In the month of October, the colleagues of Passaport Marina Alta propose us to discover the artisanal tradition of our lands, it is their proposal: "Handmade. Touring villages with artisanal tradition". Both the food products and the variety of artisan products are the protagonists of this experience route that passes through 7 artisan villages.

Marina Alta Passport
You can download and consult the complete information at the following link: 

[Downloadable PDF] 

[...]

That's why, this October, the MACMA team put our backpacks on our backs again, to walk around urban environments and discover corners of our towns. 

On this occasion, we offer readers an urban route with as a guiding thread those municipalities in the region that offer, within their extensive heritage, either artisanal products made in the locality or because they have had an artisanal past deeply rooted in the municipality.

 A BIT OF HISTORY. We know where we come from to decide where we are going.

One of the characteristics that Marina Alta represents is the wide variety of artisanal products that we can purchase, both food products and artisanal accessories. But not only that, we also have a great variety of artisanal heritage in different places both on the coast and inland. 

A good example are the fisheries of Xàbia and Poble Nou de Benitatxell, a small artisanal world created on the cliff walls with a fragile reed where people would stand to fish, especially during the long and dark nights of winter 

The rock art that permeates part of our mountains, the great production of agricultural heritage that dresses our region with shades according to the season in which we are or the great variety of baskets and furniture made with natural fibers, they are clear examples of the wealth that surrounds our little world within the Valencian territory

PROPOSED DAYS. Step by step we are making our way.

The proposed experience is a sensory journey, with a duration of two days, which starts on the coast and leads us into the interior of the region. 

First day From fish to music

We start from the coastal municipality of  Xàbia , being one of the most eastern of the Marina Alta region. It has two traditional population centers: the historic center, with origins in the 14th century, and Duanes de la Mar. 

Our journey begins at the  Fish Market , located in Duanes de la Mar, with the traditional auction that takes place from Monday to Friday from 5:00 p.m. We start this journey at the water's edge with the intention of enjoying the great fishing wealth that we have in the region, tasting local products means tasting the Marina Alta. 

From 6 p.m. you can buy fresh fish and seafood from the bay at the point of sale of the Fishermen's Guild in the same market. Its great maritime tradition means that it is full of restaurants and bars with traditional seafood tapas.

Near the Llotja is the  Casa del Cable , built in 1860 to house the telegraph station that linked the Peninsula with Ibiza by means of a submarine cable. Currently, its rooms preserve vestiges of the past, although they are mostly used for temporary exhibitions of works of art or crafts in general. 

We leave the seaside to enter the old part of the town. In the center of the old town stands  the church of Sant Bertomeu , from the 14th to the 16th century, a fine example of artisanal construction with pumice stone. This church is one of the elements to visit within the  Urban Route of Xàbia , organized by the local tourism department and which aims to offer visitors a walk through the history of this municipality at the foot of  Montgó.

Whether we travel by bicycle or by motorized vehicle, it is recommended, according to the  "Touring villages with artisanal tradition" route of the Marina Alta Passport, to start from Xàbia in the direction of  Jesús Pobre along the Camí Vell de Gata de Gorgos. 

This route will allow us to enjoy the silhouette of Montgó, and it will also take us to the village that has hosted the Mercat del Riurau for more than a decade.

A market that every Sunday morning, in the evening hours if it's summer, hosts more than 40 stalls of handmade products, from km 0, ecological and without intermediaries. In the market, located inside and on the banks of a river.  The Gran Riurau del Senyor de Benissadeví

Producers, processors and artisans invite us to discover and taste all kinds of home-made products: cakes, traditional wines, honey, vegetables and fruits, sausages, ceramics and other accessories with leather, crochet, leather, etc.  

We continue our urban route along Camí Vell de Gata de Gorgos until we reach the municipality of the same name. 

Talking about  Gata de Gorgos means talking about, among other things, cabassos and cabassets, but also guitars. Before arriving at the new stop, we pass a peculiar artisan workshop, let's talk about  Guitarres Bross. A family company, born in the 70s of the last century, specialized in the manufacture of this wooden instrument and which is widely recognized within the musical world both nationally and internationally. 

We continue along the road until we reach the main avenue of Gata de Gorgos and we find one of the most typical prints of the Marina Alta, craft shops and wicker furniture. 

Throughout the 19th century and with the rise of raisins, the mountains of Gata sloped and rivers (or risaus, as they are called in the village) were built there and  sun dryers to dry the raisins. Another of the emerging activities of those times was the palm, with a long tradition in the municipality; both companies (raisin and palm) have been documented since the 15th century. In 1914 the train arrived, which led to an increase in trade in local handicrafts. With the decline of craftsmanship in the second half of the 20th century, the town was converted into a showcase for this particular craft. 

Next October 12 and 13 the XIX Fira de Gata will take place in the street and maybe a good time to visit the town, more information here

We leave the municipality in the direction of the neighboring town of  Pedreguer. A municipality located in the center of the region and marked by a unique square such as that of the  Pòrxens , the artisan production of tin or its particular  Modernist Route linked to its industrial past. 

From the 18th century this municipality experienced a period of economic and demographic expansion. With the raisin and the economic boom, it resulted in a very remarkable civil architecture in homes, but also in public buildings such as the old schools, the current House of Culture, the Repés building or the Pòrxens. 

Finally, in the sixties, a new emerging industry appeared that also represented a good economic moment, the manufacture of leather goods and palm, which represented an important economic activity for several decades. For this reason, talking about Pedreguer also means, among other things, talking about guitar straps. Let's talk about the local family leather goods business, created in 1973 by Juan Gil and Rosa Carrió, now known as  RightOn! straps​ 

We leave this municipality, included in the  Ruta dels Riuraus , and head along the CV-720 in the direction of Llosa de Camatxo. A road surrounded by banks of lime trees, which allows you to observe the majestic  Ocaive Castle . Here we will end the first day

Second day From honey to mud

La Llosa de Camatxo is a town that constitutes a Lower Territorial Scope Entity with the municipality of Alcalalí. The village, located at 218 meters above sea level, has a population of 202 inhabitants, known by the gentilici of llosers and lloseres. Honey is an artisan emblem of the municipality, having as reference the family company  Mels Noguera. 

We leave this village and continue along the road, which runs through this valley formed by the  Serra del Seguili  and  Castell d'Aixa. Almond trees, olive trees, carob trees and vineyards accompany us to the next destination,  Alcalalí. 

The town of Alcalalí is nestled in the middle of the Vall de Pop, crossed by the Gorgos river. The town is flanked by the Seguili mountain, the Carrascar,  the Coll de Rates  and the peak of Aixa.  It is recognized for its agricultural festival around the production of almonds and derivatives,  the Feslalí , although you should also keep in mind its  Bodega Cap de Nit or its traditional cakes from the local oven. 

A must-see is its  Medieval Tower, which was used to watch for possible attacks by pirates and bandits, as well as being the last refuge in case of invasion. 

If it's time for an aperitif, you can go to any hotel establishment that the municipality has to offer. Of course, we must take into account that in Alcalalí we can be surprised to hear older people asking for 'shrimp and chard' or a plate of 'limera leaves' in a bar, to refer to the traditional snack of peanuts and lupins or potatoes that accompany beer or wine. 

After the well-deserved rest we set off to the final destination,  Orba. We descend the mountain along the CV-715 road until we reach the only municipality in Marina Alta with a pottery tradition. 

It is worth noting the municipality, and this is reflected in its  Clay Museum, which has traditionally been the center of pottery production that has supplied almost the entire region with the production of kitchen ceramics: books, pans, shops, etc. And construction ceramics such as countertops and lattices, called gasparillas and patented by a local pottery. Currently, there are three artisan production workshops in the town around the mud: Terrisseria Berenguer, Ceràmica Prats and La Caleta Ceràmica. 

We recommend visiting the activities of the 5th Week of the Fang d'Orba which will take place from October 12 to 20. More information here

Our two-day walk comes to an end, not without first recommending to the future visitor to buy local and artisanal products because we clearly always have the best at home. 

**This experience is designed to be done over two days, either consecutively or on two different days. The MACMA team suggests routes, spaces and buildings to visit, but each person can adapt the experience to their abilities, physical resistance and interests. If you want more information or things to visit in each town, you can go to the Descobrim la Marina Alta website  and adapt the experience to your tastes with the backpack. 

AND MORE. On the table and in bed at the first cry. 

Where to buy	where to eat
where to sleep	Activities and others