Elche City of Trees - Alicante Province
More than 3000 trees lovely parks, plazas and a splendid shopping centre among historic buildings.
Elche
located near to the Costa Blanca and is surrounded by more than 300,000 palm trees; it is the third most populous city of the Valencian Region.
The city encompasses the entire range of attractions that the province has to offer its visitors: pre-history, history, natural riches, beaches and the influence of its citizens on 
culture and traditions are all elements that are worthy of note in this modern, thriving and growing city.
The extensive municipal district is situated between the Sierras del Molar, Tabaià and Castellar and the sea and comprises of fertile irrigated land of Camp d'Elx, dotted with rural hamlets such as Les Baies, Perleta, Els Bassars, Torrelano, L'Altet and Matola.
The Vinalopó River crosses Elche with a reservoir was built in 1632. Various native species of trees are encountered within the district such as the Elche Poplar and within the municipality is an area declared to be of immense ecological value: the Laguna del Fondo. The former location of Elx, L'Alcudia, is located two kilometres away in the direction of Dolores. This site contains traces of prehistoric cultures (from Neolithic to Iberian) as well as vestiges from the Romans, the 
Visigoths and the Moors. It is from this site that the bust known as the Dama d'Elx, currently on display in the Archaeological Museum of Madrid, was discovered, and there is a museum recounting the history of this significant and ancient city at the actual discovery site.
The city was abandoned in the 10th century and its inhabitants moved to the site of present day Elx. The Moors surrounded the new city of Elx with palm trees, which led some Islamic chroniclers in the 11th century to compare the city to Mecca, the Holy city of Islam. In 1265 the city finally passed to the Catalan/Aragon crown under Jaime II. The Christians occupied the Vila Murada whilst the Moors moved south to the el Raval quarter. The Vila Murada contains the finest elements of Elx's historical heritage - the Palace of Altamira, the Citadel of the Sentoría, the Basilica of Santa María, the Moorish Calaforra fortress, the Ayuntamiento, the Moorish Baths and the Convent of the Mercé. The area is easy to visit, as all buildings are located within a short distance of each other. The Municipal Archaeological Museum is inside the Altamira Palace. 
Over 300,000 palm trees contribute to Elche's uniqueness and have become a symbol of its identity. These palm trees make up the southernmost and most extensive palm tree grove in Europe and were declared to be a World Heritage Site by the World Heritage Committee of the UNESCO during its meeting of the 30 November 2000. The Municipal Park is located near the Municipal Tourist Office and provides the space to relax, play or watch open-air performances.
Elche has a good selection of shops, restaurants, with many plazas and small parks, it is really pleasant to sit out in the winter sunshine on a Saturday morning outside one of the cafeterias, sipping a coffee and watching the world go by.
Parque Natural del Hondo de Elche (The marsh of the Depth )
Access to the parque
For the north section N-340 (Elche-Murcia) national road From the south from Sta. Agueda.
El Hondo (marsh of the Depth) park is located between the municipal areas of Elche and Crevillente (Alicante), in the
geographical coordinates 38º 12' ' 42 ' North latitude and 0º west longitude, in the region of the Vinalopó valley.
The region in which the marsh is located, the Baix Vinalopó, is fed by the rivers Vinalopó and Segura, both characterized by a low relative volume owing to the lack of rainfall, the reason why permanent irrigation has to be limited.