Industrial and tourist, modern and fond of its traditions, surrounded on one side by the sea and on the other by the palm trees which cover every corner of the town, life in Elche is nice and laborious; the same as people from there. As it is located in the Mediterranean Basin, it has been coveted by neighbouring peoples from other lands since ancient times. These peoples left an important legacy on this land which we can enjoy nowadays.

A real sea of palm trees integrated in the town, which creates a unique landscape in Europe: that is the first and unrepeatable sensation you experience when arriving to Elche. This balance has been kept during many centuries thanks to the determination of the people from Elche, which has allowed the town to have a first class natural and cultural heritage. As a proof of that, there is the Camp d’Elx (Elche countryside) which surrounds the town and is an example of preservation of a very singular lifestyle.

Excellent transport links

Elche has excellent transport links as the dual carriageway known as Autovía del Mediterráneo and the Alicante Airport located in El Altet, a coastal hamlet which belongs to Elche; the town also has sound infrastructures and all its creative potential at the service of present and future. All the people that visit or come back to Elche for any reason are always pleasantly surprised.

It is big enough to enjoy all the comforts and services of big cities and small enough not to lose the flavor of an approachable everyday environment; its mild climate invites people to enjoy of the streets and nature, to be extrovert and to enjoy (as well as to make an effort) side by side.

Its two World Heritages, the Palm Grove and the Mystery Play of Elche, confirm something that people from Elche have always been aware of: that sharing our lifes is always better.

History

Elche has had two distinct locations in its history. The first at the site of l’ Alcúdia, which is located two kilometres south of the current city. Inhabited from Neolithic times until the Visigoth era, it offered the strategic advantage of being easy to defend thanks to river Vinalopó. The primitive settlement took shape until it came to form the Iberian city of Helike by the Vth century B.C, and remained in existence up to the Carthaginian invasion in 280 B.C. This was the golden age of Iberian culture, during which the Lady of Elche was sculpted. In the year 209 B.C. the Iberian city was occupied by the Romans, and by the I st century B. C. it had acquired the title of Colonia Iulia Illice Augusta. From here onwards destruction and reconstruction were ongoing as a result of barbarian attacks during the final era of the Visigoths.

With the arrival of the Arabs the city was moved to its current site, between the eighth and ninth centuries, to the neighbourhood known as the “Vila Murada” or walled city. The conquest by the Christian King Jaime I, in 1265, forced the Muslims to leave for the Raval de Sant Joan. Early in the 17th century Elche lost a third of its population as a result of the expulsion of the Moors. In the nineteenth century the important activity of “alpargatería” or espadrille-making emerged, and with it the origins of the current footwear industry that has enhanced the growth of the city.