El Ràfol d’Almúnia – History, Rock Art and Holiday Apartments
Accommodation in El Ràfol d'Almúnia
El Ràfol d’Almúnia lies in the valley of the Girona River and at the foot of the Sierra de Segaria. The area around the town is characterised by native vegetation, hills and valleys; oranges have traditionally been grown there. The small town centre preserves houses with a traditional appearance and quiet streets.
History and Townscape
El Ràfol d’Almúnia was established during Muslim rule. The town is considered the historic capital of La Rectoria, which includes Sanet y Negrals, Benimeli, El Ràfol d’Almúnia, Sagra and Tormos. The name “Ràfol” derives from Arabic and roughly means “farmstead” or “settlement”. During the Second Germania, farmers knocked the coat of arms of the Almúnia family off as a protest against the landowners.
Culture and Historical Heritage
The present-day church of Sant Francesc de Paula is a Baroque building from the 18th century and dates from the 16th century; it was probably the first Christian place of worship in La Rectoria. The church contains an old image of Saint Francis of Paola by Esteve Bonet, as well as another old image of Saint Joseph attributed to the sculptor Vergara.
The Cova del Cocoví in Ràfol d’Almúnia features prehistoric rock art preserved on two panels of the Levantine and schematic traditions. The Llavador del Ràfol d’Almúnia washhouse was built in the 1950s on the orders of the mayor, Aurelio Naya Ferrer. Its water comes from the Pou de Sant Francesc de Paula well, which had been built shortly beforehand to secure the population’s basic water supply.
Landscape and Routes
The Port dels Sorells is a fourth-category pass on the CV-728 and connects the road from Pego with El Ràfol d’Almúnia. The Ruta Arquitectura de l'aigua de la Rectoria is a 4.62 km hike with a low technical difficulty, 23 m of ascent and a stated duration of 1 hour and 14 minutes. It conveys natural and cultural heritage associated with the use of water in the agricultural landscape.
The Ruta de la Bolata - La Rectoria follows the Girona River to El Ràfol d’Almúnia and continues towards Molino de Nadal. Different route lengths, duration details and thematic focuses can be viewed side by side for personal day planning.
When choosing a holiday apartment in El Ràfol d’Almúnia, compare travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions on the offer pages. For your own planning, these details can be considered separately from the information about the town.
Other Places
Beneixama, Benferri, Lorcha, Dolores, Forna, La Canalosa, Arneva and El Verger
Annual Cycle and Cuisine
The celebration in honour of the Sacred Heart of Jesus takes place on the third Saturday in June. Valencian paella is often prepared in the municipality of El Ràfol d’Almúnia and there usually consists of meat, as products from the region are used for it.
For the overarching travel overview: Alicante.
