About 5.5 kilometers inland from Alicante lies Ibi. At first glance, a gray and peaceful village surrounded by farmland. But behind the modest facade hides a more colorful history. Once this was a place of pilgrimage. At that time, the city was nicknamed "The City of Toys". In its heyday, Ibi had as many as 70 toy factories, more than any other city in Spain. Many of the most popular toys were made here. Ibi is also en excellent place to watch the almond tree flowering.
Ibi was traditionally a poor agricultural municipality. Due to the barren soil and dry climate, it was not a source of livelihood for more than around 3,600 inhabitants at the end of the 19th century. This changed drastically when the three brothers Vicente, Pascual and Emilio Payá took over the company Payá Hermanos S.A. from their father and in 1905 decided to create a toy factory.
The brothers' first products won many awards at the first regional exhibition in Valencia. After this, the factory became one of the most popular in Spain. One of their greatest successes was the Santa Fe, the first electric train in Spain. They were also among the first to produce plastic toys. The brothers inspired many others to follow in their footsteps. Eventually, there were more than 70 toy factories there, and Ibi was nicknamed the city of toys.
The factories needed workers, and the population rose to over 20,000. People were doing well, and everything looked bright. In 1936, over 800 different toys were being produced. But the civil war caused major upheavals. In 1937, the factory was placed under the command of the authorities as "la fábrica 27º de la Subsecretaría de Armamento". Where toys had previously been made, bullets, grenades and war materials were now to be produced.
After the war, toy production was fortunately revived, and the 1940s and 1950s were a new golden age for the toy town. However, from 1975 onwards, the industry began to gradually decline due to increasingly strong competition from abroad. In 1984, Payá had to close its doors for good.
The end of toy production, however, was the beginning of a new industrial era. Today, the town has many other industries, especially the plastics industry. Unlike most other places in Spain, there is no unemployment in Ibi. The factories employ anyone who wants to.
Ibi has little tourism. It has its advantages and disadvantages. The most important disadvantage is that there is not much that is arranged for tourists. The big advantages are that the few who come are welcomed with interest and curiosity, and that there is little crowding. If you are going to visit Ibi, however, you should avoid the siesta (from 1 pm to 4 pm) because then everything is closed. The following places may be interesting to see:
Museo Valenciana del juguete Ibi (toy museum)
Museo Arcade Vintage (old slot machines)
Monumentos de los Reyes Magos
Casco Antiguo de Ibi (old town)
Jardín Botánico de Torretes (botanical garden)
La floracion de los almendros (almond tree blossom)
Museo Valenciana del juguete Ibi
The Toy Museum in Ibi has the mission of documenting and preserving the history of toy production in Spain. It is open Tuesday - Friday from 10 am to 1 pm and from 4 pm to 7 pm, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 11 am to 2 pm. Closed every Monday throughout the year. Entrance costs 2 euros for adults and 1.5 euros for children and pensioners. The museum is located near the church in the old town.
This is a relatively small museum, but you get a nice look back at the history of toys. Here many older people recognize toys from their childhood. The first toys were made of metal and wood. Eventually, plastic toys also came. Payá was the first factory in Spain to use plastic. The museum consists of three halls. One of them has a permanent exhibition of toys from different eras. The second has a preserved production hall that you can only see through a window, and the third has exhibitions with varying themes.
In the building next to the toy museum is a shop where you can buy toys. It is also worth a visit. It has a particularly good selection of dolls and doll accessories. It collaborates with the Museo Ratón Pérez, which is a toy museum in the neighboring town of Castalla, which is a few kilometers away.
Museo Arcade Vintage
In the Museo Arcade Vintage you can see old slot and video machines. It is located in the premises of Rico, which was one of the other large toy factories in Idi. It is only open on Saturdays from 10-14 and 16-20 and Sundays from 10-14. Entrance costs 20 euros for adults, 9 euros for children from 6-11 years old and free for children under 5 years old. The ticket includes free play on all the video machines.
Monumentos de los Reyes Magos
The story of the three oriental kings who brought gifts to the baby Jesus is important to the people of Ibi. It is immortalized through two monuments - one in glass that stands on a roundabout at the entrance to the town and one in marble that stands in an open square inside the town.
Casco Antiguo de Ibi
The old town of Ibi is where toy production began. Here you will find narrow streets, old buildings and the beautiful and large church "Iglesia de la Transfiguración del Señor" which has been here since the 16th century. This is a relatively small area. It is recommended to take a coffee break at the Rico pastry shop a little way below the town hall square.
Jardín Botánico de la Universidad de Alicante - Estación Biológica de Torretes
The Botanical Garden is located a few kilometers outside the city on a hillside. It is owned and run by the University of Alicante. In addition to preserving the diversity of trees, shrubs and plants in the area, space has been set aside to preserve rare bird species. There is a separate area with benches where you can sit in the shade or sun and enjoy the sounds of nature. For children, it can also be fun to try their hand at the labyrinth. Spring - and especially May - is the best time to visit the garden, because then all the plants are in bloom. In winter, there are no flowering plants, but you can see some in the greenhouses that are open.
Admission is free, and the garden is open Monday to Friday 10am-2pm, Saturdays from 10am-2pm and 4pm-7pm, and Sundays 10am-2pm.
La floracion de los almendros - almond tree blossom
The area around the village of Ibi is one of the best places to visit if you want to see almond blossoms in the Alicante region. The almond blossom season in the Alicante region is between the latter half of January and the first half of March, depending on the weather. If the winter has been cold, it will come late - if it has been warm, it will start early. Generally, it starts earlier in the lowlands than in the mountains. Since the flowering only lasts a week or two in each place, and some trees start blooming before others, it can be difficult to pinpoint the exact time when entire fields are covered in white or pink with almond blossoms. But when everything is in order, it is a magnificent sight.
The area around the exit from the A7 to Tibi and the road towards Ibi is nice if you want to see almond blossoms up close. There are large fields of almond trees near the road in several places, and it is possible to get right down to them. But it is best to know in advance whether the blossoming has started or not. It is short-lived.
More excursions: www.turideer.com
Excursion of the week: Toys and almond tree blossoming - the forgotten Toy City Ibi
Suitable for: Everyone
Getting there: Take the A7 from Alicante towards Alcoy. Exit towards Ibi after Castalla and follow the signs to the city centre. It may be an advantage to park near the church. It is close to many of the interesting things to see.
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