Bèrnia's Great Ice House restoration launches with helicopter material delivery

Xaló Town Council and the Museu Arqueològic i Etnològic de Xaló (MAEX) are driving forward and carrying out restoration, consolidation and museumification work on the Great Ice House of Bèrnia, according to La Marina Plaza. Work began on 16 September 2026, according to the same source, with an estimated execution period of around three months.

The structure, situated in a difficult-to-access point within the Sierra de Bèrnia, within the municipality of Xaló, required an unusual logistical solution: the Alicante Provincial Council provided a helicopter to transport materials, tools and other elements necessary for the work to the site, according to La Marina Plaza.

Regional funding

The Conselleria de Presidencia Segunda of the Valencian Community is funding the intervention with €100,000, according to La Marina Plaza, as part of assistance lines aimed at the protection and revitalisation of cultural heritage in municipalities.

This work seeks to restore and reinforce the original architectural structure of this ancient snow well, as well as broaden knowledge of its history and architectural value, according to La Marina Plaza. Once work is completed, the space will have complete structural consolidation and a museographical proposal designed for dissemination amongst residents and visitors, in accordance with the same source.

The Great Ice House of Bèrnia dates from the modern period and is catalogued as a Site of Local Relevance, as it represents the traditional economic and cultural activity linked to ice conservation in the Marina Alta comarca, according to La Marina Plaza.