Water Fair of Orxeta

On the foothills of the Sierra de Aitana, the small municipality of Orxeta has built its identity around one fundamental element: water. Springs, historic irrigation channels, mills and an ancestral relationship with the water cycle shape the landscape and culture of this Marina Baixa village. Each May, Orxeta holds the Water Fair (Fira de l’Aigua), a two-day event that celebrates this liquid heritage and everything it has generated around it. On 30 and 31 May 2026, water takes centre stage.

Water as living heritage

Orxeta is an example of how rural communities in the Valencian interior managed water efficiently and sustainably long before those concepts became fashionable. The network of irrigation channels distributing spring water to farmland, the traditional communal washing places, the livestock troughs and the hydraulic mills are all testimony to a popular engineering tradition that functioned for centuries.

The Water Fair was created to recover and share this heritage — to explain to new generations, and to visitors, how water has shaped the territory, agriculture, gastronomy and social relations of Orxeta and the surrounding villages.

Fair programme

Guided hiking routes

The area around Orxeta offers a landscape of great natural value, crossed by trails that connect springs, channels and elements of water heritage. The fair organises guided hiking routes of varying difficulty, from easy family walks to more demanding routes across the mountain slopes. Guides explain the history and workings of traditional irrigation systems along the way.

Local produce market

The fair’s market brings together local producers and craftspeople from Orxeta and neighbouring municipalities. Olive oil, almonds, honey, preserves, aromatic herbs and artisan products connected to the natural environment of the sierra are all on offer. It is also an opportunity to discover the flavours of a zone that combines dryland farming with traditional irrigated orchards.

Water heritage exhibitions and demonstrations

Restoration of irrigation channels, demonstration of a working mill, explanation of the traditional water distribution system — the fair includes educational activities that make the municipality’s historic water heritage tangible and accessible.

Family activities

Water workshops for children, traditional games related to the natural environment, and a treasure hunt through the village outskirts. The fair is suitable for the whole family and pays particular attention to young visitors as future guardians of this heritage.

Gastronomy of water

Water gives life to gastronomy too. The fair offers a food programme based on produce from the orchards irrigated by local springs: salads, pickles, rice dishes and desserts made with the fruits of traditional irrigated agriculture.

Orxeta: a village in the mountains

Orxeta is a municipality of just over 700 inhabitants, set on the foothills of the Sierra de Aitana at around 200 metres altitude. Its historic centre retains the traditional architecture of Valencian inland villages: narrow streets, stone houses, the parish church and the network of hydraulic elements that attest to the historical importance of water in daily life.

Although relatively close to the coast — Benidorm is less than 20 kilometres away — Orxeta has maintained a distinctly rural character. Rural and nature tourism has grown in recent years, and the Water Fair is one of the events that best expresses the municipality’s desire to share its heritage with outside visitors.

An environmentally conscious event

The Water Fair of Orxeta also has an environmental awareness dimension. In the context of climate change, reflecting on the historical management of water in the western Mediterranean has a relevance that goes beyond heritage. The collection and distribution systems designed by our ancestors may offer valuable lessons for managing an increasingly scarce resource.

The fair hosts talks, debates and activities that connect Orxeta’s water history to the challenges of the present.

Getting to Orxeta

Orxeta is an inland municipality, most easily reached by private vehicle:

• From Benidorm: 20 minutes
• From Alicante: 45 minutes
• From Villajoyosa/Vila Joiosa: 15 minutes
• From El Campello: 30 minutes

Some bus lines connect the area with larger centres, though weekend service is limited. Check timetables in advance.

Practical information

• Dates: 30–31 May 2026
• Venue: Orxeta (historic centre and surrounding countryside)
• Entry: Free (some activities may require prior registration)
• Recommended footwear: Comfortable walking shoes suitable for country paths
• Suitable for: All ages