At the gates of the impressive Sierra de Aitana, alcolecha (province of Alicante) is presented to the visitor as a rural treasure in the middle of the mountains. In its barely 14 kilometers it concentrates great natural beauty and invites you to spend a few days of disconnection and peace. Its cobblestone streets, almost always sloping, and its pristine white houses decorated with brightly colored flowers on balconies and windows are reminiscent of a Moorish past that has left its mark on the town.
Alcolecha, Alcoleja in Valencian, became the heritage of the Marquises of Malferit in 1547. If you walk through the old center of the municipality you can still see part of its palace, such as the tower. The imprint of its Muslim past has been left in many of its streets and corners, which are full of charm.
If with only four days left until the end of the year, you are already saturated with lights and speakers repeating Christmas carols, giant Christmas fir trees and commercial advertisements on every corner, choosing Alcolecha to spend a few days can be a wonderful idea to get away from the city a little and the noise.
Of course, pack warm clothes. Its location, at the foot of the Sierra de Aitana, offers plenty of opportunities for hiking trails and walks in the heart of nature, but be prepared to be cold, you may even see some snow fall. It doesn’t happen every year, but it is common for there to be a few days of frost and for the streets to be dyed white, which attracts many visitors from the surrounding towns, especially the coastal ones like Vila Joiosa, which is just 30 kilometers away.
The average temperature in Alcolecha is about 13º. The hottest month is June, when the temperature exceeds 24º, and between December and January the coldest days are recorded, with drops to 6º.
A walk through the town
If you have just arrived in Alcolecha and have to plan a walk around the town, you can start it at the Parish Church of San Roque, patron saint of Alcolecha. Its bell tower is one of the town’s hallmarks.
The origin of Alcolecha is said to have to do with a Moorish farmhouse, ‘Al-Coleya’, where the Arabs placed a defensive tower. It is believed that the later tower of the Malferit Palace was built on its ruins in the 17th century.
The walk through the town is not very long, and you cannot miss Carrer Nou (New Street), San Miguel or San Joaquín. And another parish church, that of San Vicente Ferrer, which dates back to 1788, as can be seen in an engraving that we found on one of its ashlars. The temple has a rectangular plan and a single nave. On the sides there are several chapels and the ornamentation is inspired by the neoclassical style.
Hiking routes
If what you really want is to put on your boots and get lost in a natural environment, you are in the right place. One that you cannot miss is the Puerto de Tudons mountain pass, from where you will enjoy spectacular views of the surroundings. It is a route of moderate difficulty, so it can be planned to do as a family. And it is also a golden opportunity to contemplate the flora and fauna of the Sierra de Aitana, part of the Prebetic system. Its peak reaches 1,558 meters of altitude.
Another route that you cannot miss (especially if you have never seen one) is the Snow Wells, where ice was stored between the 14th and 19th centuries. Due to its location and the winter temperatures and frosts, it is one of the areas of the Valencian Community where the most snowfields were built.
In its surroundings, you can enjoy landscapes between ravines winding along the course of the Frainos River, known in the area as the Penáguila or the Alcolecha, due to the proximity of these towns. On the outskirts of Alcolecha we also find large areas of fields of almond, olive and other fruit trees, a fundamental part of its economy along with active rural tourism.
In the area there are three natural micro-reserves of flora: the Runar dels Teixos, the Penya de la Font Vella and the Passet de la Rabosa, all three of which are Sites of Community Interest (SCI).
Among the typical fauna we can find wild boars, wild cats, badgers and foxes, eagles, hawks, partridges, owls and owls, which can be seen from time to time when walking along its routes, scented by the species of native flora and with the sound background of its multiple natural sources.
How to get to Alcolecha
Getting to Alcolecha is an easy task, although you will have to travel on local roads. From Alicante you only have an hour’s drive, on the A7 towards Alcoy, where the first Islamic medina of the L’Alcoià region was created during the Arab invasion of the Peninsula and which is currently famous precisely for its Moorish festivals and Christians. From Valencia, the journey is approximately an hour and a half.
At 740 meters above sea level, Alcolecha is located between the regions of El Comtat and Marina Baixa. To the north it limits with the town of Benasau; with Sella, to the south; with Penáguila, to the west, and to the east, with Confrides.
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