Fantastically located between both Murcia and Alicante airport, Elche is extremely popular for homes in the sunshine. The third largest city in the Valencian Community after Valencia and Alicante, it has all of the amenities of the largest cities in the region, and some say, a more Spanish feel given that unlike most other towns and cities in the area, its main industry isn't tourism.

Elche is instead, famous for its shoemaking. The city produces over 50% of the shoes made in Spain - those that stay in Spain and those that ship to other parts of Europe and indeed the world. With over 1,000 shoe factories, it's the ideal place to buy a home if you have always dreamt of a walk-in shoe wardrobe at affordable prices. Gioseppo, Hispanitas, Pikolinos and Panama Jack have factories here and their outlets can be found at the Ruta Outlet, a short drive from the centre of town. Pura Lopez is one of Elche's most famous designers of high-end shoes. Her clients include Kylie Minogue, Lea Michele and European royal households.

In addition to Elche's wonderful shoe production, there are some interesting places to wander around in this lovely town. Visit the market on Monday mornings to stock up on fresh fruit, vegetables and local produce.

Top of most people's lists is the Elche Palm Grove, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000, which has between 200,000 and 300,000 palm trees to see. Within the grove you can visit the Huerto del Cura (Priest's Orchard). It's a smaller plot of land, created and owned by a priest until 1918 and today it is a mix of plants from various places, all growing together in a unique location. There is a small café here or take a picnic and enjoy the shade of the trees on a hotter day.

The Altamira Castle which dates from the 12th and 13th centuries, is located near the Elche Palm Grove making it ideal to combine with a visit to see the plam trees. It has had various uses over time including as a prison during the Spanish Civil War and as a town hall in more recent times.

When you simply want to relax on a beach, there are two main beaches just 12km from Elche at El Arenals del Sol and El Carabassi as well as the beaches at El Pinet La Marina, Les Pesquers and El Rebollo which are popular for surfing and even diving excursions.

Elche is a fantastic place to visit for a day from your home on the Costa Blanca and we also have a selection of fine houses there for those who want to live in a town with a more Spanish feel: property for sale Elche !