Elche with a local guide: palm trees, history, and curiosities

Palm trees, an Iberian lady who has traveled more than many tourists, a medieval drama that has been on stage for centuries, and automatons that have gone centuries without asking for a vacation...

Yes, this is Elche. And no, it's not just a place with palm trees.

In this free tour, we will explore the historic center of Elche from the perspective of someone who was born here: discovering its history, its curiosities, and those little things that are part of the city and often go unnoticed.

We start at the ​📍Municipal Park, right in the heart of the Palm Grove of Elche. No need for much introduction here: it's a World Heritage Site, yes, but also the place where you understand that this city decided to be an oasis... and it succeeded.

We continue to the ​📍Palace of Altamira and the MAHE, where the history of Elche gets serious: a castle that has had more lives than a cat, transitioning from a defensive fortress to a factory, prison, and museum. Here, few buildings have settled for just one life.

We arrive at the ​📍Basilica of Santa Maria, where the Misteri d’Elx takes place, a medieval drama that is still alive today. If I tell you quickly, it sounds strange; when you understand it in context, it makes perfect sense.

Then we move along the Corredora to ​📍La Glorieta, where the Lady of Elche awaits us. I'll tell you why she is so important... and why she has ended up being almost more of a traveler than anyone else.

We continue to the ​📍Town Hall, where Calendura and Calendureta reside, two automatons that have been doing their job for centuries without anyone explaining to them the concept of "retirement."

We finish at the ​📍Arab Baths, one of those places that go unnoticed if no one tells you about them, but that help to understand a key part of the city's medieval past.

I can't promise you'll want to move to Elche... but I can promise that by the end of the tour, you'll understand why we boast about palm trees as if there were nothing else in the world.

And if you want to see the real Elche (not the postcard version), see you on the tour 😉​👋​