Hotels in Jijona

Jijona

Jijona, Xixona in Valencian, is a town of about 7,700 people in the Campo de Alicante comarca, 28 km from the provincial capital. It is famous for its turrón, both the Jijona and the Alicante varieties. The terrain is mountainous, with the Penya Migjorn at 1,226 metres and the Carrasqueta range to the north. The Carrasqueta pass, at 1,020 metres, carries the road towards Alcoy. The economy traditionally paired ice cream in summer with turrón in winter, alongside dry farming of almonds, the raw material for the sweet. For generations many locals spent much of the year selling their products across Spain and even in Latin America. Human traces go back to the Bronze Age, and in Iberian times the place seems to have been known as Uxonig. Sights include the Torre Grossa castle and the Franciscan convent of the Virgen de Orito. Moors and Christians festivities are held in August, and a further one in October for the ice-cream makers. It suits food lovers and walkers looking for mountain landscapes close to Alicante.