Illustrated map of the city of Elche

#SmilingCities
Elche

When you stroll through a city looking for its secret places, that city reveals them with every step.

While this happens in many places, there’s something exceptional in Elche: the light. And while light nourishes many emotions, the way it’s perceived in this Mediterranean city is something special: almost symphonic, warm and friendly.

We admit that when someone talks about home he’s being influenced by affection for his roots. We’re not objective about this guide to Elche because it springs from our identity. Then again, there are few things as enjoyable as showing you’re favorite places. This is the second Pikolinos #SmilingCities.

SEE THE MAP
Illustrated map of the city of Elche

Strolling and Experimenting

Plaça de les Flors, 15,

We entered this barbershop to improve our appearance and realized that there was much more at hand.

La Barbería Gran Ducado is the project of two friends, Abraham y Rubén. They dusted off the classical idea about barber shops: a meeting place and a social area also meant for conversation, relaxation and something close to psychological consultation.

The decor is from the first half of the 20th century, even the chairs. Walking is something for handsome people, and handsome people have to walk.

https://granducado.com
Image of a pair of Pikolinos boots in black with laces. Image of a barber posing at his establishment. He wears Pikolinos shoes.

Carrer Santa Anna, 10

La Cierva is one those shops where you know when you enter but not when you’ll leave.

The decorations store offers a selection of furniture, glass, ceramics and other objects in a very stimulating setting.

You may not walk around much while inside La Cierva, but your mind will take flight.

https://www.laciervavintagedeco.com/

Camí Puçol, 8

We’re nothing without our legacy. And a good part of the legacy of Elche can be found in this museum whose work was recognized by Unesco in 2009.

With exquisite care for the details of each area, the Centro de Puçol provides a beautiful window on to what we once were, and to the roots that define what the Elche area and its inhabitants are.

http://www.museopusol.com

Carrer Troneta, 13

Image of the stave of a private shop in Elche where they sell decorative objects.

Aunque creas que La Basilisa tiene algo que ver con la basílica de la ciudad, has de saber que la Basilisa es la abuela de Elena Alcarria, y que esta tienda de objetos para regalar o regalarse ha sido bautizada en su honor.

Elena estuvo ocho años viviendo en Barcelona y llenando de ideas el depósito. Volvió a Elche, su ciudad, para llenar su coqueto local de historias a la venta.

En realidad, de objetos llenos de historia que están destinados a huir de los estándares. Camina hasta allí con ganas de dejarte aconsejar.

https://labasilisa.com/
Image of the stave of a private shop in Elche where they sell decorative objects.

Plaça Rei Jaume I, 2

Elche’s greatest contribution to the world can be found in Palm Sunday.

Naturally enough, the star element of that day are the white palms that adorn the whole procession. The Taller Palma Blanca of Moisés Esclápez has been elaborately braiding these special branches for generations, and they have become a way to make known the city’s popular art.

If you’re looking for tradition and peace to round off your walk through Elche, this workshop merits a detailed visit.

http://www.palmablanca.com/

Plaça de Sta. Maria, 1

This Baroque temple was built during the 17th century, and since then has provided a view of the developing city from the belltower.

The three sides of the basilica are full of details left by the architect, Nicolás de Bussy. The best time to visit is during the Misterio de Elche celebrations, on 14 and 15 August, which include recreations of the Dormition, the Assumption and the Crowning of the Virgin Mary.

https://basilicasantamariaelche.es/

Carrer de la Diagonal del Palau, 9

Image of a pair of black Pikolinos women's boots and, in the background, the archaeological and history museum of Elche can be seen.

We’re going to tell you something that’s no secret. The history of Elche is possibly its greatest legacy. And thus the Museo Arqueológico y de Historia de Elche (MAHE) is so essential.

Its rooms begin with the neolithic, and travel right up to the present. In addition, please pay attention to the integration of the different buildings –the Torre del Homenaje, the Alcázar de la Señoría and the Palacio de Altamira. An extraordinary journey through history.

https://www.elche.es/museos/mahe/

Carrer Marie Curie, 33

Image of shoe lasts in the Pikolinos factory. Image of a worker putting on freshly made shoes in the Pikolinos factory.

Pikolinos is an institution in Elche. Its history is closely linked to that of the city and the area, and Pikokaizen is a place where it’s all happening.

The best leather, veteran professionals from the company, experts in factory processes, an outstanding creative department, and a constant search for the highest quality.

If instead of reading this you want to see it with your own eyes, you should know that Pikokaizen is a production center that can be visited. And that we’ll be happy to receive you!

https://www.pikolinos.com/es-es/
Image of skins hanging over a vertical garden in the Pikolinos store. Image of a corner of the Pikolinos store in Elche.

Luz

A Mediterranean paradise is just a few kilometers from Elche.

The beach at Carabassí is a window to the sea of great natural value. A perfect place to watch the sun come up, to walk on the sand, to relax the brain with the sound of the waves, and to discover that the best things in life are almost always close by.

Image of Pikolinos women's boots in black on the beach sand.
Image of some Pikolinos boots in ivory and brandy colors in a natural environment. Image of some Pikolinos boots in ivory and brandy colors in a natural environment.

Carrer Porta de la Morera, 49

Image of the sky of Elche with palm trees.

Residents of Elche have a very special feeling for the city’s Jardín del Huerto del Cura and its Palmera Imperial.

These more than 13,000 square meters took shape during the 19th century. Since then, the place has become much more than a green area.

It is part of the city’s memory, a source of stories that you should find out about, and that range from Sissi (yes, the empress) to its declaration as a Jardín Artístico Nacional in 1943.

https://www.huertodelcura.com/

Municipal Park

Image of a pair of Pikolinos men's boots in a fountain in a park in Elche.
Image of a pair of Pikolinos women's boots in a fountain in a park in Elche.

This oasis in the center of the city of Elche seems to have come right out of a postcard. With palm trees and everything.

The garden, created in 1946, is a sanctuary of date palms and elements that would charm Stendhal himself: that 18th-century flour mill called the Molí del Real; the sound of water from the different fountains and pools; vegetation in the form of fig trees, magnolias, bougainvillea or jacarandas... The garden of the senses.

You get here after a brief southward stroll along the Vinalopó and crossing this popular neighborhood.

It’s one of those places for watching life pass by because, since the 13th century, it has been the focal point where the locals gather.

. If you want to understand the essence of Elche and the people who live there, the Plaza Mayor del Raval is the perfect place.

Image of the statue of a shoemaker in the Plaza Mayor of Elche.

What’s great about Elche is that, besides being able to discover the city through walking, you can also find spectacular natural areas outside the city limits.

To the south is the Parque Natural El Hondo, a wetland that was part of the old inland lake and which has trails that are appropriate for the whole family.

. Its typical wooden walking lanes are also the perfect setting for memorable snapshots. Ah, and we also recommend that you stop by the interpretation center before beginning your walk.

https://parquesnaturales.gva.es/es/web/pn-el-fondo

Eating and drinking

P.º Tomás Dura, Urbanova

The exquisite decor is just an excuse for someone to visit Moments and indulge in pleasures like drinking a cocktail while looking at the sea.

Assuming, of course, that this someone exists. In any case, this lounge bar on the seafront in Urbanova offers service from early morning. And if you don’t like cocktails while admiring the sea, you can have breakfast, lunch, a snack or dinner to the music of a DJ.

The kitchen is open all day, because the sea never closes.

https://momentsbar.es/
Image of a pair of women's brown ankle boots on the floor of the Moments restaurant
Image of a pair of brown ankle boots on a bar counter. Image of a pair of men's brown ankle boots on a restaurant table.

Camí de Perleta, 1, 7

Susi Díaz, who has a Michelin star, and her husband, José María, have built a business with a family orientation. Their cuisine, based on local products, is rooted in traditional home cooking.

The lush gardens and the wide interior spaces are transformed into the perfect reward after a walk around Elche. And the Menú Femme gets the gold medal for flavor.

https://lafinca.es/
Image of a cook working behind a vertical garden. General image of the La Finca restaurant in Elche.
Image of chef Susi Díaz in the kitchen of her restaurant, La Finca.

Carrer de la Fira, 16

A restaurant from Asturias in a place so eminently Mediterranean? Decidedly yes, but with some touches.

This charming place has a good bit of the Asturian region of northern Spain about it, which it combines with simple local cooking. Well prepared food and a terrace close to the walls and basilica of Santa María, perfect for restoring energies after a stroll through the city center.

https://unasturianoenelche.wordpress.com/

Mare de Déu Desamparats, 13

Tomás López defines his cooking as “daring.” But that’s not the half of it.

He starts with classic products, takes them on a tour of the world, treats them with some imagination, and serves them in a bright, elegant setting with an industrial touch. López says he cooks for everyone because there’s always a place for everyone in this world we’re trying to discover.

A treat for all the senses, not just taste.

http://www.mestizajeelche.com/

Partida de Jubalcoi, Ctra. Murcia-Alicante, Km.62

Image of the restaurant entrance: La Masía de Chencho.

The name La Masía de Chencho hints at what it is like.

Located in a farmhouse from the first half of the 19th century, the restaurant has decided to stress the Mediterranean: whiteness and water and a menu that features rice and fish.

It has a spectacular wine cellar, and both its garden and its terrace have a view of the starry nights in Elche.

http://lamasiadechencho.com/
Image of the restaurant entrance: La Masía de Chencho.
Fondo blanco

Passeig del Monjo s/n

Two brothers, Antonio and Paco, started up a restaurant “very fearfully.”

The fear diminished when they added their passion. They work with the best local products, the ones that don’t need any special embellishing.

The Mediterranean speaks through the Frisone menu, and so a bet on fish is a guarantee.

http://www.restaurantefrisone.com/

Carrer Velarde, 17

You already know the pleasure that comes from strolling. We know you like to walk and that makes us happy. And that’s why it makes sense to discover the world and its food through La Musa de Velarde.

This is a happy culinary mix of styles that visits Mexico, Argentina, Thailand and Vietnam until taking shape in food that’s just plain delicious.

https://lamusadevelarde.com/

Plaça Reis Catòlics, 16

Ángela Quesada began this project to find a purpose in life. She found it by becoming an apostle of healthy cooking and fresh products.

As she puts it, Qi Food is “a place for real-fooders, vegetarians, vegans, celiacs, people with intolerances” and, in sum, for anyone wanting to have a healthy lifestyle. There’s a terrace and thus vitamin D under that Elche sunlight.

https://qifood.es/

Plaça Reis Catòlics, 22

Image of a baker sitting on a chair. Image of the interior of the bakery.

Juan took the road of healthy eating long before starting up En Clave de Sol.

He teamed up with Toni el Rojo, the best ecological baker of the area, and they started a business based on what’s healthy, ethical and tasty.

Ecological bread, vegan cakes, and gluten-free offerings made ad hoc for people with different kinds of intolerances. Rich bread and pastry to recover energy after discovering the city.

https://www.instagram.com/enclavedesol_hornonatural/
Image of a baker sitting on a chair. Image of the interior of the bakery.
Image of the interior of a pub in Elche.

Carrer Major de la Vila, 29

A few steps from the basilica, Malasaña condenses the aesthetic essence of that Madrid neighborhood where the La Movida counter-culture movement began.

The careful decor is a review of the most iconic Spanish indie and rock music scenes. As are the loudspeakers. There’s also plenty of space for exhibitions and watching films.

They have an outdoor terrace, but above all a spectacular indoor terrace with a garden close to the Vinalopó river.

https://www.facebook.com/mlsnbar/

Plaça del Congrés Eucarístic

Image of the interior of a coffee shop.

La Basílica opened when the shadow of the pandemic began to recede, and we started to get back into the streets and meet in person at sidewalk cafés.

This establishment, perfectly located beside the temple that gives it its name, offers some carefully prepared brunches, classic cocktails and very attractive decor.

As explained by Raúl, one of the owners, its doors also open for breakfast and it stays open for dinner and drinks.

https://www.instagram.com/basilica_brunch.cocktails/
Image of the interior of a coffee shop. Image of the interior of a coffee shop.

Sleeping

Carrer Porta de la Morera, 14

Located in the garden area of the same name, the Huerto del Cura is the hotel project of the Orts family.

The adventure of this hotel began as a family mission, it was built with craftsmanship, and it is still a point of reference after several generations.

It is special for integrating Mediterranean light, the botanical wealth of the garden, and architecture that is faithful to its time and place. A perfect spot to rest after a long stroll through Elche.

https://www.porthotels.es/port-huerto.html
Image of the exterior of the Hotel Huerto del Cura de Elche.