Elche

Elche (, Spanish: [ˈeltʃe]; Valencian: Elx, UK: , US: , Valencian: [ˈɛʎtʃ] is a city and municipality of Spain, belonging to the province of Alicante, in the Valencian Community. According to 2024's data, Elche has a population of 234.8K inhabitants, making it the third most populated municipality in the region (after Valencia and Alicante) and the 20th largest Spanish municipality. It is part of the comarca of Baix Vinalopó. Part of the municipality is coastal yet the city proper is roughly 15 km (9 mi) away from the Mediterranean Sea. A small creek called Vinalopó flows through the city. Elche is the centre of the footwear industry in Spain. The main airport of the province of Alicante (Alicante–Elche Miguel Hernández Airport) is located inside Elche's municipality, and it serves both Elche and Alicante, being the fifth-busiest airport in Spain. Together with Alicante and other municipalities, Elche forms a conurbation of some 800,000 inhabitants. The city is noted for its urban Palm Grove, designated as World Heritage Site.