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REVEALED: The most picturesque day trips in Spain’s Alicante province

Here are some of our picks of the most picturesque escapes in the Alicante province to enjoy during weekends and short breaks.

Published: 19 March 2021 09:41 CET
Updated: 9 May 2023 15:09 CEST
Altea, Alicante
Image: Phillip Capper/Flickr CC By 2.0

Parque Natural de las Lagunas de la Mata y Torrevieja
The Natural Park of las Lagunas de la Mata y Torrevieja is located just outside the town of Torrevieja, but feels a world away from busy city life. The park is best known for its huge Laguna Rosa or Pink Lagoon – a pink panther-hued lake, sitting right in its centre. A natural phenomenon, the bright pink water is caused by bacteria that releases their pink pigment in the salty water. The pink lagoon is not the only reason to visit however, add this to nature walks, picnic areas, observation towers, and one of the largest flamingo populations in Spain, and you’ll soon see why this deserves a mention.  

Laguna Rosa. Image: Moisés Pastor / WikiCommons

Elche
One of the reasons that makes the city of Elche so picturesque is that it’s home to thousands upon thousands of palm trees. If you’ve been missing trees during lockdowns, then a visit here will surely not disappoint. The Historic Palm Grove, known as the Palmeral de Elche is home to over 200,000 palm trees, the largest collection of them in Europe. It was created by the Moors who founded the city in the eighth and ninth centuries, and still features their original irrigation channels. The Palmeral is recognised by UNESCO, but it’s not only the place in Elche to have this accolade. The medieval Mystery Play of Elche, performed once a year, and the Pusol School Museum are also listed by UNESCO.

Elche. Image: Volker Glätsch / Pixabay

Alcalalí
The village of Alcalalí lies along the Gorgos River, southwest of the popular town of Dénia. Surrounded by undulating mountains and emerald green fields, it’s filled with historic honey-coloured stone architecture. But it’s early springtime when the village is really at its most beautiful, when thousands of almond trees blossom into full bloom, creating candy-floss pink clouds across the landscape. Its almond blossoms are so beautiful in fact that the village holds its annual Alcalalí in Bloom festival to celebrate them each February. Even when the festival isn’t on however, you can still enjoy the almond blossom before it disappears later in spring.

Almond blossom. Image: Matthias Böckel / Pixabay

Paseo Ecológico de Benissa
This stunning hiking trail runs for four kilometers along the coast of Benissa. It passes through small bays and inlets, over clifftops and along sandy beaches, offering spectacular Mediterranean views along the way. Lush with vegetation and filled with rock pools and natural areas, it’s ideal for nature lovers.

Paseo Ecológico de Benissa. Image: Joanbanjo / WikiCommons

Altea
The town of Altea sits on the coast just north of Benidorm, between the Natural Park of the Serra Gelada and the town of Calp. Its whitewashed historic centre is perfect for exploring on foot, dipping in and out of the many galleries that the town is known for. Altea is in fact a town of artists – painters, writers, poets, and musicians have all been inspired by its maze of narrow streets that seem to rise up out of the sea, with the church of Nuestra Señora del Consuelo crowning the top.

Altea, Alicante
Altea, Alicante. Image: Philipp Caper / Flickr CC by 2.0

Parque Natural de El Hondo
The Natural Park of El Hondo lies just south of the city of Elche and is a striking wetlands area, where you can walk along boardwalks right through the marshes.

It’s especially loved by bird enthusiasts who come to spot endangered species such as the marbled teal and the white-headed duck, as well as other impressive birds, including the greater spotted eagle, purple swamphen and woodpeckers.

Parque Natural El Hondo. Image: Moisés Pastor / WikiCommons

Villajoyosa
Where could be better to visit at Easter than the home of chocolate in Valencia – the town of Villajoyosa? The first chocolate factory opened here in 1840, but by 1937, it was home to 29 different chocolate factories and numerous chocolate shops. Today, there are three chocolate factories left, all of which you can visit – Chocolates Pérez, Chocolates Valor and Clavileño. Besides its tasty treats, the town is a treat for the eyes too, filled with a mishmash of brightly-coloured tutti-frutti houses. 

Villajoyosa. Image: Denis Doukhan / Pixabay

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SPANISH HISTORY

The forgotten country that existed between Spain and Portugal

The surprising story of Couto Mixto, a landlocked microstate located in between Spain and Portugal.

Published: 30 April 2024 10:39 CEST
The forgotten country that existed between Spain and Portugal

The tiny republic of Couto Mixto or Couto Misto was situated between the towns of Montalegre in northern Portugal and Ourense in the Galician region of Spain.

It included the villages of Santiago de Rubiás, Rubiás and Meaus, all of which are located in Spain today, and measured approximately 27 km².

You could easily pass through this area of Galicia and into Portugal without knowing you were driving through an ancient nation.

Today, all that remains are several small sparsely-populated villages and herds of cows that roam the pastures next to the Salas River.

The independent nation of Cuoto Mixto was located in between Spain’s Galicia region and Portugal. Source: Google Maps

Historians aren’t exactly sure when Couto Mixto was established as a state, but it was thought to be sometime between the 10th and 12th centuries.

Some believe that its creation was born out of the signing of the Treaty of Zamora on October 5th, 1143. It was an agreement between two Alfonsos – Alfonso I of Portugal and Alfonso VII of León, which somehow left out a piece of land that was too small to fight over, but large enough to become a republic.

Another hypothesis is that it was created in the Middle Ages as a place where prisoners could serve out their sentences, repopulating lands after the occupation of the Moors.

Meanwhile, locals talk of a legend of an exiled princess who took refuge in the region and was looked after by the inhabitants. To thank them, the princess granted the people freedom to govern themselves.

Whatever the reason it was formed, Couto Mixto continued to be independent for around 700 years and even had its own flag and national anthem.

The inhabitants of Couto Mixto enjoyed several special privileges over those from neighbouring Spain and Portugal, including little to no taxes, exemption from military service, freedom to trade and cultivate land and few crop regulations, meaning that the tobacco trade flourished here.

Inhabitants also had the right to choose their nationality, whether they wanted it to be Spanish, Portuguese or both.

The country of Couto Mixto which once existed in between Spain and Portugal. Photo: Fabio Mendes / Wikimedia Commons

Because of these privileges, it was a haven for refugees and fugitives, and some historians even believe that it was founded for this purpose.

Because of the relaxation of trade rules and the freedom to cultivate, Couto Mixto became a popular smuggling destination. A smuggling route connected the villages within the state with Tourém in Portugal, named the Caminho Privilegiado or Privileged Path, where there were no border guards and no products could be seized. In addition to this, anyone found smuggling here couldn’t be detained.

This doesn’t mean that Couto Mixto was a completely lawless state, on the contrary, it had its own form of democracy.

It wasn’t ruled over by kings or feudal lords, instead it was presided over by a judge who was elected every three years and was supported by delegates in each of the villages. There was also a local vicar, who also had the responsibilities of a sheriff to carry out orders.

Couto Mixto continued to exist until the mid-19th century, when it was finally absorbed by the two neighboring countries as a result of the Treaty of Lisbon in 1864. It was signed in order to put an end to the smuggling and local gangs that had formed. Most of it became part of Spain, modern-day Galicia, while a small slither went to Portugal and the town of Montalegre.

Couto Mixto’s penultimate judge was Delfín Modesto Brandán and today you can find statue of him the atrium of the church of Santiago, as well as in the village of Calvos de Randín where this microstate once existed. 

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