The long lasting list
I imagined it would be simple: mention a few places I liked, add in a few side references, and in no time I’d have an easy and interesting blog. So that's what I started to do.
My first thought was the Casa Modernista in Novelda. Not far away, a nice, easy visit—interesting, without much walking and well laid out. People we’ve taken there have always liked it. Recently, opening times have become a bit haphazard, so it’s best to book. The Fundación Mediterráneo, which oversees the Novelda house, also runs the Azorín museum in Monóvar. It’s a nice enough old house, with links to the writer. It has wooden furniture and pretty floor tiles but its main attraction is that it’s close to Pinoso. Again, opening times keep changing so you’ll have to check.
By now it was clear my original plan wasn’t good. I’d only mentioned two places and the word count was piling up. Worse still, it was becoming a shopping list. The problem was I could think of no alternative.
For some strange reason, the next place I’d decided to mention was the quirky rock paintings at El Cau near Elche. I’ve only been there once but must have been impressed. It’s a scramble up dirt paths, but it’s a hoot. Google Maps knows the car park. While we’re in the area, there’s the 18th century dam outside Elche, the Pantano de Elche, with lots of wooden boardwalks, sparkling water and tweety birds.
There’s no doubt I have a problem. I’ve just done a quick count of towns, villages and cities within an hour’s drive of Pinoso—it’s at least 30 strong. With that many places, the list is going to become ultra-boring and unmanageable but it’s either keep on with at least some detail or write one of those pieces from the airline magazines that has an interesting title but fails to give you any real information by the time you’ve read it all.
The Spanish use the same word to describe art galleries and museums—museos—so the famous art gallery in Madrid, the Prado, is a museo just like the Underwater Archaeological Museum in Cartagena.
Most Spanish towns have a museum—Salinas has one, Pinoso has one. The majority are old-fashioned, underfunded and very ordinary. My personal favourite is probably the MARQ, the archaeological museum in Alicante, especially for its temporary exhibitions; their explanations of what’s on show should be a model for others. Pinoso’s Wine and Marble Museum, if you can catch it open, will occupy you for seven or eight minutes. Jumilla does OK with three museums, all well kept—archaeological, ethnographic and wine related. Petrer’s Dámaso Navarro isn’t bad either. The shoe museum in Elda is enormous and a bit tedious unless you really, really like shoes. A nice touch though is it’s so quiet that you have to ring a doorbell to get in. The Museo del Palmeral in Elche, all about palm trees, is excellent, if small, as is El Museo de la Alfarería, the pottery museum in Agost. Villena’s MUVI is shiny and new and has the remarkable Bronze Age Villena Treasure—lots and lots of gold jewellery. There are tens more.
Art galleries add even more to the mix. In Alicante the MUBAG (Fine Arts) and MACA (Contemporary) are both well worth a visit and I like the Lonja del Pescado even though it can be too trendy for its own good at times. The old cigarette factory, the Cigarreras Art Centre, also has some wild stuff. Murcia has good spaces too. There's the Palacio Almudí and the much smaller but often more interesting Las Verónicas. There are others. Away from the bigger cities galleries are less common but the Pedro Cano gallery in Blanca is an outstanding exception.
Actually, going back to El Cau, the painting on rocks idea reminded me of cave paintings. The Yecla tourist office organises trips out to Monte Arabí from time to time when they unlock the big iron gates that protect some of the 8,000-year-old paintings there, but you can walk around Monte Arabí park anytime and it’s well worth it. I like the petroglyphs, the sort of graffiti carved into the rock, but Maggie thinks they’re overrated. Just on petroglyphs, we have some inside the Pinoso boundary on La Centenera Hill. Google Maps knows where they are but expect to push through undergrowth to get to them. For proper cave paintings there are several local sites—search on pinturas rupestres—but the ones at La Sarga are very accessible. The Alcoy tourist office arranges visits there. A bit closer to home is a cave without paintings, Cueva del Lagrimal on the Sierra de Salinas hills. It’s not that impressive but was used for shelter by Palaeolithic people. Its big selling points are that it’s a nice walk from the car park, it has nice views and it's not far from home. Google or any AI tool will get you there.
Having mentioned La Centenera Hill, I should mention cucos. There’s one there. Cucos are stone-built agricultural shelters. Pinoso has lots along the country road from the Pinoso/Yecla road (CV-3223) to Lel. They’re all much of a muchness but give purpose to a Sunday afternoon walk. Monóvar even has a map of the ones in their area.
We have a surfeit of castles from when this area was disputed territory. A good visit for entire families; the physically fit can scramble up towers and run along walls while the more relaxed potter around the bailey. There are at least eight or nine castles within my one-hour cordon from Pinoso and it’s difficult to say Almansa (my personal favourite) is much better than Jumilla or Villena. The dramatised visit to Sax castle was very good when I saw it. The others are Petrer, Castalla, Biar, Banyeres, and Alicante.
I know it’s getting longer but I couldn’t sacrifice the theatres. We have lots within a stone’s throw, all with Sistine Chapel-like roofs, gilt-edged balconies and faded velvet seats. The Chapi (Villena), Concha Segura (Yecla)—with a splendid jazz festival in October, the Principal (Alicante), Castelar (Elda), Gran (Elche), Romea (Murcia) are all like that. The Chapi and Principal, and probably others, do visits outside performances. Plays or comedy in Spanish exclude non-Spanish speakers, but there’s plenty of music and dance. The less brocaded ones still have lively programming—Calderón (Alcoy), Wagner (Aspe), Cervantes (Petrer), even the Auditorio in Pinoso. To check what's on, and get tickets, Vivaticket is good for Alicante and Bancatix for Murcia.
A few last mentions. In Murcia, the Casino, Cathedral, and Convento de Santa Clara are good, and the overpriced Plaza de las Flores is the place to eat tapas. In Crevillente the Moroccan tea house, Tetería Carmen del Campillo, is a bit different as are the thermal baths in Los Baños de Fortuna. And we can't forget the bodegas. There are almost too many to count. Jumilla, Yecla, and Alicante all have “Rutas del Vino” with more wineries than you could shake a stick at. Maggie swears Luzón in Jumilla is one of the best value tours. While you’re at it, search for almazara visitas. Almazaras are olive oil mills; oil tasting is quite the experience, and unlike bodegas, even the driver can participate.
To check what’s on, I suggest you use Facebook. Search “Ayuntamiento de” plus the town name. I've given a list of nearby towns at the bottom of this piece. It doesn’t always work because some towns use Valenciano and some town halls are more diligent than others. Even so, you’ll find plenty going on. Quefas.es is good for Alicante events and the app Itinerarios CV covers the Valencian Community.
Many of the things you'll find on the Internet are fleeting—the fiestas, fairs, fun runs and festivals. If you’ve ever stayed in Blackpool, you’ll know the routine: as you watch the rain streak down the window, the hotel assures you that last week the weather was glorious, and that next week it’s forecast to be even better. Searching for events is a bit like that. This week, while your houseguests are with you, there’s not a single tapas route, Moors and Christians parade, agricultural fair or even one of those mediaeval markets with the outrageously overpriced sweets. Next week, once they’ve gone, there’ll be plenty. And, with the list above, there should still be plenty to choose from.
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Town and village list: Algueña, Salinas, Alcoy, Monóvar, Elda, Petrer, Novelda, Aspe, Monforte del Cid, Sax, Villena, Yecla, Jumilla, Caudete, Almansa, Abanilla, Fortuna, Cieza, Abarán, Elche, Alicante, Crevillent, Biar, Ibi, Tibi, Banyeres de Mariola, Murcia city, Santomera, Hondón de los Frailes and Hondón de las Nieves.
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