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Top Ten
Places to Visit
Valencia Region
1. Gandia (Gandía) Gandia, Spain history is inextricably bound up with the Borjas; the beautiful and opulent Gothic palace which was their family home in Spain has been impeccably restored Gandia The only other reminder of the town’s historic importance is the serene Gothic church of Santa María. A resort town, Gandía-Playa, has grown up around the port, with famously well-manicured beaches and a buzzing nightlife scene in summer. 2. Xàtiva (Játiva) This beautiful and ancient mountain town in Spain is known as the “City of Two Popes” – Alexander VI and Calixto III (both Borjas) were born here. Piled steeply on a hillside, the narrow streets and arcaded squares are still scattered with handsome churches and escutcheoned mansions, which attest to its medieval importance. It’s topped with a fine castle offering incredible views 3. Val de Gallinera The lush and beautiful Gallinera Valley in Spain has been cultivated since Arabic times, and the hillsides are still lined with tidy stone terraces full of dusky olive groves and fruit orchards. The valley is scattered with tiny, ancient villages, their Arabic origins echoed in their names – Alcalà, Benimantell, Benitaya – and reflected in the maze of crooked streets at their heart 4. Denia (Dénia)Read More Now a popular Spanish family resort, Denia, Spain was once a substantial Roman settlement. There’s a lofty castle with beautiful views, and a charming old quarter huddled around the port, but Denia’s most popular attractions are still its beautiful lengthy beaches: the long, family-friendly sands to the north, and a pretty, cove-pocked stretch called Les Rotes to the south (see Les Rotes, Denia (Dénia)). The strange, bald peak of Montgó looms above the town, perfect for hiking and picnicking (see Parc Natural del Montgó), (see Montgó (Hike)). 5. Xàbia (Jávea) Spain Xàbia’s beautiful bay is perfectly caught between two dramatic capes: the Cap de Sant Antoni and the Cap de la Nau , Cap de la Nau (Cabo de la Nao). The old village of Xàbia, a whitewashed huddle of impossibly narrow streets around a fortified medieval church , is set back from the lively modern resort which has grown up around the bay.
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6. Penyal d’Ifac (Peñon d’Ifach) This huge, jagged rock emerges dramatically from the sea and dominates the entire bay at Calp (Calpe) Spain. A protected Natural Park, it is the beautiful home to over 300 species of flora. Connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus, and impossibly sheer, for centuries it was the perfect hideout for pirates. Now it provides the perfect challenge for rock-climbers and, thanks to a tunnel bored through the rock early in the last century, there’s also a less arduous (though still demanding) hiking route to the top. 7. Guadalest Guadalest, Spain - the Eagle's Nest carved into the MountainThe Eagles Nest. Located on the CV-70, 25 km from Altea, is the village of Guadalest. Occupying one of the most stunning, beautiful and interesting places in all Spain, this small village is precariously perched on the pinnacle of a granite mountain, giving fabulous views across the valley carved out by the River from which the village takes its name. Getting to Guadalest by the twisting road that climbs ever upwards, passing through the village of Polop, is almost as spectacular as the position of the village, but the breathtaking views make the drive worthwhile even for the more nervous passengers! 
Perched high on a crag in a sea of mountain peaks, the little whitewashed village of Guadalest is huddled under the ruins of an ancient castle. Once it was a strategic military outpost, but it lost its importance after earthquakes devastated the region and irreparably damaged the castle. Thanks to its stunningly beautiful location and the picturesque charm of its old-fashioned lanes and squares, Guadalest is now the most visited and beautiful villages in Spain. Quirky museums, cafés and souvenir shops have sprung up, but although tour buses disgorge an endless stream of visitors in summer, Guadalest has hung onto its medieval tranquility and charm. 8. Parc de l’Aigüera, Benidorm In a town best known until now for cheap sun, sea and sand (see Benidorm), the Parc de l’Aigüera is a landmark new development. Designed by prestigious Catalan architect Ricardo Bofill, this vast, urban park spreads north of the old village of Benidorm. It draws on Classical influences, with an elegant avenue bordered by a stepped terrace decorated with vast urns. This culminates in a circular outdoor amphitheatre, surrounded, Roman-style, with stepped seating. Concerts take place here during the summer months, but it’s always a quiet place for a stroll, a world away from the bedlam on the beach-front. 9. Callosa d’en Sarrià and Fonts d’Algar, nr Benidorm, Spain The most interesting thing about the modest little village of Callosa d’en Sarrià is actually just outside of it. In a pretty, orchard-filled valley (from Callosa take the road to Tárberna and follow the signs) are the Fonts d’Algar, a beautiful cascade of waterfalls and natural swimming pools set among shady forest. Several excellent walking trails lead from here to the Sierra de Bernia Fuentes del Algar (Algar Waterfalls) 
A
supremely beautiful and interesting place to visit in Spain is Fuentes del Algar (Algar Waterfalls)
a beautiful natural park which gets more popular every year.It is an enjoyable journey winding through the groves of nisperos. Over 22 million kilos of nisperos are produced in the Guadalest and Algar valley regions each year.These groves are covered by a massive framework of netting which act as protection from birds which enjoy the tasty fruit. The easiest route to Algar begins by taking the road to Callosa d'en Sarriá and then following the signs for the Fuentes del Algar. There has been a small diversion recently on the road between Callosa and Algar which can be slightly bumpy but no doubt the road will be improved as soon as possible. 10. Villena The large, prosperous town of Villena is crowned by a story-book castle, complete with hefty, crenellated walls and watch-towers. At its feet lies a chaotic sprawl of tile-roofed houses, the heart of the medieval village. The central Plaza de Santiago is surrounded by beautiful 16th-century palaces and the graceful Renaissance church of Santa María, which bears a flamboyant Baroque façade. The finest palace on this square is now the town hall, home to an archaeology museum which contains the sumptuous Tesoro de Villena, a spectacular hoard of Bronze Age gold discovered by chance in the 1960s |
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