Novelda: Modernista Sanctuary and Marble Town

Novelda is an inland town of about 26,600 people in the Vinalopó valley, about 30 km from the Alicante coast, so it suits visitors who want modernist architecture, a free hilltop castle and an ordinary Valencian town rather than a beach holiday. Most people come for half a day from Alicante. Stay overnight only if you want a quiet base with a train line to the coast. It is part of our Costa Blanca guide.

Quick facts

• Where: Novelda, Alicante province, in the Vinalopó Mitjà valley. The town tourist office is at Plaza España 1, phone +34 965 609 228.
• Residents: about 26,600 (2025).
• Beach: none. Novelda is inland. The nearest city coast is Alicante, about 30 km by rail.
• Nearest airport: Alicante–Elche Miguel Hernández. There is no direct airport train; you go via Alicante.
• Language: Valencian and Spanish are both used; Spanish works everywhere.
• Main sights: the Santuario de Santa María Magdalena and the Castillo de la Mola, side by side on a hill about 3 km from town, free to enter.
• Big week: the patron-saint and Moors and Christians fiestas, in the second half of July.
• Known for: bagged table grapes (a protected designation of origin) and natural stone.

Where to base yourself

Novelda is compact, and the useful choice is less about neighbourhoods than about what you want from the trip. There are three realistic options.

The town centre

The centre around Plaza de España and the town hall has the tourist office, the modernist houses, bars and shops, and the walk between them takes minutes. This is the best choice for a visit built around the architecture, and it keeps you close to the railway station for day trips.

Near the Mola hill

The sanctuary and castle sit on the Mola hill, roughly 3 km out. You can stay close to them if you plan to walk the slopes early, but evening restaurants and shops are down in town, so a car or taxi helps.

Outside Novelda

If you need a beach every day, base yourself in Alicante and treat Novelda as an outing. Neighbouring towns such as Aspe, Elda and Petrer are all in the same valley and make a sensible loop by car.

Things to do

Novelda’s attractions are compact and mostly free. A full day covers everything, and a half day covers the essentials.

Santuario de Santa María Magdalena

The sanctuary is a modernist church built between 1918 and 1946 to a design by the engineer José Sala Sala, who admired Catalan modernism. It crowns the Mola hill and is the town’s best-known image. Take your time inside to look at the ornament on the walls; it took almost three decades to finish.

Castillo de la Mola

Next door is an Islamic fortress from the end of the 12th century, remodelled after Christian conquest in the late 14th century. It was declared a Bien de Interés Cultural in 1931. Its triangular tower, 15 m on each side and 17 m high, is described by the regional tourism body as unique on the Iberian Peninsula, and the climb is rewarded by views over the valley. Entry to the castle and the sanctuary is free. In winter both open mornings and late afternoons, and in summer the afternoon opening is later (Costa Blanca tourism board, checked October 2026). Hours change around holidays, so call the tourist office before a special trip.

Modernist houses and the Casa-Museo

Novelda has a cluster of early-20th-century modernist buildings in the centre, and the Casa-Museo Modernista is the one open as a museum, with period interiors. Opening times are not published in a form we could confirm, so ask at the tourist office on Plaza España. The town is also part of the European Route of Art Nouveau, and the tourist office lists a modernist weekend event; check its site for current dates.

Moors and Christians

If you can time your visit for July, the fiestas are the best reason. They honour Santa María Magdalena and are recognised as a festival of regional tourist interest. On 20 July the saint’s image is carried from the sanctuary on the Mola to the church of San Pedro, and it returns on the first Monday of August. Eight troops (three Christian, five Moorish) take part; the first troops were formed in 1969 and the first parade ran in 1970. Exact dates shift each year, so check the programme.

Skip Novelda if you want nightlife, a lively old quarter or sea views. It is a working town, and the sights are good but few.

Beaches and places nearby

Novelda has no beach. The sea is roughly 30 km away, and the usual way to reach it is by train or car to Alicante, then on to the city beaches. For a calmer stretch of sand, Santa Pola is also on the coast south of Alicante. See Alicante for the city and its waterfront.

Inland, the valley is a simple half-day loop by car: Aspe is the closest neighbour, while Elda and Petrer lie further north along the same road and railway. Petrer has its own castle; our Petrer guide covers it.

Other town guides nearby: Elche (Elx) (about 14 km in a straight line), San Vicente del Raspeig (about 21 km in a straight line), Villena (about 29 km in a straight line).

On CostaMap near Novelda: Verdú Cantó Saffron Spain (Novelda) (0.2 km) · Museo del Calzado (11 km).

Food and drink

The signature local snack is the xanxullo, a mixed plate that has few fixed rules and is said to have been invented in a bar under the María Guerrero theatre around the 1940s. Each April the town holds Gastrofest, which includes a Fiesta del xanxullo with plates at a fixed price in the year we checked (El Español).

Novelda is also a grape town. The Uva de Mesa Embolsada del Vinalopó is a protected designation, and the regulatory council is based in Novelda. The grapes are protected in paper bags for at least 60 days before harvest; Ideal grapes are picked from September to October and the late Aledo variety from November to December (Foods from Spain). Buy them in season at local shops rather than expecting a tasting route.

Restaurant listings change quickly, so we do not name places we could not verify. Expect rice dishes, grilled meat and Mediterranean menus, and book ahead for weekend dinners.

Where to stay

Choice is limited compared with the coast. Expect a handful of town-centre hotels and guesthouses, plus rural lodging around the Mola hill and in the valley. Prices are generally lower than on the coast, but they rise during the July fiestas, so book early for that week. The town tourism website has an accommodation section, and Alicante is the alternative if you want a wider choice and a beach.

Getting there and around

By air, fly to Alicante–Elche airport. From the city, the simplest route is a Renfe regional train from Alicante station to Novelda, which takes around half an hour on direct services; check the current timetable on the Renfe site, as frequencies change by season. By car, Novelda lies in the valley along the main road between Alicante and Madrid.

Inside town you can walk between the centre and the station. The Mola hill is about 3 km out, so use a taxi, a car or a long walk. Parking in a small town is rarely a problem except during the fiestas.

Best time to visit

Spring and autumn are comfortable for walking the Mola hill. Summers in the inland valley are hot; check the forecast on AEMET and go early in the day. Dates worth planning around: the Moors and Christians fiestas in the second half of July, Gastrofest in April, the modernist weekend (dates on the tourist office site), and the grape harvest from September to December.

FAQ

Is Novelda worth visiting?

Yes, for a half day. The sanctuary and castle are free, the architecture is unusual for the region, and the trip is easy from Alicante. It is not a beach destination.

Does Novelda have a beach?

No. It is inland, about 30 km from the Alicante coast.

How do I get from Alicante to Novelda?

Take a direct Renfe regional train from Alicante station, which takes around half an hour, or drive up the Vinalopó valley.

Are the castle and sanctuary free?

Yes. The Costa Blanca tourism board lists entry to the Castillo de la Mola as free, and the sanctuary stands beside it.

When are the fiestas?

The patron-saint and Moors and Christians fiestas run in the second half of July. The saint’s procession is on 20 July.

Sources and freshness

Last checked: October 2026. Sources: Novelda tourism (tourist office, event listings); Turisme Comunitat Valenciana, Moors and Christians in Novelda; Costa Blanca tourism board, Castillo de la Mola; Foods from Spain, Uva de Mesa Embolsada Vinalopó PDO; El Español, the xanxullo; Renfe; AEMET.

Main photo: LUIS ARACIL, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.