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Relleu
Relleu is a quite isolated
village, situated about 12kms inland from the coastal resort
of
Benidorm.
Relleu is a village of approx 1000 inhabitants. Relleu
meaning "relief" is overlooked by the ruins of an 11th
century castle. Relleu is typical of the inland
villages. It is set in a valley with truly spectacular
views. The old town is a maze of narrow streets
flanked either side by tall whitewashed houses. There is a
tiny square outside the church where the old men sit and
reminisce. The locals are extremely friendly and will go out
of their way to say "hola". Perhaps surprisingly owing
to its location, the village is becoming popular with second
home owners form outside Spain. It would be very nice
to own a place in Relleu old town. Everybody knows
each other and crime is virtually non existent, hopefully
that will continue with the influx of people from outside
the area.
I was told by some English
teenagers who were brought up in the village that if the bar
owners decide to lock up when there are still people sitting
having a drink, the customers leave the money on the window
sill for the bar owner to collect the next day. The village
itself is still unspoiled but there are some new
developments just outside which have not been
sympathetically designed to blend with the surroundings.
Most are two storey terraces painted white but without much
imagination. In my opinion, these developments lend nothing
to the area and some may say spoil it. It would
be interesting to hear what the locals think about the new
houses, I'm sure they are resigned to this sort of
development which is affecting a lot of inland towns.
The area around Relleu is
still a true wilderness with majestic mountains and valleys.
Moving to Relleu could mean a tranquil village life for
anybody who doesn't mind the isolation. There are a
few bars and restaurants in the town, which is still
relatively cheap compared to resort standards.
Without the local bars and restaurants, I doubt many drivers
would make the scary(ish) night time drive from Relleu
to say
La Cala de Finestrat
and back, for a meal out.
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