More and more travelers are interested in learning about legends with hidden mysteries. These legends are the result of the imagination of indigenous people and, of course, the legends of the Costa Blanca are included in that mix. If you want to experience mystery tourism, we invite you to get to know the most intriguing destinations of the Costa Blanca and the most representative legends of each of those destinations – because the imagination has been, and continues to be, one of the great motivations of travelers.
Costa Blanca: A Land of Legends
We want to introduce you to some of the popular legends that are most loved by the locals at different destinations along the coast of Alicante. Tourism is much more than visiting beaches, towns, mountains, and cities. Let your imagination run wild and enjoy the authenticity of this land through its beautiful legends.
Roldan’s Cut and Benidorm Island
Roldan was a hero of the time of Charlemagne and he was somewhat arrogant. He fell in love with Angelica, a maiden of great beauty. Luck did not smile upon Roldan, because he was not able to capture the love of the Angelica. Angelica fell in love with Medor, a Moor, causing Roldan to rage.
The lovers decided to elope and Roldan went out into the mountains to look for them, destroying all the trees that he found in his path. It is said that the lovers fled to Benidorm and, once there, Roldan thought he saw them. Do you know what his reaction was? He cut a piece of the land and threw it at them, with such bad luck that it fell into the sea instead of hitting the lovers.
This piece of land is what today is known as Benidorm Island or Journalists’ Island.
The Sighs of Zoraima
The mysterious village of Guadalest is associated with one of the most precious indigenous legends. Zoraima was a Moor who lived with her father in Algar. This legend tells us the misadventures of Guzman of Benidorm, the Moor Ben-Yusuf, and Zoraima, whose end is tragic and culminates with the Moors taking shelter in Guadalest.
The beautiful Zoraima also took shelter, among sighs of love, in the arms of Ben-Yusuf, but her love for him ended up costing the Moor his life. It is said that Zoraima continues sighing in the Aitana Mountains.
The Cave of El Cid in Polop de la Marina
Polop de la Marina is known for a fantastic legend. A saint lived in the church of Polop with a precious daughter, Zuleima. The young woman fell in love with Ben-Zail, but Zuleima was considered too young to marry. As a result, Ben-Zail promised to return four years later. On the day of his return, the young man appeared to be suffering from leprosy and, shortly after, he died.
It was then that El Cid appeared in Polop and looted the town, finding Zuleima in the church with a dagger stuck in her chest. El Cid, in honor of Zuleima, decided to sleep in a cave instead of using the church. That cave is now known as the Cave of El Cid in Palop – a stop that you can’t miss if you’re visiting the area.
A Legend you Should Know
Of all the legends, the most representative is the one that tells us about the origin of the name Alicante. We’ll tell you about it here.
Aly, Cantara, and the Face of the Moor
Legend has it that Aly and Cantara lived in the land that we know today as Alicante. Cantara wasthe daughter of a caliph and she had incredible beauty: big eyes, black hair, a round face, white teeth, etc. Two good, young Moors fell in love with all these qualities. The caliph didn’t know who he should choose for his beloved daughter. Do you want to continue reading the story?
To find a solution for his dilemma, he entrusted the two men with a task: whoever finished it first would deserve the hand of his daughter. Almanzor and Aly, the suitors of the beautiful woman, got down to work. Almanzor went to India to get the finest spices, while Aly decided to stay in Novelda to be closer to his beloved.
Over time, Aly began to think that the task was not so important and he decided to… sing! He sang to Cantara of the many virtues that he saw in her, expressing himself in verse. The sly Aly got Cantara to fall madly in love with him. However, Almanzor appeared with a ship full of the best spices, and the caliph had to fulfill his promise: he granted Almanzor the hand of his daughter.
As you can probably imagine, this is where the drama began. Aly, desperate, threw himself into a ravine. Cantara decided to follow her lover and threw herself into the sea from what we now know as the ‘Salt de la Reina Mora’ (‘Jump of the Moorish Queen’). Nothing is known of Almanzor, but we do know that the caliph died of sadness and, mysteriously, his effigy was engraved on Mount Benacantil. It is what is now known as the Cara del Moro (‘Face of the Moor’).
Upon learning of the misfortune, the Saracen leaders decided to name the city after the lovers: Alicántara, evolving until the term we know it as today – Alicante.
What do you think of these mysteries from Alicante?