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Sited at the confluence of three rivers and surrounded by high mountains, Alcoy is an industrial city. It is best known, however, for the reenactments of the battles between the Christians and the Moors - and it’s peladillas (sugar coated almonds).
The textile, paper, and metallurgic industries are the driving econmic force. At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, artisan textile traditions began incorporating new technologies to give rise to a strong industry dedicated to making sheets, eiderdowns, bedspreads, and above all - blankets. Today, textiles, papermaking, and food preserves still form the basis of the local economy. Wrought iron, ancient firearms (used in local festivities), embroidered table and bed linens, masks and disguises are some of the articles still handcrafted in the area and sold in specialty shops.
Alcoy is a town that has a marked and unexpected contrast with the rest of the province of Alicante. It is 54 kilometers (approximately 33 miles) from the city of Alicante, and 105 kilometers (approximately 65 miles) from the city of Valencia.
Alcoy is surrounded by mountains. La Serra Mariola is a Mediterranean forest - considered a national treasure. Font Roja is a nature reserve and shrine marked by a towering statue of the Virgin Mary.
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