Hotels in Tàrbena

Tàrbena

Tàrbena is a mountain village of about 660 people in the interior of the Marina Baixa comarca, in the province of Alicante. Its 31.7 km² territory is made up of three valleys framed by peaks of up to 1,000 metres, such as the Solana de Bijouca, the Serra del Ferrer and the Penya de Coll de Rates. It is the last village of the Marina Baixa before the Coll de Rates pass leads down into the Vall de Pop. The climate is mild, although the odd snowfall is not unheard of in winter. From Alicante it is reached by the AP-7 or the N-332, then the CV-70 and the CV-715 road between Callosa d'en Sarrià and Pego. The first traces of settlement date from the Neolithic, in the Cova de Dalt, and the area has rock art in the Barranc del Jorquet and the Cova de ses Lletres. Above the village, on the Tossal de Santa Bàrbara at about 700 metres, stand the remains of Sa Caseta des Moros, a castle of Muslim origin. After the expulsion of the Moriscos the village was resettled in 1610 by families from Mallorca, and the local speech still keeps Mallorcan features four centuries later. The white houses climb around the bell tower of the parish church, with terraced fields of almonds and olives all around. Tàrbena suits walkers, cyclists and anyone looking for quiet mountain scenery within reach of the Costa Blanca beaches.