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The Spanish city of Elche is famous for its centuries old palm groves and its wonderful beaches. It has the international airport of El Altet (Alicante) within its municipal boundaries and is home to a large thriving shoe manufacturing industry. Elche dates back thousands of years and several civilisations have left their mark; Iberians, Phoenicians, Romans and Moors have all left vestiges in an ancient yet modern city full of good restaurants, busy shopping plazas and a rich cultural life.
Elche was originally an ancient Roman settlement and approximately half the city's surface is dedicated to palm tree parks, which has now been officially recognised as a world heritage site. The Palmeral is an oasis-like landscape of date palms which was constructed during the Arab occupation of this area in Spain over 1,000 years ago. UNESCO has added the Palmeral of Elche to the list on cultural grounds as a unique example of Arab agricultural practices on the European continent.
The Costa Blanca has a reputation for being a Mediterranean paradise and is a prime location boasting a superb climate with very mild winter temperatures and the supply of plentiful days of sunshine each year. This climate draws thousands of tourists and encourages participation in a wide range of sporting activities.
In the Southern Costa Blanca, Torrevieja is the main town where the vast majority of beaches have been awarded the EEC Blue Flag Award. The Blue Flag Award denotes cleanliness making it an ideal place to settle down for a relaxing retirement or for that superb holiday home. With extensive beaches typically with sand dunes, this privileged corner of Spain offers everything that has made this country so highly favoured amongst property purchasers.
For those of you interested in a broader variety of activities, the Costa Blanca has a lot to offer with a wide range of health spas, leisure facilities, numerous excellent golf courses to a championship standard and the crystal clear waters which allow you to enjoy every water sport imaginable.
The clear blue waters and stunning underwater scenery make it a diver's paradise. You can also watch the setting of the sun whilst having a dip in the cool blue waters which is an experience not easily forgotten.
Further south, the cliffs have a creamy white tint from which the Costa Blanca (white coast) derives its name. Covered with Mediterranean flora scrub and coastal pine, this is an area whose romantic lighthouses and ancient ruins encapsulate the history and soul of the Mediterranean. The coast boasts excellent transport links via motorways, railways, ferry ports and three international airports. The Costa Blanca is one of the most stunning and unspoilt areas in Europe. With excellent average temperatures the climate is rated by the World Health Organisation as one of the healthiest in the world.
Vega Baja is the southern most district of Alicante spreading as far as Elche - Europe's largest palm forest to the north and to the historic city of Orihuela in the South. The Vega Baja is divided by the River Segura which flows into the Mediterranean Sea at Guardamar. This untouched, traditional rural area is rich in agriculture with local villages providing Alicante with the majority of their fresh fruit and vegetables.