Category: Accommodation Blog

Dog Rescuers from Germany!

Just over a month ago we were pleased to have Dagmar and Andreas visit us for a couple of days from Germany. They were spending time helping at the local animal rescue centre before taking four dogs back to Germany by plane for adoption. Dagmar chose a dog that she also wanted to adopt, but was not able to take it with her at the time for legal reasons and it was going to be transported to Germany at the beginning of June. We were therefore very happy when they returned to us last week by car with the intention of taking Dagmar’s own dog back with them, as well as three others that had also been found homes in Germany. They arrived late in the afternoon, having left Germany the previous evening and driven non-stop the whole way! Having visited us before, they settled in with us like they felt at home immediately and joined us for dinner that night. The next morning they were keen to go to the rescue shelter and see the dogs they were taking home, so the plan was to straight to the centre, spend some time with the dogs and depart for Germany…

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Overnight B&B Guests from Holland

On Sunday we were pleased to have Ton and Frank from Holland stay with us for the night on their way south to Almeria. They had set off on their journey by car from the Netherlands on the Saturday, staying at Narbonne in France along the way. In fact they phoned us from France to enquire if we had a vacancy for Sunday night, as they liked the idea of breaking their journey in our part of the northern Costa Blanca. This was to be a tour around the mainland of Spain for them, lasting about four weeks, in order to familiarise themselves with the country. They already have a property on the Canary Islands, although are thinking of relocating to the mainland, as well as retaining their other home in Holland also. They arrived during the afternoon, having made good time from France, and were pleased to be able to spend some time around the pool in the beautiful weather that we are enjoying now, before taking advantage of our evening meal service too. They decided that it would make things very much easier for them if they could simply relax after their long drive, without having to think…

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Property Hunters with plenty of Choice!

Bernard and Grace arrived on Tuesday for a three night stay with us, having already visited this and many other parts of Spain in the past. However, they were here with a purpose other than a break from the routine of life in England – they were looking for a property to buy for their retirement, with the intention of moving here on a permanent basis. They had spent time in the past looking for property in various locations along the Mediterranean coast, but had now decided that this area was the one they preferred. The northern Costa Blanca seemed to suit most of their requirements, and the area around Gandía was particularly to their liking. They wanted to see a good choice of quality properties at reasonable prices in an appealing part of the country – and somewhere that still felt like it was an authentically Spanish area, rather than somewhere that had a disproportionate ex-pat community (whatever the nationality!). With the choice of houses currently on the market, they had already spent time on previous visits viewing a large number of houses, so this visit was to be a series of mainly second viewings, to whittle their list…

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Family Holidays in Spain

Easter was a very busy time for us all at our casa rural in Gandía, with a completely full house over the Easter weekend itself. Visitors returned from last year, as well as many new ones visiting us for the first time. The weather had been forecast to be damp and cool, but in the end only a little rain fell over the holiday period, and mostly the weather was fine and warm – always good for our guests on their holidays! Tony, Trudy and their children Harvey, Monty and Queenie visited us for just over a week, and chose to stay in our self-catering apartment. Tony and Trudy had visited the area last year with a possible view to purchasing a holiday property and wanted to return this time with their children to give them the opportunity to see the region also. The self-catering apartment was the ideal option for them, and allowed them much more flexibility – they enjoyed the sense of independence and privacy that the apartment allows, but at the same time they joined us for most of their evening meals – and even for some breakfasts too! They wanted the advantages of the apartment, but…

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House-Hunters Spoilt for Choice!

The property market in Spain may have suffered a spectacular decline in the recent past, and it is true that this plays an enormous part in the present woes of the Spanish economy. However, a housing market which is suffering from an excess of supply over demand can only mean good news for any buyers who happen to come along. We were pleased to welcome a couple from Belgium recently who were on a serious house-hunting expedition, had done their homework thoroughly before leaving home and who arrived at our door with a full diary of appointments with local estate agents. They were looking for a property that would be large enough to accommodate their visiting children and grandchildren, which had a swimming pool and fairly large gardens (so that there was always something to do!), was within about half an hour from the beach, but yet would be easy to leave unoccupied for the times when they would be back in their own home in Belgium This was to be a property for holidays and winter time – some of their time would still be spent in Belgium, as this was not a full move, but rather an additional…

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Old Friends Return!

Last weekend we were really pleased to welcome back some guests from last year – 2 groups of girls who enjoy coming to Gandía for its nightlife, but at the same time like to stay in a quiet rural location. Gandia Casa Rural offered them the ideal place to stay, where they could self-cater and have a short break but enjoy all the benefits the house has to offer at the same time.The first group of four friends come from Segovia, and have visited us twice in the past. The other two girls are from Castellón, and last year was their first visit to Gandia Casa Rural. Since they had not stayed with us at the same time as each other previously, the two groups soon got to know each other and became friends, and went out to Playa de Gandía together on the Saturday night. Before that, however, there was plenty of time for relaxing around the pool and making the most of the facilities of the casa rural. Friday was spent settling in and then going to the beach at Playa de Gandía, returning in the evening and then having a leisurely barbecue in the garden. They all…

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Valencia Walking Holidays

As Northern Europe still finds itself in the grip of winter, the weather in Spain is at least bright and sunny, even if it is not hot enough to go swimming in the sea quite yet! Vincent and his girlfriend Kim from Belgium arrived at Villa Florencia at the beginning of the week – in search of a little respite from the cold weather further north. They are keen walkers and explorers, and wasted no time in getting to know the area a little, even on the afternoon of their arrival day and despite a very early start. They had decided that a self-drive holiday would be the best way to explore the area, so on Monday afternoon they went into Gandia and down to the Playa to get a feel for the place. After looking around for a while they returned to Villa Florencia for dinner and a well-earned good night’s sleep, to stand them in good stead for a day’s walking and exploring on Tuesday. A trip inland was planned for Tuesday, to take in some of the beautiful mountain scenery as well as a visit to Xativa castle, about 40 minutes by car from here. Vincent and…

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Winter Sunshine Holidays, Oliva Spain

Oliva is a town that lies on the coast some 8kms south of Gandía, and has much to offer both the holidaymaker and the resident alike. Oliva has, in fact, become a magnet for a certain number of ex-pats of many nationalities, but generally of the type that want to be associated with the Spanish way of life, rather than living in ‘ghetto’ like developments surrounded only by others of their own nationality. Served by the airports of Valencia to the north and Alicante to the south, Oliva is very easy to reach by car, lying as it does on the N332 highway which runs through the centre of the town. Driving south on the N332, the old part of the town is to be found on the right, whilst the “passeo” and then the beach area are to the left. The passeo is in fact the site of the famous weekly market in Oliva every Friday morning, which is one of the best in the whole La Safor area, with a huge choice of fresh produce on sale, as well as clothes and household items.Fiestas feature on the calendar of every town in Spain, and Oliva is no exception…

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Winter Sunshine Holidays Spain

Winter seems to be on its way to the United Kingdom, with an outlook of colder weather and even warnings that snow might not be far off.  So – what better time to think about a little winter sunshine? With low-cost airlines offering frequent and good value flights to the Costa Blanca, this could be the best time to consider taking a break from those grey skies. Daytime temperatures along the Costa Blanca are frequently in the mid-twenties centigrade with bright, sunny skies, so although it might not be quite swimming weather, it makes a lovely warm contrast to those overcast days of an endless British winter. Spain’s Costa Blanca is well served by both Valencia and Alicante airports, so depending on your departure point in the UK you will find a huge choice of economical flights at your disposal. Once here, there is no shortage of resorts to provide accommodation and entertainment at exceptionally good prices at this time of the year. Depending on your preferences, you could choose a holiday with city sightseeing as your main focus, driving around in the scenic mountains that lie close by, hill walking, golfing, or just relaxing in the warm sunshine. Spend…

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Guadalest – Costa Blanca Holidays

Situated as it is at the northern end of the Costa Blanca near the town of Gandía, Villa Florencia is ideally situated for visits to Valencia City (either by car or train), but of course also for trips south along the Costa Blanca itself, with all the often hidden pleasures that this region has to offer.One such place that is a real delight is the village of Guadalest, only a short distance inland from the well-known resort of Benidorm. However, a place more different than Benidorm with all its theme parks, bars and clubs would be hard to imagine. We decided to take the scenic route to Guadalest, so set off down the A7 motorway that follows the Costa Blanca coastline but took the exit at Altea and then headed inland over the mountains and through some truly fantastic scenery. We stopped off at several points along the way for photo opportunities of the surrounding countryside, as well as the large tracts of land we saw that are now used for the under-cover cultivation of nisperos – or loquats. Guadalest itself is a truly lovely village, although probably very crowded with tourists in the peak season. However, at this time…

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Spain Driving Holidays

Costa Blanca Driving Holidays.Many of our guests like to take a trip down the coast and to include a mixture of sights and sounds along the way. A favourite route takes them through Denia and Calpe, and then on to the picturesque resort of Altea. This has often been called ‘the artists capital of the Costa Blanca’, as the narrow streets of the old town are lined with the workshops and galleries of the artists and potters who have made their home there. You can buy their produce at evening markets in the main square of the town in the summer months as a souvenir of your visit. Altea is in fact only a short distance – about 7 kilometres – from the lively and well-known holiday centre of Benidorm, but could not be more different. Altea has a picturesque feel about it, with a famous church distinguished by its blue and white domes, and 2 harbours – the old fishing one and a newer sports harbour on the side of the town nearer Calpe. Bars and restaurants offer a good choice of places where you can enjoy yourself and have a nice meal, and Altea also has its share…

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