Dolores: Heritage, Huerta and FEGADO

Dolores brings together sacred art and settlement history with a Huerta shaped by water management and agriculture. FEGADO adds a distinctive event, while the nearby El Hondo Natural Park offers another natural highlight.

Sacred Art and Settlement History

The Parish Church of Our Lady of Sorrows is an 18th-century building with high-quality Rococo interior decoration. It houses an image of Our Lady of Sorrows, created by Francisco Salzillo between 1743 and 1745, as well as a sculpture of Saint Paschal Baylon by Roque López, dating from 1786. The dates place the two works of art in chronological order: López’s sculpture was created just over four decades after Salzillo’s image.

Dolores was founded in 1715 as part of a settlement project associated with Cardinal Belluga. The theatrical “1715” heritage route portrays the origins, customs and ways of life of the first settlers. If you plan to make this route a specific part of your itinerary, check in advance whether a date is available during your stay. The Museo de la Huerta presents the history and ethnology of the municipality. The route uses theatrical presentations; the museum focuses on history and ethnology.

FEGADO and Its Competitions

FEGADO, the livestock fair in Dolores, has been recognised as an event of regional tourist interest since 2019. The 2026 programme included a national market for selected breeding livestock, equestrian competitions in classical dressage, Doma Vaquera and Alta Escuela, a national farriers’ gathering, and dog workshops. The main competitions and demonstrations take place at night. If you plan to attend FEGADO, check the dates for the relevant edition and take the evening events into account.

Huerta, Water Management and Artichokes

The Huerta of Dolores was created by draining wet ground and digging azarbes and canals. This work turned waterlogged land into cultivated Huerta. Artichokes are grown there using traditional irrigation; the saline soil gives them a distinctive, firmer texture. Irrigation and soil conditions are therefore integral to the description of this local product.

In 2025, the seventh edition of the festival marking the end of the artichoke season featured dishes and show cooking, an artichoke burger feast, cooking workshops and a cycling tour through the Huerta of Dolores. The edition combined culinary events with a tour of the surrounding agricultural landscape.

El Hondo Natural Park

El Hondo Natural Park is located close to Dolores and can be reached from the town via cycling routes through the Huerta of the Vega Baja. El Hondo provides protected habitat for threatened bird species such as the marbled duck, white-headed duck, ferruginous duck and red-knobbed coot. The natural park thus complements the Huerta’s cultural landscape with a nearby natural area that has its own protected status.

Discover more destinations: Daya Nueva, Ondara, Rojales, Orito, Torrevieja, Benissili, Finestrat, Jijona

For the broader travel overview: Alicante.