La Torre de les Maçanes: Hiking, History and Local Cuisine

When planning a trip to La Torre de les Maçanes, hiking trails, local history and local cuisine can serve as useful guideposts. If you are planning a hotel stay, these themes can help you choose the focus of your trip: getting outdoors, visiting historic sites or discovering local traditions.

Landscape and hiking

La Torre de les Maçanes lies in a narrow, rugged valley shaped by the Río Torremanzanas. The river is a rambla (a dry riverbed that can carry water during heavy rains) and flows into the Monnegre. The town is surrounded by the Sierras Los Planes and La Rentonar, the Serra de Penàguila, La Grana and Montagut.

One hiking route starts at Parque Municipal and follows the GR-330 and PR-CV 232 north to the La Canaleta area. There, it branches uphill into the Barranco del Rentonar. Along the way, the Costera de la Mare de Deu and the summit of Els Plans are in view. Check current trail conditions before setting out. The Camino de Santiago del Sureste is another active tourism option in La Torre de les Maçanes.

Local history and archaeological sites

La Casa Alta is an Almohad watchtower. It was probably built in the 12th century, during Almohad rule between 1172 and the Reconquista. After the Reconquista, it lost its function as a watchtower and became a manor house. The origins of the parish church of Santa Ana date back to 1588; there is a necropolis inside.

El Sanatori dates from 1926 and is an abandoned building. It served as a tuberculosis sanatorium, a convalescent home and a children's holiday colony; during the Civil War, it was a military hospital. Its changing uses differ markedly from Casa Alta's former function as a watchtower and later use as a manor house.

Archaeological sites also point to different eras. Freginal de la Font Major is a Mesolithic site. La Foia de Cortés and el Xipreret include sites with silos belonging to a group of more than seventy structures. These were built between 3000 BC and the Middle Ages.

Park, festivals and local cuisine

Parque Municipal has stone picnic tables with benches under trees, a children's play area and covered barbecue areas. As facilities may change, check their condition before your visit if needed.

The Mare de Deu dels Fadrins festival includes La Banyà, a kind of water fight. By tradition, it takes place on August 15 at 1 p.m.; the exact festival program may vary. At the San Gregorio festival, Pa Beneït is served: handmade, blessed bread weighing around 6 to 8 kg, decorated with flowers and finely embroidered fabrics. If you plan to attend a festival during your trip, check the current dates.

Local cuisine includes more than a hundred recipes. Giraboix is one of the traditional soups and stews of La Torre de les Maçanes. Culinary traditions thus offer another possible focus for your trip, alongside hiking and history.

Getting there

The main road connection to La Torre de les Maçanes is the road to Xixona, CV-785. Another route is via Benidorm–Finestrat–Relleu. As road conditions may change, it is advisable to check them before driving.

Discover more destinations: Finestrat, Parcent, Granja De Rocamora, Gata De Gorgos, La Vila Joiosa, Sant Vicent Del Raspeig, Margarida, Monforte Del Cid.

For the broader travel overview: Alicante.