The clients between conversations and coffee, enjoy the artworks that fill the walls of the cafes.

The citizens have no excuse to enjoy art, as apart from museums, there are other places where to view exhibitions, the cafeterías. The clientes, at the same time as they have a drink, admire the artworks which they can buy later. For the Ilicitans, this fashion  has transformed itself into the possibility of making artistic routes through Elche.

Between coffee and tea, some artworks The cafeterías of the town offer exhibitions of photography and painting of much varied artists.

The exhibition of artworks and photography go over from te art galleries to one of the most visited places: the Ilicitan cafeterías and tea-rooms. Premises like "Directo", Alebus", "Alquimia" o "Mantis" are some of the places where the clients can enjoy a coffee while at the same time they can view the different exhibitions that are shown every month. Some receive works of local painters, other prefer the international culture, but all of them support this fashion that serves to bring the citizens nearer to the art. Since twenty five years, the Tea-room Mantis shows drawings, paintings and photography of local authors. "The way of contacting is mouth to ear and we are open to any expression that is not offensive" tells us the owner of the place, Pedro Guilló. On the other hand, the cafetería Alquimia enjoys since four years the collaboration of the painter association "Art Points", that supplies him regularly with material.

"We bring artworks of painters who in their own country are well known, which is the reason of the high prices of some artworks", explains Paco, one of the owners of the place. In 1999 joins the show  the cafetería "Alebus", who chooses to support the artists of the province, specially from Elche. Juan Carlos Botella, co-owner of the place said that many people "don't look at the artworks but others even go along the route to the different places". Apart from opening a new art market, it serves the premises to attract new clients and to change  their decoration periodically. "The reaction of the people is positive. They like to see the changes. They specially like the more traditional paintings, like still lives, but for example, digital art is not so well liked " explains Paco. But apart from the classical paintings, in these places they have shown works as peculiar as the exhbition of comics of an eight year old little girl, another one of seashells or the current exhibition in "Alebus" about posters of celebrations.