The medieval town excavated in rock near Alicante: a getaway for this December

With the end of the year just around the corner, there are many who investigate the possible options around the Peninsula in search of the best alternative for a getaway in December. Unique forests, villages with ancient origins and hiking trails are some of the options to choose from when looking for the last destination to visit in 2024.

The Valencian Community has large enclaves where you can enjoy multiple wonders, such as historical monuments that still stand the test of time or unique customs and traditions. In this way, a town one hour from Alicante is proposed as an ideal alternative to visit at the end of the year, when its streets carved into the mountain rock are filled with snow, offering views that are difficult to match.

Located in the south of the province of Valencia, the town of Bocairent has everything you need to enjoy one last trip with family or friends before the end of the year. From the old town to the ruins of Bocairentina, passing through all the history that surrounds them, the medieval town carved into the rock near Alicante has a lot to offer.

The history of Bocairent

Although the enclave has several archaeological sites that demonstrate its prehistoric origin, it was not until the arrival of the Roman Empire when the town really began to be built under the name of Bocarius, replacing the already existing Iberian town of Cabezo de Mariola.

After the Muslim occupation, Bocairent gained a certain fame as it was one of the few towns in the area where markets were held, especially for linen fabrics and the manufacture of white cloth, which allowed it to achieve great renown compared to nearby territories.

In the 11th century it became part of the Taifa Kingdom of Dénia, which allowed the Bukaïran castle to become one of the most important in the Kingdom. With the passage of time, the castle and other enclaves disappeared, although a large part of the roads from the Arab period are still preserved.

Covetes dels Moros, in Bocairent

One of the main attractions of Bocairent is the Covetes dels Moros, or cave of the Moors in Spanish. Thus, this space is a group of artificial caves from the 10th and 11th centuries whose precise function is still unknown, although it is suspected that they were granaries and security warehouses built during the Andalusian era.

The passage consists of about fifty windows carved into the rock wall, which give access to a large number of chambers. All of them are distributed in levels, which form a floor arrangement that isolates the interior of each cavern. Furthermore, the entrance was dynamited in 1908 to facilitate access, disfiguring part of the initial section.

There is a fee to enter – it costs 4 euros – and it has several rules, as it is a difficult section. For this reason, the tourist office warns that access is not suitable for pregnant women, babies or people with hip or knee replacements. It is also not recommended for people with vertigo or claustrophobia, since it requires doing much of it crawling. You can review all the specifications about the ticket in the official website of the enclave.

The cellars or snowfields of Bocairent

Another of the spaces that are still preserved in the town are those of the cellars or iceboxes. These are large holes – also called snow pits – in which snow was collected and stored for later sale and consumption.

The consumption of snow became popular among different social classes during the Modern Age, since it was used for therapeutic and gastronomic purposes. Thus, from several municipalities in the Mariola mountain range – among which is Bocairent – cities such as Xàtiva, Ontinyent, Gandía, among others, were supplied.

In this way, throughout the enclave it is possible to enjoy several of these ancient constructions. Some of the most notable are the following:

What else to see in Bocairent

The town of Bocairent has a great wealth of heritage, making it an ideal option to enjoy a visit through its Arab-style streets. In this way, the territory houses multiple religious monuments from several different periods.

One of the most emblematic buildings in Bocairent is the Església parochial de la Mare de Déu de l’Assumpció – or Parish Church of the Virgin of the Assumption -, built on the old Moorish castle and a mixture of various styles, combining Gothic and Baroque constructions. . In 1748 it suffered several damages as a result of an earthquake that forced the tower to be rectified, which is why it is currently completely restored.

However, this is not the only religious monument that the enclave has, throughout the territory of Bocairent it is also possible to enjoy the following historical relics within the urban area: