Catral is a precious municipality within the province of Alicante where the region of Vega Baja del Segura acts as a gateway into its beautiful landscapes.
It’s an inland town yet is still very close to the sea with the coast only being a 15-minute drive away. That and its orchard landscapes are two of the reasons it was declared the Tourist Municipality of the Community of Valencia in 2014.
It enjoys a lovely warm sun the majority of the year and its 9,000 inhabitants vastly multiply over the summer season where the increasing temperatures attract a wave of tourists.
So, what is there to see in Catral? There are a lot of points of interest that its streets hold and walking down them offers a truly authentic experience that gives you the chance to discover its history through its rich architecture.
There are a lot of religious patrimonies to be found, one of the most famous ones being Santos Juanes parish church whose original structure has been previously added to, the final construction finishing in 1802.
There are also two main chapels. One of which is known as the Purísima hermitage (ermita de la Purísima) where the image of the local patron saint can be captured and where barrocan and neoclassic art can be admired. The other one being the Santa Águeda hermitage (ermita de Santa Águeda). It roots back to the 17th century and every February it hosts one of the most famous pilgrimages.
La Cruz de la Piedra, also known as the Templete de la Santa Cruz, is another place you can’t miss out on that in the past served as the dividing line of the municipality as well its town hall as it’s smack bang in the centre of the town.
If we talk about the unmaterial patrimony, we must highlight the orchard of Catral that is one of the fundamental pillars of the area. It extends over several plots of land with different cultivators who are responsible for adding colour which completely makes the the countryside of Alicante. If you want to see more of its nature, there’s nothing like following one of the routes through El Hondo natural park where you’ll be able to take in a series of precious lagoons that create a wetland which is very important for Alicante at an international level.
In February the pilgrimage of Santa Águeda, the religious festivity that was previously mentioned, is very popular amongst tourists in the province which is one of the reasons why tourism skyrockets during that time of the year.
However, it’s not the only important date for the municipality. Semana Santa (Spain’s easter week celebrations) and the festivities of San Juan are also some of the town’s lures.
If you really want to get the most out of this area, thanks to the large increase in tourism they have spread more holiday homes all across Catral so you can spend a few peaceful days relaxing with all kinds of available services. You can easily rent a house that is for sure to be one of the best in Alicante.
So, how do you get there? It’s really easy to get here if you come by car although there are some other options like getting the bus which comes fairly frequently.
