Elche is a bit the odd one out in the Spanish top flight. A relatively small, unknown city with a surprisingly big stadium. When you're around, for example for a sunny holiday, visit the rival in nearby Alicante as well.
When the modest Elche CF in season 2020/21 played in La Liga again, their stadium never fell out of tune. Especially the inside of Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero (33.000 seats) can easily compete with the stadiums of let's say Sevilla, Getafe and Espanyol. Elche (locally also known as 'Elx') wasn't for no reason a host city during the 1982 World Cup in Spain, with among the matches played here the group match between Hungary and El Salvador (10-1). The stadium from 1976 is compact and has a good atmosphere, with two tiers in the green club colors. Even the main stand doesn't have a roof here, but in this part of Spain that's usually no problem: Benidorm and Alicante are nearby, and the sun shines almost always here.
Right next to the stadium is a nice Spanish restaurant, perfect for tapas or a more extensive meal: Restaurante Franja Estadio. It's very good that they are there, because in the direct surrounding of Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero isn't much more going on. The stadium is on the eastern edge of Elche, on a mostly empty plain area, with a lot of parking space. Beneath the stands you have the small cafés La Trobada and La Fábrica de Hielo, but that's all. There are plans to change that, in the future there should rise a big shopping mall and a cinema right next to the stadium.
Close to the Plaza Castilla in Elche, not far from the stadium either, there's a lovely football store. Not necessarily for the football romantics (you won't find rare old jerseys here), but a really specialistic football store with everything you need on and around the pitch. The owners are real lovers of the game, and they will help you kindly.
When you're in Elche, we recommend also a short trip to nearby Alicante. Not just because it's a beautiful coastal city, but to visit the Estadio José Rico Perez of Hercules Alicante. The once so proud club has fallen deeply and gotten in financial trouple, but the stadium is still wonderful. The 1982 World Cup was played here as well, including Argentina with a young Diego Maradona. The floodlights are awesome and the stadium is charmingly asymmetric.
A little west of Elche you'll find a nice little stadium as well: the Estadio Municipal Enrique Miralles in Crevillent, home of Crevillente Deportivo.
When you enter Elche from the direction of Alicante, you'll see the green-white club flag waving proudly at the first roundabout of the Avenida José Esquitino Sempere. Right next to it, there's a monument for the fans of Elche.
Tickets for Elche's home games can be easily bought on the official website of the club. The chances of the stadium getting sold-out are close to zero, so can you try your luck on match days at the stadium as well.
The stadium lays right next to the EL-20, the provincial road to the east of Elche. Because of its location a little outside city limits, you can reach the stadium best by car, and there's close to no public transport in this area. Try to fix a taxi for afterwards in advance.
Images: Shutterstock, BSR Agency
