Betxí

Betxí lies in the Plana Baixa region, around 102 metres above sea level, in a flat landscape dominated by orange groves, market gardens and some dry-farmed crops. It enjoys a mild climate, with warm summers and gentle winters, making it pleasant to explore in any season.

The heart of the town is the Plaça Major, home to the town hall and, opposite it, the Palau-Castell, Betxí's most iconic building. Its Renaissance courtyard and its Roman-style barrel-vaulted hall mark the origin of the town. On Plaça de l'Església stands the 17th-century church of the Mare de Déu dels Àngels, and to the north is the 18th-century Calvari hermitage, an unusual example of a calvary built on flat ground.

People have lived here since the Bronze Age. In Iberian times, from the 4th century BC, the settlements of Conena, els Castellets, el Solaig and Sant Antoni emerged, yielding treasures such as the inscribed lead tablet of El Solaig and the Sant Antoni bronze. With Romanisation the population moved down to the plain, as shown by the remains at La Torrassa and La Bassa Seca, and after the Christian conquest of 1233 the Muslim community remained economically strong.

Today Betxí lives mainly from growing, packing and trading citrus fruit, along with the ceramics industry, cardboard and packaging manufacturing and related services. It is a perfect place to discover the heritage of La Plana among the orange groves.