Route by car to rent for the Alto y medio Vinalopo
Visit Alto and Medio Vinalopo
The hills and cliffs in the distict of Vinalopo are peppered with Arab castles and fortresses, ruins from the Reconquest period, a cultural legacy that is re-enacted in the Moors and Christians Festival that takes place in nearly all the municipalities in the region.
Examples of these fortresses are La Mola castle and the Gaudí-influenced Magdalena Sanctuary in Novelda, the restored Petrer Castle, the unusally-shaped Sax Castle, and Atalaya Castle in Villena, where you can also admire the Treasure of Villena, a golden find made up of 59 pieces of gold, silver, iron and amber which is on display in the Archaeological Museum of Villena. Other examples of castles are those of Biar, Castalla and Bañeres.
The concentration of castles in this area make it the epicentre of the 1}Vinalopo Castle Route, and also a key part of the Camino del Cid, a touristic and cultural route that follows the footprints of the Spanish hero described in El Cantar del mio Cid (the epic Poem of the Cid).
In terms of the region’s industries, shoe manufacturing is the main activity in Elda, which also has its route, known as the Outlet Route, where the main manufacturers offer quality shoes at affordable prices. This is also an area of vineyards, for wine production in Pinoso and dessert grapes in Aspe. Marble extraction is the main industry in Novelda.