2 stops in walking order

Garden

The Palmeral or Palm Grove of Elche is the generic name for a system of date palm orchards in the city of Elche, Spain. The Palmeral was planted in Roman times and underwent modifications in the medieval period under Islamic and Christian rulers. The Roman empire introduced water management techniques to Elche, but the 10th c. Islamic Caliphate of Córdoba and later rulers of Al-Andalus planted palm groves and garden-estates in huertos (rectangular base agricultural units). Islamic rulers also constructed the largest canal system sections in Elche. In the 13th century Christian rulers conquered Elche and expanded the canal system. Industrialization and urban sprawl contracted the Palmeral in the late 19th and 20th century. The Spanish national government and Valencian regional government enacted legislation to protect the Palm Grove.

~20 min at this stop

Historic Site

The Mystery Play of Elche or Elche Mystery Play, is a liturgical drama from the Middle Ages that reenacts the Dormition and Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The two-act mystery play is performed annually on 14 and 15 August in the Basílica de Santa María in the city of Elche (Elx). In 2001, UNESCO declared it one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity and, in 2008, inscribed it on its Representative List.

~20 min at this stop