Bocairent: Rock-Cut Architecture, Museums and Trails

Bocairent brings together structures carved into the rock, varied museum collections and trails through farmland leading to the Sierra de Mariola. You can choose different focuses when planning your trip: a guided tour of the Covetes dels Moros lasts one hour, while the museums offer their own perspectives on history, crafts, festival traditions and natural history. The landscape and cuisine are also defining features of the town.

Old Town and Visit Planning

Bocairent’s historic centre is a pedestrian zone. Parking is available on C/ Batalla de Lepanto and Joaquin Sorolla. Check local parking and visitor information before setting off. Allow one hour for a guided tour of the Covetes dels Moros. Access is difficult, and the site is not suitable for people with claustrophobia or a fear of heights. Bear these conditions in mind when planning your visit and check visitor information before your trip.

Rock-Cut Architecture and History

Bocairent’s Plaza de Toros is considered the oldest bullring in the Comunitat Valenciana. Most of it is carved into the natural rock. The Monasterio rupestre is an old underground monastery carved into the rock. The town’s history can also be traced through its building phases: the monastery’s rock chamber was sealed in 1700. A second monastery was then built; the present monastery was constructed in 1902. The Iglesia Parroquial was built over the former Arab castle. Bocairent is thus home to various forms of rock-cut architecture alongside a history that spans several building phases.

Museums and Collections

The Museo de Oficios y Costumbres presents ethnographic collections on textiles, agriculture, activities in the mountain region and Bocairent’s customs. The Museo Festero documents the tradition of Moors and Christians through costumes, festival programmes, sheet music and material from nine groups. The Museo Paleontológico offers a different perspective, with exhibits on human evolution, life-size dinosaur reconstructions and fossils from numerous groups.

The Museo Arqueológico Municipal displays objects from a long period, from the Upper Palaeolithic well into the Middle Ages. Most come from archaeological sites in the municipality of Bocairent. At the Museo Antonio Ferri, the collection is divided into three thematic areas; works by the painter Antonio Ferri are on permanent display, having been bequeathed to the municipality because of his personal connection to Bocairent. The Museo Parroquial houses one of the most significant collections of sacred art in the Comunitat Valenciana. Artists represented include Joan de Joanes, Joaquín Sorolla, Ribalta, Segrelles and Mariano Benlliure. The collections range from local archaeological finds and everyday culture to sacred art.

Landscape and Trails

The Senda de la Font dels Teulars passes through fertile farmland, by springs and centuries-old holm oaks, before reaching the Sierra de Mariola.

The Vía Verde del Xixarra is a 42-kilometre railway line open to walkers, between Biar and Alcoi. The ten-kilometre section between Bocairent and Agres is paved; as surface conditions may change, check in advance if the surface is important for your plans. The La Font de Mariola recreation area near Bocairent is one of the recreational facilities in Serra de Mariola Natural Park. It is also advisable to check the latest visitor information here, as facilities may change.

Cuisine and Festival Tradition

Bocairent’s cuisine is strongly influenced by the Sierra de Mariola. Typical dishes include Mariola-style gazpacho, rice-stuffed peppers known as bajoques farcides, Puchero, Olleta, Borra and Pericana, as well as various rice dishes and cured meats. A traditional liqueur from Bocairent is made from sweet and dry anise and flavoured with various herbs from the Sierra. These foods and drinks give the regionally influenced cuisine its distinctive variety.

Las Danzas, also known as Dansa, Dansa Plana, Xàquera Vella, Ball Pla or Ball de Plaça, is considered Bocairent’s oldest and most vibrant folk tradition. It has been documented since the beginning of the 17th century; the tradition is associated with the period from 23 to 27 August. The exact programme varies, so take the specific festival dates into account when planning your trip.

Discover more destinations: L'olleria, Tuéjar, Oliva, Picanya, Corbera, Buñol, Mogente, Utiel

For the overview of the wider area: Valencia.