You could be forgiven for believing that you had stepped through a hidden doorway into the Middle East when you visit Crevillente (Crevillent, in valenciano), a small town on the river Segura that sits at the foot of a mountain range of the same name walled in by the Hondones and the Vinalopó valley. Its hand-woven carpets are world-renowned for their quality and original designs that take their influence from the Orient whilst its Islamic architecture is interwoven with cave houses carved out of the side of the mountain, one of the few parts of the region that you can find these unusual properties.

Crevillente is also blessed with some of the most attractive views and spectacular natural countryside in the Alicante province, with the Montaña de San Cayetano and El Hondo nature reserves found right on the doorstep.

So many rugs, so little time
The mainstay of Crevillente’s economy, dating back to the middle ages, is the production of handmade carpets. Now easily recognisable all over the world by the Alfombras de Crevillente logo borne by each and every one, rugs from this region are made almost exclusively from natural fibres and mirror very closely the designs found in the middle east and Asia. Persian and Pakistani-inspired creations in all colours and designs in wool, silk and acrylic means that the visitor is spoiled for choice. However, not all rugs made in the town are designated as Alfombras de Crevillente – as is the case with any quality product, cheap copies are all too readily available.

The real thing is distinguished by the strict laboratory controls carried out during the manufacturing process – measuring the weight and composition of the material, the solidity of colours and carefully applying anti-moth treatment. Look out for the logo – a white flower on a green-and-white carpet-shaped background - to ensure that you are buying a genuine Alfombra de Crevillente. As you enter the town on the N-340, the road is flanked on either side by a dense forest of shops, factories and warehouses selling Crevillente rugs. If, however, you would like a sneak preview of the town’s wares before your visit, take a look at www.mundoalfombra.com - the official website for Alfombras de Crevillente, it also has a mail order facility and online catalogue.

Art meets science and Islamic architecture
In addition to townsfolk living in caves and ancient Muslim architecture, Crevillente has a number of beautiful parks, gardens and tree-lined avenues where visitors can take a leisurely stroll and enjoy the view. The most noteworthy of these is the Parque Nuevo on the Elche road, watched over by the neoclassical Casa del Parque, which houses the archaeological museum and municipal art collection together with the old laboratory of Crevillente-born Doctor Francisco Mas Magro, a medic whose investigation in the field of haematology made him a Nobel Prize candidate.

The arts and sciences are both well-represented in Crevillente. Madrid-born watercolour painter and now Hijo Adoptivo of the town, Julio Quesada, was commissioned to paint a portrait of sculptor Mariano Benlliure on the 50th anniversary of his death in 1997. 

Benlliure’s museum in Crevillente is the only one dedicated to this local artist of international renown, and most of his work can be found in the municipality. Born in Valencia in 1862, Benlliure (third photo) trained in Madrid, Paris and Rome before returning to his roots and making his career in the Comunidad Valenciana. Whilst Crevillente remains a shrine to him, a number of Benlliure’s important commissions are scattered across the world including, most notably, the statue of Alfonso XII on horseback in Madrid’s Parque del Retiro.

Benlliure’s museum is now installed in an annex of the 18th-century Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Belén (church of our lady of Bethlehem), a fitting location given that the artist’s works were mainly religious or funerary pieces. However, his originality is evident in the collection of sketches on clay held at the museum, which correspond to some of Benlliure’s more far-flung sculptures – that of the Pantheon in Canalejas, León; the monument of the distinguished turn-of-the-century neurologist Dr Santiago Ramón y Cajal, and that of Simón Bolívar in Panamá.

Another interesting feature are Benlliure’s intricately-carved Semana Santa figurines, based on Crevillente’s own version of the fiesta, which has been declared as an event of International Tourist Interest.

San Cayetano – a walker’s paradise with unbeatable views
Crossed by small ravines, rocky and mountainous to the north with flat, dry plains to the south, Crevillente’s landscape is varied and colourful with walking routes aplenty and rich in flora and fauna. Amongst Crevillente’s dramatic and beautiful surroundings the visitor can find the San Cayetano mountain on the north-eastern outer limits of the municipality, which stands 817 metres above sea-level and, from its imposing height, a spectacular panoramic view of El Hondo lagoon, the river Segura and nearly the whole of the Vega Baja is breathtaking and almost unreal to behold. Surrounded by a dried-up river bed with ideal conditions for a wealth of typically-Mediterranean plantlife to flourish, walkers can find pine forests, palm trees, buckthorn, Kermes oak and mastic (or pistachio) trees along their travels. Conditions for rambling are perfect as there are no sharp slopes, loose rocks or precarious mountain passes and it is easy to occupy an entire day enjoying the silence and taking in the unrivalled views.

A blue lagoon
Part of the Albufera, or wetlands, of Elche, la Laguna del Hondo is divided between the capital of the Baix Vinalopó and Crevillente. A stopping-off point for migratory birds, it is an ornithologist’s paradise as well as providing stunning rambling routes for keen walkers and nature-lovers. Those who visit at the right time of year can find the Eurasian coot, the purple heron, the black-headed gull, flocks of flamingoes and the curiously-named common shoveler. Also known as the northern shoveler, it has nothing to do with roadworkers from Sheffield but is a rather attractive, long-beaked species of duck that thrives in the salty waters of the lagoon. The two main published walking routes take visitors around the circumference of the lake, the best areas for catching sight of some these beautiful and rare birds.

Despite the continued threats of forest fires, rubbish-dumping and changes in land law, the Laguna del Hondo is currently undergoing a conservational renaissance with voluntary organisations, mostly made up of young people, dedicating hours to clean-up and maintenance projects that are vital to ensure the future of this magnificent example of the best of the Alicante countryside.

Getting there: Crevillente - the N-340 sliproad - is signposted off the AP-7 just south of Alicante airport and Elche.