Callosa d'en Sarria
Guide to Callosa d'en Sarria, a town on the Costa Blanca, Spain.
Callosa d'en Sarria - Costa Blanca - Spain
Lying in the valley of the Guadalest River about 50 kilometres from the city of Alicante, the town of Callosa D’En Sarria is best known for the growing of the Nispero (also known as the Loquat or Japanese Medlar), a fruit similar to the apricot, the trees of which can be seen draped with nets within and all around the town. Callosa D’En Sarria is a small town with a resident population of 8,003 (2007), it is situated in the Comarca of Marina Baixa and has a municipal area of 24.8 km² and is surrounded by the towering mountains of Bernia, Aitana and Aixortá.
Artefacts found in the area suggest settlements as far back as the Neolithic Period (around 5,000 BC), further settlers are evident from the Bronze Age, the Iberian and Roman eras. It was upon these early settlements that the Moors established villages in different parts of the municipality during their occupation of the Iberian Peninsular. The origin of the name Callosa (meaning roughly “hard, dry land”) came from a Moorish farmstead which was later acquired by Admiral Bernado de Sarria (1290) after the Christian reconquest, and he became the first feudal lord of the town, which henceforth has been know as Callosa D’En Sarria. Since these times the town has been controlled by various noble families - the Crown of Aragon (1335-1445), Bou (1445-1560), Moncada (1560-1767) and the Count of Orgaz (1767). The town stil retains much of its old medieval urban structure.
There are a number of interesting places to visit in and around Callosa D’En Sarria, there are still some remnants of the castle (Castillo) which was built during the times of Bernado de Sarria (14th century) and survived intact until the 18th century, and also some sections of the old town walls. The Church of St. John the Baptist was inaugurated in 1598 but has been reformed on numerous occasions since then, significantly in 1765 by the prestigious architect Antonio Valencia, the church contains elements from both the Baroque and Neoclassical styles and its blue tiled dome is classic Valencia. The Baroque organ dating from 1754 was the work of D. Bartolomé Sánchez and is still used for concerts. Another interesting site of cultural interest is the Poador, dating from 1736, where the women of the town gathered to wash their clothes.
A popular tourist attraction is the nearby Fuentes de Algar waterfalls located just 3 kilometres from Callosa d'en Sarria (see waterfall picture left), an important ecological area formed by the River Algar and well worth a visit. Other places include the Ethnological and Archaeological Museum, the hermitage of Santa Barbara and the Stations of the Cross.
Two of the main fiestas in Callosa are the Pilgrimage of St. James (July 25th), dating from 1819 and well known for its traditional “Danses”, and the Moors and Christians held in the second week of October and first held in 1860.
Callosa D’En Sarria is situated on the CV-755 and CV-715 north of Benidorm and can be easily accessed from the N-332 and the AP-7 motorway. Callosa D'En Sarria Map
Callosa D'En Sarria Weather - Callosa D'En Sarria enjoys a fine Mediterranean climate with plenty of sunshine and low rainfall, the town generally experiences long hot summers and mild winters, most of the rain which does fall occurs during the winter months.
Callosa d'en Sarria Links: Callosa d'en Sarria Map
Callosa d'en Sarria Property: Advertise your Callosa d'en Sarria property here. Advertise Here.
Nearby Places: Abdet - Polop - Benidorm - Denia - Moraira - Calpe - Altea - Albir - Javea - Guadalest - Villajoyosa - El Campello - Finestrat - Alfaz del Pi
Attractions: Terra Mitica - Aqualandia - Mundomar - Terra Natura - Penon de Ifach - Caves of Canelobre - Fuentes de Algar
Golf Courses: Oliva Nova Golf - Ifach Golf Club - Real Faula Golf - Spain Golf
Related: Alicante - Valencia - Alicante Weather - Alicante Transfers - Spain - Builders
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