Monumental trees of the Costa Blanca: ficus, palms and millennial olives

Because Alicante province holds some of the most spectacular trees in Spain: the century-old ficus of Parque de Canalejas in the heart of Alicante city, the UNESCO-listed Palm Grove of Elche, and a millennial olive tree in La Vila Joiosa often called the oldest living thing in the province. Here is where to see them and what protects them.

The short version: what should you remember?

Parque de Canalejas, in Alicante, is home to several monumental ficus aged 50 to 100 years, laid out as a promenade from 1886. The Palm Grove of Elche, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 30 November 2000, is the largest palm grove in Europe. The Olivera Grossa in La Vila Joiosa, estimated at around 1,400 years old, is reputed to be the oldest tree in the province, though scientists debate that age. Finally, the Catálogo de Árboles Monumentales y Singulares de la Comunitat Valenciana protects 2,439 trees, several dozen of them in Alicante province alone.

What are these giant ficus of Parque de Canalejas in Alicante?

They are Australian fig trees, largely Ficus macrophylla, the same species as the famous figs of Valencia. Parque de Canalejas, laid out as a promenade from 1886, is the spot in the city with the most of them: several monumental ficus aged 50 to 100 years, whose aerial roots form genuine columns when they reach the ground. It is also one of the most sought-after places in Alicante in summer, when the dense shade of these trees turns the park into an oasis, according to the local press.

Alicante's city council has installed information plaques to highlight these monumental ficus, and its parks and gardens department runs a protection programme for the aerial roots four to five metres above the ground: they are wrapped in a coconut-fibre mesh and a plastic layer to retain moisture and nutrients, with supports guiding the root down to the soil, according to the Ayuntamiento de Alicante.

Why is the Palm Grove of Elche a UNESCO site?

Because it is an exceptional agricultural landscape, inherited from the irrigation systems established during the Muslim period. Inscribed as World Heritage on 30 November 2000, the Palm Grove of Elche is the largest in Europe, with an estimated total of 200,000 to 300,000 palms across about 500 hectares. The area recognised by UNESCO alone gathers 67 orchards and nearly 45,000 date palms over 144 hectares.

Its most visited core is the Huerto del Cura, a garden that holds close to 1,000 date palms. There you can admire the Imperial Palm, a specimen with seven candelabra-shaped branches, named in homage to Empress Elisabeth of Bavaria, the famous Sissi, who visited it in 1894. To see how these palm groves fit into Alicante's farming landscape, see our feature on Alicante's farmland and the Palm Grove of Elche.

Where is the oldest tree in Alicante province?

In La Vila Joiosa, in the Marina Baixa. The Olivera Grossa, an olive tree with twisted forms planted in the partida de la Era Soler, is reputed to be the oldest living thing in the entire province, with an estimated age of around 1,400 years, according to monumentaltrees.com and La Cantimplora Verde. Its trunk measures 8.9 metres around, its crown 11.5 metres, for a height of 7.5 metres. It stands about 2 kilometres from the town centre, near the Sant Antoni hermitage.

A word of caution, though: that age is debated. A study on olive trees, typical of Mediterranean ecosystems, puts their maximum age at around 700 years, which would call the 1,400-year figure into question. We flag it without deciding. Either way, the Comunitat Valenciana is home to one of the world's largest concentrations of millennial olive trees.

Are these trees officially protected?

Yes, through the Catálogo de Árboles Monumentales y Singulares de la Comunitat Valenciana, an official register run by the Forestry Research and Experimentation Centre (CIEF) of the Generalitat Valenciana, created by regional law 4/2006. A tree can be added on the basis of its trunk girth, an age of 500 years or more for certain species, or a monumentality coefficient calculated by technicians. At its last update, on 23 March 2023, the catalogue held 2,439 specimens, making the Comunitat Valenciana the Spanish region with the most protected trees, according to the Generalitat Valenciana.

Alicante province is well represented in it. The date palm alone accounts for 53 protected specimens, many of them in Mutxamel, while l'Alfàs del Pi lists 8, according to the Generalitat Valenciana. Town councils can also propose that a tree be declared "monumental of local interest".

Where else can you see remarkable trees on the Costa Blanca?

All over the province, between the coast and the interior. Here are a few easy-to-locate landmarks to pair with a stroll, a hike in the hinterland or a day out.

Frequently asked questions about the Costa Blanca's monumental trees

Can you visit the Palm Grove of Elche for free?
A large part of the grove, such as the Parque Municipal, is open to walk through freely in the city. The Huerto del Cura, on the other hand, is an enclosed botanical garden that requires a ticket.

Why are there so many palms in Elche?
The grove is the direct legacy of the irrigation systems and date-palm cultivation developed during the Muslim period, an agricultural heritage that UNESCO specifically set out to protect in 2000.

What is the oldest tree in Alicante province?
The Olivera Grossa in La Vila Joiosa is often presented as the oldest living thing in the province, with an estimated age of around 1,400 years. That figure remains debated, however, as one study puts the maximum age of olive trees at around 700 years.

Are Alicante's ficus the same species as Valencia's?
Yes, they are largely Ficus macrophylla, an Australian species, the same as the giant figs of the Glorieta and Parterre in Valencia. In Alicante, they are mostly concentrated in Parque de Canalejas.

Sources (facts cross-checked and rewritten, never copied): UNESCO (World Heritage listing of the Palm Grove of Elche), Ayuntamiento de Alicante (monumental ficus of Parque de Canalejas and root protection), monumentaltrees.com and La Cantimplora Verde (Olivera Grossa of La Vila Joiosa), Generalitat Valenciana and CIEF (Catálogo de Árboles Monumentales y Singulares, law 4/2006, update of 23 March 2023, 2,439 specimens, including 53 date palms and 8 trees at l'Alfàs del Pi). Consulted in July 2026. The age of the Olivera Grossa (around 1,400 years) is estimated and debated by specialists: we flag it without deciding.

Information verified in July 2026. This article was prepared with the help of AI, then cross-checked, verified and edited by our newsroom, which takes editorial responsibility for it.