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Voykit pocket guide · Spain
Cocentaina
Go for one night in the first week of November (Fira de Tots Sants) or the second weekend of August (Moros i Cristians); otherwise it is a half-day stop from Alcoy.
Cocentaina is a small inland town of about 11,500 people in Alicante province, known for its textile past and for two medieval-rooted festivals: the Moors and Christians parades in August and the Fira de Tots Sants trade fair around 1 November. The old centre is walkable in an afternoon; the Serra Mariola mountains above it are the reason to stay longer if you hike. Most travellers base in Alcoy, 5 minutes away by train, and visit Cocentaina as a half-day.
- Country
- Spain
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot; festival crowds), the week of 1 Nov if you dislike crowds
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including tapas bars and taxis in the cities.
- Daily spend
- Budget €45–70 excl. bed · Mid €70–120 excl. bed · High €120+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EU and EEA plans roam at home prices; UK and other plans may charge — check before you land.
- Emergency
- All services 112 · National police 091 · Guardia Civil 062
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Bar or café: Leave small change or nothing.; Restaurant: Round up or 5–10% for good service; service is not usually added.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter: €1–2 a bag.; Guide on a free walking tour: €10–15 a person is the expected payment.
- Water
- Tap water is safe across the mainland; it tastes of chlorine in some coastal areas. Ask for 'agua del grifo' in restaurants — by law since 2025 they must offer it free (check local application).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars and cafés (buy a coffee). Stations and shopping centres have free or cheap toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €1.20–2 |
| Menu del día at lunch | €12–18 |
| Beer, bar / can at a shop | €2–3.50 / €0.80–1.50 |
| Café licor, small glass | €2–4 |
| Local bus Alcoy–Cocentaina | €1.50–2 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €8–15 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ALC · Alicante–Elche Miguel Hernández
- About 1 h 15 min by car via the A-7; bus and train connections to Alcoy, then a local bus or train to Cocentaina.
- VLC · Valencia
- About 1 h 30 min by car; Renfe trains from Valencia to Alcoy stop in Cocentaina, about 2 h (service halted for track works as of January 2026: check).
Typical fares
- Train Alcoy → Cocentaina
- about €2, 5 min (service halted for track works as of January 2026)
- Train Valencia → Cocentaina
- about €9, 2 h (service halted for track works as of January 2026)
- Bus Alcoy → Cocentaina, Subus
- €1.50–2, several times daily
Get around
The centre is small and flat enough to cross on foot in 15–20 minutes. Renfe trains link Cocentaina with Alcoy (about 5 min) and Valencia (about 2 h), but service is halted for track upgrading as of January 2026: check before you plan. Subus and Travicoi buses run between Alcoy and Cocentaina several times a day and stop on Av del País Valencià. A car helps for the Serra Mariola trailheads and Penella castle.
See and do
Known for
- Palau Comtal and its municipal museum
- Moros i Cristians festival (August)
- Fira de Tots Sants fair (around 1 November)
- Serra Mariola Natural Park and Montcabrer peak
- Café licor
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Alcoy | Renfe train (about 5 min) or Subus bus from Av del País Valencià | About 20–30 min |
| Serra Mariola Natural Park and Montcabrer | Car or taxi to a trailhead, then on foot; the park lists nine signposted trails | About 30 min to the trailhead |
| Castell de Penella | Car about 7 km south, then a short walkCar about 4.3 mi south, then a short walk | About 20 min |
| Cava Gran (snow cellar) | Car towards the park, then a marked trail | About 40 min |
| Biar | Car via the A-7 and CV-799 | About 30 min |
Sleep
- Old centre (around Plaça del Pla and Palau Comtal)
- Walk to the palace, museums and Thursday market; a handful of holiday apartments, few hotels.
- Av del País Valencià / Avinguda de Xàtiva
- The two small hotels sit here, near the bus stop and a short walk from the centre; free parking at both.
- Alcoy (base instead)
- More hotels, restaurants and train and bus links; 5 minutes by train or about 15 minutes by car from Cocentaina.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | HolaOH-lah |
| Thank you | GraciasGRAH-syahs |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorlah KWEN-tah por fah-VOR |
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-toh KWES-tah |
| Where is the castle? | ¿Dónde está el castillo?DON-deh es-TAH el kas-TEE-yoh |
| Can I pay by card? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?PWEH-doh pah-GAR kon tar-HEH-tah |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Two kisses on the cheek (right then left) between friends and when introduced socially; handshake in business; avoid: Being stiff — Spaniards stand close and touch arms
- Meal times: Late lunch and dinner; long sobremesa (chat after eating); avoid: Rushing to leave or asking for the bill with the last bite
- Noise: Join in the lively conversation; avoid: Reading loud voices as anger
- Siesta hours: Keep noise down in residential buildings 15:00–17:00 and after 23:00; avoid: Phone calls to people at lunch time
- Dress: Smart casual in cities; locals rarely wear shorts in Madrid in town; avoid: Swimwear or bare torsos away from the beach
- Regional pride: Ask about local dishes and festivals; avoid: Assuming Catalan or Basque are dialects of Spanish
Scams and watch-outs
- Train service on the Valencia–Alcoy line is halted for track works as of January 2026: check the Renfe site before relying on it.
- Cocentaina Castle and Penella Castle are normally locked; the town hall lends keys on request with ID, and opening depends on staff being there.
- The Fira de Tots Sants draws up to 500,000 people in a week: park in the lots outside the centre and arrive and leave early.
- Summer afternoons in July and August are hot and the hiking trails above town have little shade: start early and carry water.
- Few hotels in town; in festival weeks and the fair, book weeks ahead or sleep in Alcoy.
A quiet inland town; the real risks are summer heat on the trails, locked castle gates and festival-week traffic. Emergency number is 112.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Cocentaina yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Palau Comtal and its municipal museum
- Moros i Cristians festival (August)
- Fira de Tots Sants fair (around 1 November)
- Serra Mariola Natural Park and Montcabrer peak
- Café licor
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Cocentaina, revision 5329689 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5329689
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Cocentaina
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Cocentaina; the US has a consulate in Valencia, the UK and most others have consulates in Alicante or Valencia and embassies in Madrid.
Tourist Info is in the Capella de Sant Antoni by the Palau Comtal, Plaça del Pla; hours are Tue–Fri 10:00–13:00 and 17:00–19:00, Sat 10:00–13:00.Tourist Info is in the Capella de Sant Antoni by the Palau Comtal, Plaça del Pla; hours are Tue–Fri 10:00 AM–1:00 PM and 5:00 PM–7:00 PM, Sat 10:00 AM–1:00 PM.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/cocentaina). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.