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The Alicante Federation for Territorial Development and Innovation (FADIT) in collaboration with the Rural and Fishing Local Action Groups of Alicante and the support of the Alicante Provincial Council has launched a promotional campaign to publicise the tourist routes of the Essències project, a programme based on living experiences at the source by visiting the villages and rural areas of Agost, Aigües, Balones, Camp d’Elx, Cocentaina, La Canyada, La Torre de les Maçanes and Teulada Moraira.

These itineraries aim to connect visitors with the territory through thirteen experiential routes to discover the history of the villages, their customs, landscapes, traditional trades, local commerce and the gastronomy of these territories through their people.

In this way, people will be able to travel to the origin and participate in oil tastings among thousand-year-old olive trees, learn about and taste signature wines, visit the local heritage and museums in each area, participate in workshops related to traditional crafts, buy typical products from the town or enjoy local cuisine; among other activities.

These are one-day routes, lasting between 2 and 6 hours, none of them present any difficulty and most include tastings and lunches or meals in local bars or restaurants, in addition to visits to museums or workshops.

To publicize all these attractions, a promotional video has been launched that includes the different activities that can be carried out in these destinations along with the promotion of the project's social networks and the improvement of the web positioning of the tourist service.

Thus, people interested in participating in these routes will be able to access the Essències project website (www.essencies.net) and reserve the experiences that have been created in the eight rural destinations in the province of Alicante.

Among ancient trees, monuments, olive oil mills and traditional shops

In Agost, the ‘Route of the Pottery’ will immerse us in the historic centre of the town, with a visit to the Pottery Museum and a clay and pottery workshop with a master craftsman, as well as a lunch with typical local products. The Aigües route invites us to stroll through its picturesque Barrio de la Torre and its enormous pine forest, as well as visiting the 19th century Grand Spa, where several members of royalty have stayed for centuries. It also offers a practical photography workshop by renowned photographer Rosa Ripoll and a lunch at the La Bacorera restaurant based on the traditions and customs of the town.

In the case of Balones, we have two route options: the ‘Millennial Olive Trees’ route will allow us to discover unique specimens with more than a thousand years of history and to taste the oils from Castell de la Costurera surrounded by this natural treasure, as well as visiting the streets of Benimassot and eating at a local restaurant. The route ‘Mediterranean Trilogy: oil, bread and wine’ will take us to the Millena Millenary Elm, a visit to the oil mill to learn about the oil making process, participate in a tasting of signature wines from Celler de Gurgu that are fermented in clay jars, as the Romans did, and visit the traditional oven of Gorga to enjoy its sweets.

In Elche, the route takes us into the Camp d’Elx and the beauty of its landscapes and attractions such as a visit to the El Tendre oil mill, the Puçol School Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as a white palm workshop and a chance to learn about emblematic products such as the date or the Elche Mollar pomegranate, the only one in the world with a Protected Designation of Origin.

As for Cocentaina, there is a route to discover the most historic monuments of the municipality, where the Palacio Condal from the 12th-13th century and its spectacular Sala Dorada stand out, one of the pictorial jewels of the province of Alicante, or the Monastery of the Clarisas from the 17th century. Another route on the essence of the olive tree with visits to the Cocentaina Catholic Agricultural Cooperative with more than 75 years of history and attending a master class on pairings and essences of oil and a meal based on traditional cuisine, while on the premium oil tasting route at the Oli El Comtat oil mill, we can live a unique sensory experience to distinguish and identify extra virgin olive oils and let ourselves be seduced by their flavour, nuances and smells.

La Canyada offers us two routes, ‘Walking among century-old olive trees’ to enjoy these trees in a unique setting and enjoy a tasting of five Octobris Bio oils in the heart of nature and with local sausages; They will also introduce us to the history, secrets and legends surrounding the discovery of the Treasure of Villena, along with a visit to a 19th century winery to learn about the traditional process of winemaking. On the treasure route, in addition to all the above activities, you will also visit one of the oldest wineries and the barrels that contain the famous Fondillón, which you can taste.

In La Torre de les Maçanes there are the routes ‘We are people’ and ‘We are links’. In the first we will learn about the wood-fired ovens and the sausages made in a traditional way, as well as a visit to the Oli de La Torre oil mill to learn about the native varieties of olives and participate in an oil tasting; while in ‘We are links’, we will delve into local history and its monuments such as the monumental clock of the Parish of Santa Ana, which is the oldest in the Valencian Community that is still in operation, and we will be able to learn the details of its operation, or the Casa Alta, an old Almohad tower from the 12th-13th century that gives its name to the municipality. In both cases, you can taste the local gastronomy.

In the case of Teulada Moraira, we will enjoy this destination that combines the coast with vineyards, heritage, culture and gastronomy, with the emphasis on the muscatel that is produced in the area and is recognized for its aromas and flavor, as can be seen in a tasting of the M de Alejandría wine paired with different local products from local producers.

Unique experiences that connect with the authentic

FADIT points out that this type of route “brings you closer to nature, to true flavors and connects you with history and our roots. They are unique experiences in a unique environment that brings people closer to rural areas, gives visibility to these territories and boosts their economic activity.”