on the channel regularly — the easiest way to follow along is to subscribe on YouTube. The full set of written companions to every film lives in The Journal, and there’s a curated set of the longer pieces on the Featured Films page. If you’ve got an idea for somewhere I should walk next, send it through the Contact page — I read everything.
Patrick Ashton is a UK-based filmmaker walking the overlooked corners of Britain and Europe. More about Patrick →
