Tips for touristical trips
The staff and personnel of Casa del Maco are glad to help you discover the fantastic environment of our restaurant. We have a lot of suggestions that will enable you to enjoy the richness of the Costa Blanca and it's inland.
Click on one of this destinations to find out more. At present this information is only available in English.
- CALPE
- CORDILLERA PENIBETICA
- GUADALEST
- GUADALEST RESERVOIR
- JALÓN
- ALTEA LA VELLA
- EL ALGAR
- ALTEA
- ELCHE - DAMA DE ELCHE
- ELCHE - HUERTO DEL CURA
- LLEUSS
- TARBENA
The small village of Calpe was originally a fortified town and has Phoenician, Greek, Roman and Arab settlement traces. The pittoresque port is dominated by the Rock of Ifach. You can reach the top of this 300m high rock after a sometimes tricky walk over steep, narrow tracks, and have a fantastic view on Calpe and the mountains behind.
Old Calpe will atract the visitors with picturesque little streets and squares, and some bars and restaurants with a lively terrace, an ideal place to spend a pleasant evening with friends. The ancient town center has more to discover with next to the Moorish quarter (Arrabal) a group of monuments comprising the Torreo de la peça, the Town Walls and the Iglesia Vieja church, the only remaining example of Mudejar-Gothic architecture in the Valencia region.
The Levante coast, from Javéa to Murcia, is well known for its mild winter temperatures. Reason for this comfortable microclimate are the Penibetical mountains that act as a natural protective wall against cold winds from any direction. Especially in spring, the mountains are a paradise for walking and biking. The Sierra Aitana, 1559m at its highest point, dominates the region, but the uncountable terraces, traces of human ingenuity and capability, will even impress you more.
The area has a lot of archaeological treasures to visit. The remains of castles and forts that often were built on inaccessible places of strategic importance, act as evidence of the many battles that have been fought between the Moors and the Christians. But there are also older remains of human activity like this rock paintings you can see on the limestone rock walls near the road that leads from Benissa to Pinos in the mountains.
Only 20 km away from the coast, between the Aitana, Serella and Aixorta mountains, rises the eagle’s nest of Guadalest. In the beginning of the 8th century it was settled by the Moors who ruled the place until they were defeated in 1245 by the troops of Jaime I.
It is a unique little town with the remains of the fortress on top of a rock, only accessible through the gate of San José. Outside the fortress area you can stroll in the narrow streets with a lot of shops and musea. It can be very busy especially in high season, but it is worth a visit, not only for the town and castle, but also for the mighty views and the spectaculair road from the coast to Guadalest.
Deep in the valley below the town you can see the dam and shining blue lake of Rio Guadalest. The lake supplies water to a lot of towns in the neigbourhood, and even to Benidorm, the main tourist city in this area. The dam was built between 1953 and 1964 and measures 73 feet high and 270 meters long. You can drive all the way down to visit the dam and even take a walk on the borders of the lake.
Only 30 minutes away from the coast, in the Jalon valley lies peacefully the small town of Jalon, surrounded by the stately mountains of Sierra Bernia. Six days a week Jalon is a tranquil place between the vineyards, but early on saturday morning it is flooded with visitors who are attracted by the bootsale in the dry riverbed. After your visit to this popular flea and antique market, you can find repose in one of the towns tapa bars.
On the road from Altea to Callossa D'Ensarra you are passing through the little settlement of Altea La Vella. You will not find much more than some shops along the main road and some bar/restaurants, but once a year, for the Santa Clara festivities, the streets are crowded with people of all kind and origin. The festivities include fire works, live musical performances, the traditional procession, a water fight at the local source and other original events like the cooking of this huge paella.
A visit to the El Algar Falls can be a refreshing summit of another day full of surprises. This crystal clear water rises in the Aitana mountains and was almost unreachable only few years ago.
Now you can take a plunge into the cold water of the pools and ponds of the Algar source, or just enjoy a walk on the borders of this picturesque oasis between the rocks.
The old town of Altea is located on top of a hill and has a magnificent view on the coast, especially in the evening or at night when the outdoor cafés are filled with people.
Altea accommodates a small colony of artists, and every night in summer you can judge and of course buy their pieces of art in the small stands all around the square.
The steep cobbled alleys offer you a wide variety of restaurants and tapa bars that suit all purses.
The Iglesia de la Virgin del Consuelo at the Plaza de Nuestra Senora is crowned by shining blue and white roofing tiles with a geometrical design and has a very attractive front.
20Km from Alicante in the southern direction is the main city of the Baix Vinalopó, Elche. This ancient town with a population of more or less 200.000 people is situated on the borders of the Rio Vinalopó and is surrounded by the largest palm grove in Europe. Some sources indicate more than half a million palmtrees in the immediate surroundings of the city. In 1897 a polychrome stone statue was found by a young farm worker, and ever since then scientists argue about the origin of this beautiful artwork. The stone portrayal of a young woman with a complicated headdress, may be the cinerary urn of a young princess, but until now the real fact of the matter remains a mystery.
The Huerto del Cura, or the priests garden is a breathtaking place for garden and especially for cactus enthusiasts. In this green oasis a young curate named Don José Maria Castaño was able to express his love for nature. One of the eye catchers in this garden is the Palmera Imperial, a palm tree with a unique shape that is more than 170 years old. This tree has 7 arms and is called 'imperial' after the visit to the garden of Queen Elizabeth of Austria in 1894.
Only a minute after leaving Calpe and heading in the direction of Benissa on the N-332, you will cross the Barranc Del Pou Roig. Most of the time this river bed is completely dry and you will hardly notice when you pass it. If you turn into the small road on the left, just before the road starts climbing towards Benissa,
you're not only into the right way for Casa Del Maco, but you can also have a quiet ramble to the tiny Lleuss settlement with its white chapel. There are some nice views of the Sierra Bernia along the narrow road, and you pass under the high railroad bridge where you can watch the Lemon Express on its way to Altea or Denia.
About 30 Km away from Benidorm on the 3318 road to Oliva, you will pass along the village of Tarbena, high in the mountains. In the immediate surroundings you can visit the ancient caves of Somo, Moret and Lletres.
In the town, Casa Pinet is the place to be, a very well known peoples restaurant with a very unique atmosphere. There you can not only enjoy the specialities from the region, but you will look in amazement to all the relics and treasures of the past that are on exhibition. There's no doubt you will forget the time in this remarkable place.
Please come to visit us again, there is more information to come.....
