Things to do in La Nucía

Local guide

About La Nucía

La Nucía sits 226 metres above sea level, on a promontory looking out to the Mediterranean, in a valley of fruit trees between Polop, Benidorm and Callosa d'en Sarrià. It is only about nine kilometres from the beaches of Benidorm and Altea, but it has the soul of an inland village: it is the gateway to the mountains around the Guadalest valley. Its name comes from Arabic and is usually translated as «delightful», and its origin, like that of many villages in the area, was a farmstead that James I granted in 1271.

The old town can be explored on foot following the municipal tourist street guide: the Plaça Major and the church of the Purísima Concepción, the wash house, the Sant Vicent and Sant Antoni gateways and narrow streets climbing up to the Mont Calvari, from where you can see the whole municipality and the coast of Altea. At the entrance to the village, the Font de la Favara is its main green space, with a five-metre waterfall, fountains, a picnic area and a garden of native species that links it to the tourist office.

What has changed La Nucía most in recent decades is sport. The Ciutat Esportiva Camilo Cano brings together 66 facilities on 12 hectares, including an Olympic stadium that has hosted Spanish athletics championships and served as Levante's temporary stadium in 2020. The municipality presents itself as the «City of Sport».

Culture is based at the Auditori de la Mediterrània, opened in 2007, with a 600-seat auditorium. And every Sunday the village changes pace with the Rastro flea market, a fixture for lovers of antiques and bargains since 1983. For walking, the Captivador trail network heads out to the Sant Vicent hermitage, from 1803, and the Environmental Education Centre.

The fiesta calendar has three highlights: Sant Vicent at the Captivador after Easter, the August fiestas and the Sant Rafel fiestas in November.

Things to do

Must-see places

1. Font de la Favara: park with a 5-metre waterfall, fountains, picnic area and a garden of native species.
2. Casco antiguo y Plaça Major: church of the Purísima, wash house and the Sant Vicent and Sant Antoni gateways.
3. Mont Calvari: hill with views over the whole municipality and the coast of Altea.
4. Ciutat Esportiva Camilo Cano: 66 sports facilities on 12 hectares, with an Olympic stadium.
5. Auditori de la Mediterrània: cultural centre opened in 2007, with a 600-seat auditorium.
6. Ermita de Sant Vicent y senderos del Captivador: hermitage from 1803 in a natural setting, a point on the trail network.
7. Rastro de los domingos: market for antiques, bargains and bric-a-brac held since 1983.