Palmeral of Elche

Finding a place to walking among gardens, palm trees, and Mediterranean flowers right in the center of a city is very difficult to find indeed.

Well, Elche has it. It's a relatively short route and should last between 20 and 30 minutes depending on how often you stop for photos!

These palm groves were once private but over the years ownership was passed to the city government. There are still some private gardens in the mix, but the majority is public and there are also several historic buildings with traditional regional architecture.

The silence and sense of peace in

Elche is well-known among travelers for two main reasons: The Lady of Elche and the Palmeral.

The Palmeral (palm grove), aside from having been declared a World Heritage Site, is a unique place. You don’t even realize it until you’re inside and surrounded by endless palm trees. When you arrive for the first time, you don’t know what to think. But if you go to a high point and take in the whole view, you realize that it’s a real oasis. Everything suddenly makes sense and the impression is amazing. The palm grove is worth the visit to Elche alone. It’s a really unique place in Spain.

I never knew a palm forest could be so wonderful. And Elche has tons of them! I can honestly say I've never seen so many palm trees in all my life. The Palmeral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and with good reason. It's a massive oasis that sprawls across the city, offering a peaceful oasis of shade from the beating sun. It'd suggest taking a walk after lunch to enjoy the Moorish-style touches, fountains, flowering vines, and, of course, the palm trees. Also, head up to the top of the Basilica de Santa Maria to have a birds-eye view of the entire palm grove. It's stunning!