Muro de Alcoy: Palau square, El Fumeral and Turballos

Muro de Alcoy’s urban and industrial history deserves attention before you head for the mountains. Palau square and El Fumeral provide two distinct landmarks. Turballos adds a small inhabited hamlet below Benicadell, rather than another neighbourhood within the central walk.

A square with a dancing tradition

The Palau de la Senyoria has brickwork and balconies decorated with Valencian ceramics. Its square is associated with the danses de palau, accompanied by dolçaina and tabal, traditional wind and percussion instruments. Looking at the open space suggests its communal role as well as the manor-house façade; that history should not be mistaken for an event scheduled on your visiting day.

The chimney and the industrial town

El Fumeral survives from the Mariano Miquel olive-pomace oil works of 1921. Its pentagonal brick section distinguishes it from a defensive tower or bell tower. The council connects this industrial landscape with the Alcoi-Gandia railway, which helped bring in coal and carry products out.

Turballos has a different setting

The hamlet stands on the southern side of Benicadell and retains the church of San Francisco de Paula. Dry-farmed olive groves and small streets make this a different visit from central Muro. It remains a residential place, where doorways and private spaces should be respected.

To link settlements on foot, consult the council’s Ruta de les Pedanies, which also includes Alquerieta Jordà, Benàmer and Setla de Nunyes. Use its map to choose a section; mentioning Turballos does not make the whole circuit a short stroll. For an urban visit, concentrate on the Palau and industrial heritage, leaving the hamlet for a separate part of the day.