Daya Nueva: Huerta, History and Ways through the Landscape

Daya Nueva between Huerta and Culture

Daya Nueva is surrounded by a traditional irrigated landscape with Huerta. The main crops include citrus fruits, artichokes and potatoes; grain is also grown in the fields and Huertas. The landscape around Daya Nueva was historically shaped by the drainage of marshes and peripheral bodies of water.

Landscape and Travel

This agricultural setting can be explored on foot or by bicycle via an extensive network of roads and paths. The AP-7 motorway between Alicante and Cartagena crosses the municipality of Daya Nueva and provides good road connections towards Alicante, the airport and the coast. This is a practical consideration when choosing accommodation if your trip includes excursions in these directions.

Church and Archaeological Traces

The present-day Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel dates back to a small chapel from the time of the Christian Reconquista. In 1566, this former chapel began carrying out full parish functions. The Parroquia was completely destroyed in the severe earthquake of 21 March 1829 and subsequently rebuilt. Its hipped roof with blue glazed tiles is a distinctive feature.

The Pilar-Estela also points to a distant past. In June 1992, a wall approximately 10 m long was accidentally discovered; it formed part of a funerary monument known as a Pilar-Estela. The remains date back to the 5th or 4th century BC and have been classified as the richest Iberian funerary architecture in the province.

Local Insights at the Museo La Alquería

The Museo La Alquería opened to the public in 2018 and is located in a renovated former doctor's residence in Daya Nueva. It provides information in Spanish, Valencian and English, as well as extensive visual and audiovisual material, a virtual tour, an events calendar and a selection of catalogued exhibits. Its collection was created through donations from residents of Daya Nueva, giving it a distinctly community-based local character.

Events and Regional Architectural Heritage

The Certamen Literario Daya Nueva takes place every September and marks the beginning of the patron-saint festivities. In Puebla de Rocamora, the Ermita de Nuestra Señora del Carmen was built in the 18th century by the Marqueses de la Puebla de Rocamora on a plot of approximately 800 m² in the centre of the rural hamlet. Surrounded by gardens, the building has a single nave, an altar and a reredos.

Excursions through the Huerta and Natural Areas

Recommended excursion routes through the Huerta include the Paraje Natural del Hondo. Access to its interior is possible by prior appointment. There, visitors can see a diverse range of bird and fish species, as well as extensive irrigation infrastructure serving parts of the Vega Baja and Campo de Elche. In this way, Daya Nueva connects agricultural paths with historical themes, local memory and nature observation.

Further places for your regional orientation: El Campello, Senija, Beneixama, Margarida, Onil, San Miguel De Salinas, La Mandarina and Benidorm.

For the overarching travel overview: Alicante.