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Elche Activities
| Elche | |||
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| Elche Beaches | |||
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Elche and its 12 kilometre coastline is located 15 minutes from the city. The coast is divided into two areas of the beaches, those belonging to Altet area and those belonging to the Marina. In the Altet area the Els Arenals del Sol is one of the most frequented beaches and there is also a free beach known as El Carabassí. The beaches in the Marina are friendly and welcoming, and are surrounded by dunes and pine trees - the El Pinet, La Marina, Les Pesqueres and El Rebollo beaches. |
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The town of Elche - also known as the palm grove of Europe with more than 400 hectares of palm-tree groves - has a coastline of over 9 km of long beaches, most of which - despite having full facilities - are set in beautiful unspoilt settings. Furthest to the north lie two natural beaches with fine sand and clear waters, plus another, more popular, semiurban beach known as Arenales del Sol. The four beaches further south are more exotic and natural in appearance being delimited by an interesting strip of sand dunes belonging to the Elx-Guardamar sand dune system. These beaches are the perfect setting for water sports, with two diving centres that organise dives off Tabarca Isle and other spots along the Costa Blanca. A golf course complements the sports alternatives. |
| Arenals del Sol | |
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Fine and golden sand in a very beautiful area also showing a unique dune system are the natural qualities of this beach which, together with the wide range of services, have turned it to be a very visited place. Beach adapted to people with reduced mobility. |
| El Carabassí | |
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Virgin beach at the bottom of the hills with the same name, where saltmarshes and humid areas Els Bassals and Clot de Galvany are located. Marshes, short vegetation and typical fauna in saltmarshes surround it making it a quiet area where nudism can also be practised. It is considered ecological protected area. |
| El Pinet | |
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Extensive pinewood on a spectacular dune strip, inland delimited by a saltmarsh and mainly occupied by farms. Despite being a rustic beach, it offers a great number of services. |
| L'Altet | |
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A unique dune system where several vegetation endemic species are the main characteristic in this singular natural beach with fine and almost white sand and about two kilometres long. |
| La Marina | |
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Open virgin beach with fine golden sand offering clean
and blue waters. Its environment is marked by an important dune strip
giving the beach an attractive natural image. |
| Les Pesqueres-El Rebollo | |
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Concern about environment shown at this fine sand natural beach allows it being considered a virgin beach. Very suitable place to enjoy bathing without crowds. |
| The Priest's Garden | |
| In José Maria Castano's garden, the
priest of Elche in the 19th century, you'll find some of the most beautiful
and unexpected specimens of date palms ( phoenix dactilifera) in existence.
The life span of palm trees varies between two and three hundred years.
The oldest trees can grow to be as tall as 30 meters. In the garden, you'll have the opportunity to admire a great number
of botanical species: plants and flowers and lemon, orange, carob and
jujube trees... And you'll get a chance to see a number of different varieties of cacti, placed around pools filled with aquatic plants.
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THE IMPERIAL PALM
The imperial palm tree is what has made the garden famous. It is not only a unique specimen because of its sheer mammoth proportions, but also because of its seven branches, all growing at the same time. This incredible candelabra weighs more than 10 metric tons and is 150 years old. Father Castano himself dedicated the tree to Empress Sissi when she visited the garden in 1864.
The Lady of Elche On August 4th, 1987 during an archeological dig for roman artifacts, the bust of a woman was uncovered. The sculpture donned a very elegant hairstyle indeed. Suspected to be a priestess or a noble woman, the sculpture was placed in the archeological museum in Madrid. There is also a life-size reproduction of the bust in the garden itself. |
| For information on monuments and museums to visit see culture in Elche, as well as the world famous El Palmeral in Elche. |