A Gothic sanctuary, recurring festivals and routes with different distance profiles define Las Virtudes. The Santuario de las Virtudes tells a story of construction that dates back to an original hermitage. Added to this are a festival calendar with dates in July and during Navidad y Reyes, as well as two routes described in very different terms: the linear PR-CV 197 and the Vía Verde del Xixarra.

The Sanctuary and Archaeological Traces

The present-day Santuario de las Virtudes and monastery grew out of an expansion carried out in the 16th century at an original hermitage. The church has three naves and is built in the Gothic style. The Baroque Camarín features stucco work and 18th-century paintings with Marian allegories. The building’s history thus brings together different periods: the hermitage as its origin, its expansion in the 16th century, and the Gothic church with its later-decorated Baroque Camarín.

Nearby is the archaeological site of Cabezo de la Virgen 1, on the flat-topped plateau of Cabezo de la Virgen. Finds there point to the Bronze Age, the protohistoric period and the Middle Ages. The Fuente del Chopo once rose at the foot of the mountain. These archaeological and historical connections add a long history of the surrounding landscape to the story of the sanctuary.

Festivals at Different Times of Year

The local festivals of Las Virtudes take place every year in July and begin with a traditional Pregón de Fiestas. During the July celebrations, the annual presentation gala of the Lagunera is held on the esplanade of the Santuario de las Virtudes. The recurring July date gives the festivals a fixed place in the annual calendar; the gala links its program to the sanctuary.

Local traditions also include two annual Votos. On these occasions, people visit the sanctuary in gratitude for the end of the illness. The present-day Día del Voto falls on the Sunday after Easter. The Día de la Esclavitud takes place on the Sunday after the patron saint festivities end. Both dates vary from year to year, so the specific day of the festival cannot be determined from the month alone.

A recurring religious tradition also marks the calendar at the end of August: the image of the patron saint is carried in a pilgrimage from the Santuario to Villena, so that it can preside over the festivities in her honor. Another festive period is Navidad y Reyes. These festivities have been recognized by the Generalitat Valenciana as a festival of local tourist interest. Their central program includes Autos Sacramentales featuring the Adoration of the Three Wise Men, the Flight into Egypt and the Massacre of the Innocents. Since 1926, the Agrupación de Fiestas de Navidad y Reyes de Las Virtudes in Villena has kept the tradition of Christmas celebrations alive.

Routes: Course, Distance and Use

In its official sequence, the PR-CV 197 passes through Puente de los Espejos, La Encina, Santa Eulalia, Las Virtudes and La Zafra. It is listed as a linear route with a length of 47.35 km. The Salinas de Penalva are near this location. The PR-CV 197 also crosses the old Camino de la Verge. Before setting out on a hike along the PR-CV 197, check the signage and trail maintenance.

The Vía Verde del Xixarra offers a different type of route: it starts at the Santuario de las Virtudes in Villena. The route uses 15 km of a former railway line that is 84 km long in total and ran along the foothills of the Sierra de Mariola. It can be used on foot, by bicycle and in a wheelchair. The planning considerations described therefore differ: for the PR-CV 197, the overall linear distance and its course are the main considerations; for the Vía Verde, the starting point at the Santuario and the stated ways of using the route also come into play. These different details help you decide whether your interest lies in a hiking route or a former railway line, without conflating the two.

Discover more destinations: Beniaia, Callosa D'en Sarrià, La Vall De Gallinera, Benijófar, Elche, Ondara, Els Poblets, La Mandarina.

For the regional travel overview: Alicante.