The site has been settled since prehistoric times, as evidenced by the famous paintings in the Valltorta ravine; as to the name of the town, there is some doubt as to whether it is of Roman (Vincens Roma) or Arabic origin (Cide Aben-Romá). The first document to mention Castillo de Coves (Coves Castle) is the Chronicle of James I (1233). Coves Castle comprised the town itself and seven other municipalities, together forming the Setena de Coves. The first lord of the place was Blasco de Alagón. Upon his death, James I ceded it to the Order of Calatrava. Through land exchange, it passed into the hands of Artal d'Alagó, who gave it to Mateo Huguet and others to settle, according to the Charter. In 1294 James I gave it to the Knights Templar, but when this was abolished he awarded it to the Order of the Hospital. In 1317, The King, in order to limit the excessive power of this order, created the Order of Montesa, the last lords of this land. In 1421 the Kingdom's Parliament (Cortes) were held in les Coves, before being subsequently moved to Traiguera. After the War of Succession, les Coves suffered the effects, like the rest of the Valencia region, of the suppression of the Fueros Aragoneses (Aragonese Charters) and the establishment of the centralizing power of Philip V.
Economy
The key economic activities are agriculture, with rainfed crops such as almond, carob and olive trees. Livestock is the most active sector, with around 150 pig and poultry farms throughout the district. As for industry, employment is generated by a ceramics companie and various construction companies. A companie manufacturing wind turbine blades means 500 jobs.
What to see
You can explore the old part of the municipality, with the Iglesia de la Virgen de los Desamparados, the old church that is currently being rebuilt, and the Portalet, the old village gates. The Parish Church features a small museum inside it, while on the outskirts of the village, we find the Sant Vicent hermitage.
Landscape
The town centre is situated at a longitude of 00º17' and latitude of 40º17', with an elevation of 180 m. The municipal district of les Coves de Vinromà consists of a vast valley surrounded by several mountain formations that run parallel to the coast, at modest altitudes. To the west lie the mountain ranges of the Serra Engarcerán, which boast the highest elevations in the district, crowned by the "Coll del Boix" (775 m), right by the district's dividing line, which is situated at an altitude of around 600-700 metres, and contains the "Tossal Gros", which has an elevation of 650 metres, one of the other biggest in the municipal district. To the northwest, you can see the Calderona mountain range, with peaks of 528 m (Las Atalayas). To the east, you have the Murs mountains and the Sierra de la Vall d'Angel range which, at an elevation of 400 m, separates this valley from that of Alcalà de Xivert; although the two valleys do join up past the 300-metre mount Bovalar, stretching out to the sea. To the south, there are elevations of around 350 metres, separating the les Coves valley from the Plà del Arc. The Sant Miquel river, also known as the Riu de les Coves, runs through the municipal district of les Coves de Vinromà. This river has its source in Catí, specifically at the Nevera peak, and forms an artery whose course runs for roughly 40 km. It is dry for most of the year, with only an occasional flow, when there are torrential rains. The district's climate is typically Mediterranean, with hot dry summers and mild winters. It is worth mentioning the dreaded frosts, which occur in the lower reaches of the district in February and March and are a clear danger to the almond crops. The north wind, known as the cierzo, is dry and cold in winter, while the western wind, the poniente, is hot, and the eastern wind is warm and gentle. The maximum average temperature is 23ºC, with a minimum of 8.4ºC and an overall average of 15.7ºC. Precipitation comes in the regions of 150-220 litres per square metre and usually occurs in the months of April, September and December.
