The vast Moorish castle of Santa Barbara, which offers superb views of the city dominates the Alicante skyline. Also of great interest are several historical sites nearby, include the castles at Elda and Villena, and Elche, which is most famous for its forest of a million palm trees (which you can of course count to make sure that they're telling the truth, The Botanical Gardens and stunning Basilica, where a medieval Mystery play is performed to celebrate the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in mid August.
