Old Elche

Elche is in the Valencia region, southeastern Spain. Elche is the Spanish name of the city, and it is also known by its Valencian name Elx.

Understand

A city of 225,000 inhabitants, Elche is located just outside Alicante and is the capital of the Baix Vinalopó region. The Vinalopó River divides the city in two. Elche has a history as an industrial city (especially known for its shoe industries). Today the industries are still present, but the city also offers different attractions and services for visitors — among them the huge world heritage listed palm grove.

Get in

By plane

Altet Airport (also known as Alicante-Elche Airport) is 13km from Elche and has flights to over 50 destinations at least weekly.

By boat

The port of Alicante is 20km away, and you can get there by ferry from the Balearic Islands and Oran in Algeria.

By train

Elche is on the Alicante-Murcia line. From either of those cities you can connect to most major cities in Spain. The train line passes the city through an underground tunnel, and there are two railway stations in the city.

By bus

Next to the railway station there's the modern bus station with connection both to Spanish and international destinations.

Bus companies

• Alsa, 902 42 22 42.
• La Melillense, 965 45 69 47.
• Mollá (Grupo subús), 965 42 42 42.
• Serrano, 965 45 61 46.
• A. Urbanos de Elche, 965 42 03 92.
• Vegabús, 96 661 32 22.

By car

A-7 (European route E15) stretches along the Mediterranean coast and connects the city to the French border in the north and Algeciras and beyond in the south. Another main route is A-31 connecting Elche to Central Spain. Regional roads connects Elche to places like Alicante and Murcia.

Get around

By bus

Public transportation amounts to taking the bus. For schedules and lines, check the transport section of the city's home page or official page of AUESA in English.

By car

At certain times of the day it might be impossible to find a parking space downtown, therefore you're better off going by bus or foot.

See

The Palmeral of Elche

• Palmeral of Elche. One of the world's largest palm groves and the only one in Europe. Consists of several parts spreading across downtown. Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. 

Do

• Walk the historic palm groves
• Shoe shopping – thanks to Elche's shoe manufacturing history there are a lot of shoe stores with good prices and wide selection.
• Enjoy the nightlife in the Altabix entertainment complex and the bars and pubs around the town.

Events

• In June there are several theatrical events in the city, for instance La Mostra de Teatre Dama dÉlx, featuring free amateur theater performances during two weeks in late June at the Gran Teatro. At the same time, there's the Mostra de Teatro de Enseñanazas Medias where dramaturgy students perform their final work of the semester. A little earlier, there's the Elx al Carrer, one of the largest street theater festivals in the country.

• The Mystery of Elche - a medieval lyrical work performed in the Basílica de Santa María every 13 and 14 August.

• Festival de Teatro y Música Medieval happens during the autumn. During that event the medieval cultural heritage of the city comes to life.

Buy

Shopping areas

• Downtown you will find stores like: Mango, Zara, Druni, In-Faradis, etc.

• L'Aljub mall (Centro Comercial L'Aljub). Eroski hypermarket, many different stores at the first floor, dining options at the second as well as the ABC Elx. 

• El Corte Inglés-Hipercor Ciudad de Elche. A fusion of a Corte Inglés department store and a Hipercore hypermarket 

• Carrefour (at the N-340 highway). 

Eat

• Restaurante Els Capellans, C/Porta de la Morera, 14, ☏ +34 96 661 00 11. 

• Restaurante La Taula del Milenio, C/ Prolongación de Curtidores S/N, ☏ +34 96 661 20 33. 

• Restaurante La Finca, Partida de Perleta, Polígono 1, nº 7, ☏ +34 965 45 60 07. 

• Mesón El Granaino, Jose Mª Buch, 40, ☏ +34 966 66 40 80. 

• Restaurante Parque Municipal, Parc Municipal, s/n, ☏ +34 965 45 34 15. 

• Restaurante-Barra El Pernil, Juan Ramón Jiménez, 4, ☏ +34 966 613 303. 

• Restaurante La Magrana, Ctra de Alicante, km 3. Pda Altabix, ☏ +34 96 545 82 16. 

• La Masía de Chencho, Ctra. Murcia-Alicante, km 62 Jubalcoi, ☏ +34 96 545 97 47. 

• La Alacena del Flare, Crta.Murcia-Alicante, Km.53 (opposite Carrefour), ☏ +34 966660947. 

• Asador Ilicitano, Maestro Giner, 9, ☏ +34 965435864. 

• El Vincle, Partida Valverde Alto Pol. 2 nº 57, ☏ +34 60755 3977. 

• Le Bouquet, Velarde, 17, ☏ +34 966614694. 

• Restaurante Frisone, Calle Ángel, 31, ☏ +34 965422279. 

• Lago d'Como, Filet de Fora, 31, ☏ +34 966 610 531. 

• Misteri d' Anna, Avda Peña de las Águilas nº347, ☏ +34 966675644. 

• Restaurante El Tozal, Marqués de Molins, 22 / Arbres, 22, ☏ +34 965460904. 

• Tapelia, C/ Eugeni d'Orts, 6, ☏ +34 965453218. 

• Bodegas Galiana Elche, Plaza del Congreso Eucarístico, 10, ☏ +34 965456353. 

• Restaurante Carabi, C/ Limón nº 2 TORRELLANO, ☏ +34 96 568 55 51. 

Drink

• Divine Club, C/Doctor Caro,14. Great club open every Friday night after midnight. 

• Shine, C/Trinquet,1. The only disco in the historical center of Elche. 

• Teatro (located between the Ana and Odeón movie theaters, close to the city hall and Puente de la Virgen). 

• 1492 (in the Polígono Altabix entertainment complex). 

• La Comedia (in the Polígono Altabix entertainment complexe). For a relaxing drink or for partying until 7 in the morning. Age limit is 21 years and you need to dress up. 

• Duna, Playa del Altet. Three dance floors totalling 2500m². Only open in the summer. 

Sleep

Budget

• Hostal Candilejas, Dr. Ferrán, 19, ☏ +34 965 46 65 12. 

• Hostal Madruga, Plaça Jardí d'Asp, 5, ☏ +34 966 67 47 94. 

• Hostal Montemar', Avenida de la Alegría, 188 - La Marina, ☏ +34 965 41 90 76. 

• Hostal Galicia, Playa del Pinet, 67 - El Pinet, ☏ +34 965 419 182. 

• Hostal Maruja, Playa del Pinet, 105 - El Pinet, ☏ +34 965 41 91 26. 

• Hostal Pensimar, Juan Gosálbez López, 7 - El Altet, ☏ +34 965 68 81 44. 

• Hostal El Altet, Avenida Dama d'Elx, 12 - El Altet, ☏ +34 965 68 73 23. 

• Hostal Meseguer, Juan Gosálbez López, 4 - El Altet, ☏ +34 965 68 70 62. 

• Hostal La Posada, Avda. de Illice, 42 - Torrellano, ☏ +34 965 68 29 57. 

Mid-range

• Hotel Milenio, Prolongació Curtidors s/n, ☏ +34 966 61 20 33. 

• Hotel AC, C/ Almansa, 62, ☏ +34 966 66 20 65. 

• Hotel Tryp Ciudad de Elche, Avda. Juan Carlos I, 5, ☏ +34 966 61 00 33. 

• Hotel Campanile Elche, Ronda Vall d'Uxó s/n, ☏ +34 965 43 57 60. 

• Hotel Holiday In Elche, Miguel Servet, 25 - Elche Parque Industrial, ☏ +34 966 65 15 51. 

• Hotel Areca, C/ Limones, s/n. Torrellano, ☏ +34 965 68 54 77. 

• Hotel Dª Isabel, Avda. Illice, 95 - Torrellano, ☏ +34 965 68 52 17. 

Splurge

• Huerto del Cura, Porta de la Morera, 14, ☏ +34 966 61 00 11. 

• Hotel Ibis, C/ Barxell, 5, ☏ +34 966 61 54 51. 

• Hotel As Express Elche, Área de Elche. Autovía A-70, km 25, ☏ +34 966 06 19 10. 

• Hotel Marina, Avenida de la Alegría, 30. La Marina, ☏ +34 965 41 94 50. 

• Hotel Areca, Limón nº2. 

Stay healthy

Hospitals

• Urgencias hospital de ELCHE, ☏ +34 965979044. 

• Centro de Salud Dr Sapena, C/Dr. Sapena 91, ☏ +34 966679913. 

• Centro de Salud Altabix, ☏ +34 966679593. 

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