Alcoy

One of more than 25 air raid shelters used by Alcoy residents during the Spanish Civil War, it is more than 100 m long and has on display a number of photographs as well as audiovisual presentations.

The former factory is now a museum, with two floors dedicated to the history of firefighting in Alicante province.

This 19th-century cemetery is considered to be one of the most interesting in the Valencian Community, due to its unusual architecture and excellent examples of period funerary sculpture. It is listed on the European Cemeteries Route, a cultural itinerary established by the Council of Europe.

Alcoy hosts the largest and possibly the most elaborate of the annual Moors and Christians festivals, listed as a festival of 'International Tourist Interest'. Celebrated since the early 16th century, it reenacts the Battle of Alcoy of 1276 during the Muslim insurrection against the Christian reconquista. According to legend, St. George appeared on a horse on the city walls during the battle and thereby turned the tide against the rebels, resulting in the death of the Moorish commander Al-Azraq.The celebration commences with a marching band parade on the evening of the 21st. The Día de las Entradas ('Day of Entrances') is devoted to parades, starting with the Christian parade in the morning and the Moorish parade in the late afternoon. The following day, Día de San Jorge ('St. George's Day') is more solemn, with a morning religious procession, high mass, and an evening parade. The battle takes place on the final day, the Día de Alardo ('Alardo's Day'), first with a verbal exchange between the Moorish and Christian ambassadors, and then with arquebuses (muskets), each side retaking in turn the castle in the Plaça d'Espanya. The appearance of St. George in the evening brings the battle to a close. A full schedule and parade route map is available for download from the tourist office.

Believed to be the oldest Three Kings' Day parade in Spain, it was first documented in the mid-19th century and is listed by the Spanish government as a festival of 'National Tourist Interest'. Thousands of residents turn out at 18:30 to watch the three wise men proceed on camel to the Plaça d'Espanya, where they arrive at about 20:00 to a grand display of fireworks. The fiesta ends at 22:00 in the Església de Sant Roc i Sant Sebastià.

The mountain park offers good opportunities for hiking, with trail difficulty ranging from easy to difficult. The park can be accessed from Cocentaina as well as Alcoy, and has several sights of historic and natural interest. Many trail heads are located right on the outskirts of Alcoy, and trails range in difficulty from easy short hikes to challenging 8 hour treks. The tourist office has a handy map with basic trail descriptions available for download. To explore further reaches of the mountain range, the park administration maintains an online list of nine hiking trails with maps and trail descriptions (in Spanish).

Organizes guided nature walks, bird-watching workshops, and guided hikes to archaeological sites.

This smaller, heavily-forested mountain park has some good hiking trails, ranging in difficulty from easy three-hour to challenging eight-hour hikes. The park administration has an online list of five hiking trails with maps and trail descriptions (in Spanish).

Located in a former religious complex, the centre has brochures about natural and historic sights in the park, a small botanical garden, and displays. Other facilities include toilets and a café, as well a nearby campground with 20 campsites. To camp prior approval is required at least two days in advance; details (in Spanish) are available here.