Bed and Breakfast Gandia - Page 11 of 12 - Villa Florencia Casa Rural Gandia

Guided Spanish Walking Holidays

Guided Spanish Walking HolidaysA feature of the area surrounding Villa Florencia is the plethora of walking routes for the hiker, all carefully signposted with distances and estimated walking times. Beautiful April weather and a visit from my nephew prompted the decision to sample the delights of one of the walking routes ourselves.Turning left out of the driveway, a few steps along the road took us to the country lane that winds through the orchards and past several villas and casitas up to the tree-line, where the walk that we had selected begins in earnest. We had decided to walk the route that is designated as the GR236, which in fact begins in the nearby village of Ermita and comes past the house. Its destination is the mountain village of La Drova, and the estimated time for the walk from the tree-line point is 2 hours 20 minutes. The weather was perfect, with warm sunshine following a light shower of rain in the early morning, so by the time we were starting in the early afternoon the air was fresh and the sun gently warmed us as we went. The entire route is marked at regular intervals either by conventional signposts,…

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Easter in Spain

Easter can be the perfect time to think about a break from the grey skies of northern Europe and to head to the Costa Blanca in Spain for some early, pre-summer sunshine. Days should be warm and sunny and a welcome change from the probably still chilly weather elsewhere. Evenings will still be cooler of course, but nevertheless very much milder than in the UK. As well as the better temperatures, Easter in Spain can give the visitor a feel for a tradition that has been all but lost in most other countries in Europe, and it is marked with a mixture of tradition, music, culture, theatre and, of course, religion. Semana Santa is the Spanish description for Easter, although this translates literally as ‘Holy Week’. The festivities do in fact last for the entire week leading up to the Easter weekend, with processions through the streets from local churches to the cathedral and back again. Most of the processions tend to take place in the evening, with the most important being on the Thursday, and going through into Good Friday. As far as church services are concerned, Easter Sunday is obviously the most significant.The Easter processions date back to…

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Las Fallas 2011

Wednesday sees the beginning of the most significant fiesta in the Valencian Community – Las Fallas. This culminates on March 19th each year, when the huge effigies that have been constructed in the streets of Valencian towns are burnt in homage to St Joseph – the patron saint of carpenters – and traditionally marks the beginning of the new season and the casting out of things left over from the previous year. The effigies are constructed during the week leading up to March 19th in the streets and squares of the towns, usually being a collective effort of that particular neighbourhood. The subsequent judging of the statues takes place, and the order in which they are ranked then determines the order in which they are burnt on the night itself, with the winner being left until last.Each day at 2.00pm from Wednesday onwards, there is a deafening fireworks display (or “mascleta”) that takes place in the large square by the railway station in Gandía, and this is the signal that the day’s festivities can commence. Shops and businesses often close for the rest of the day and the populace takes to the streets to admire the effigies that are taking…

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Spring Property Hunters

The worst of the winter weather is now well and truly behind us and we can look forward to the beginning of a new season and a steady rise in temperature. One of the main attractions of living on the Costa Blanca is of course the much milder climate compared to the UK, so although residents here might complain about the cold season, it really is nothing compared to what they have left behind. The first of the year’s property hunters arrived to stay at Villa Florencia at the beginning of the week, having decided that the Gandia area was the ideal base to look around for some bargain Spanish properties for sale. It is the perfect area for those not wishing to be a part of the concentrated ex-pat communities further down the coast, but ideal for anyone looking for the opportunity to settle in a part of the country still so authentically Spanish. Added to that, there are excellent communications in the area with a great motorway network, efficient railway system and Valencia airport also within easy reach. Following the worst of the economic crisis now is an excellent time to think of making that major investment in…

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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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Self Catering Apartment Gandia

Early January marked the arrival of Peter and Sally, along with their good friend Margaret, who had made a booking several months before to stay with us in our self-catering apartment. They flew in to Valencia and hired a car at the airport, arriving by about midday – which meant they had had a very early start in the UK. When commenting that they obviously had no trouble finding us, since they made the trip from the airport so quickly, it emerged they knew the whole area really well, as they used to own a holiday property in Xeraco, the next town north along the coast from Gandia. So this was something of a trip down memory lane for them, visiting all the places that they knew and loved when they were regular visitors to the area. They had booked our self-catering apartment as they thought that a self-catering holiday would be the best option for them and give them the greatest level of independence, but they often chose to dine with us in the main part of the house in the evenings. Each evening they would tell us of the trips they had made that day, comparing the area…

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Pet Friendly Casa Rural

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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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Monastery Route

The “Monasteries Route” – or “Ruta dels Monestirs” as it is called locally – provides an itinerary which passes through the central areas of Valencia, linking five ancient convents or monasteries. It can be done easily by road with direct access to the monasteries, or equally well on foot using the GR-236 hiking path, which follows medieval mountain paths (the Pas del Pobre), authentic old tracks, and old railway lines. Along its 90km length from Gandía to Alzira we pass through a wide range of villages, valleys, rivers and mountains. The Monestir de Sant Jeroni near Alfauir was built by Alfons el Vell (Duke of Gandía) in order to take in the Jeroni monks of Javea in 1388. A particularly outstanding feature is the gothic style cloisters, and also well worth visiting are the Romantic style gardens which were constructed by the Trénor family, who are still the current owners. The Convent del Corpus Christi near Llutxent dates from 1422 when Dominican monks began its construction, and in fact the first Valencian university was housed here. Right by the monastery you will find the Corpus Christi Church, built in a mediterranean gothic style, and which was declared a national monument…

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