Programme for Accompanying Persons

University Miguel Hernández de Elche

Elche, 20st and 21nd June 2024

Elche has an amazing historical and cultural heritage for you to discover.

The fact that UNESCO has conferred a total of three different awards on the city of Elche is a testament to the deeply rooted values of the people of this city, who have dedicated themselves to preserving these treasures for centuries so that we can continue to enjoy them today. Explore the Palmeral (Palm Grove), the Misteri d´Elx, and the Puçol School Museum which teaches schoolchildren about the culture and traditions of Elche and its surroundings. Also worth visiting is the Lady of Elche, a masterpiece of Iberian art and a symbol of the city of Elche.

THURSDAY 20TH JUNE

On Thursday 20th June we will take a walking tour through the city centre to visit two of Elche´s three UNESCO Heritage sites.

10:00 am: We will meet at the entrance of the Ciutat d´Elx Congress Centre (near the following three hotels: Huerto del Cura, Port Jardin Milenio and Elche Centro) to begin our walking tour through the Elche Palm Grove, a unique cultural landscape with over 200.000 palm trees, in the heart of the city of Elche.

10:30 We will visit the Palm Grove Museum, located in a traditional 19th century house in the Huerto de San Plácido, to learn about the origins, history and culture of the Palm Grove. The museum tour will be followed by a visit to the orchard, where the work of a palm tree grower (traditional trade) will be exhibited.

12:00 We will visit the Baroque Basilica of Santa Maria, located in the heart of the city. This is where the Mystery Play of Elche is performed annually on the 14th and 15th August. The Mystery Play, or “Festa d´Elx”, which stands out as one of the most authentic symbols of the city, is a medieval sung drama that recounts the death, assumption and coronation of the Virgin Mary. It was declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.

12:30 Visit to the Festa Museum. Here we will delve into the history and the emotional depth of the Mystery Play of Elche with the help of an audio-visual presentation.

Free time until lunch, with the option to purchase footwear at one of the shops in the city centre. Shoemaking has been a tradition in Elche since the 19th century, and Elche is the leading producer and exporter of footwear in Spain. Many of the leading brands in the sector are in fact from Elche.

14:00 We will have lunch at a restaurant in the city centre, where you will have the opportunity to savour “Arroz con costra”, a famous rice dish and a delicious example of the cuisine of Elche. It is prepared with a mix of chicken, rabbit and local sausages, but what sets this dish apart is the layer of beaten egg added to the top of the rice mixture which, when baked in the oven, forms a golden crust on the surface.

After lunch, you are free to return to your hotel.

19:30 You have the option of joining the Congress delegates for a guided tour of the historical city centre.

FRIDAY 21ST JUNE

Today´s programme begins with a visit to La Alcudia, the site of the discovery of the Lady of Elche, an Iberian sculpture made of limestone that dates back to between the 5th and 4th Centuries BC. This sculpture represents one of the most important symbols of the identity of the city of Elche. 

09:30 We will meet at the entrance of the Ciutat d´Elx Congress Centre (near the following three hotels: Huerto del Cura, Port Jardin Milenio and Elche Centro), where a bus will collect us and take us to the Archeological Park of La Alcudia, where the the Lady of Elche was discovered in 1897.

12:00 We will visit the third World Heritage site of Elche, the Puçol School Museum. This unique museum is filled with traditions that will take you on a journey through time, bringing to life the ancient trades, arts and traditions, especially from rural areas.

13:30 We will depart for Carabassi Beach, a beach of fine golden sand where you will discover recent high dunes, fossilized dunes and pine forests. A boardwalk over the dunes connects to the shoreline. The diverse marine ecosystem and its proximity to salt marshes and wetlands nearby make it an ecologically protected area, with fascinating native flora and fauna. 

14:30 Lunch at a nearby restaurant.

Free time at the beach after lunch. Bring swimwear if you would like to take a dip in the sea and experience the abundance of marine flora for yourself.

Price: 100.- euros (per person)

Registration: send an email to info@congresoasepelt.com until May 30th