Month: November 2010

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…

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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…

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Ramblers take on Costa Blanca Mountains

Out latest guests from Germany on the Spanish walking Holiday in the Lasafor Mountains, around Gandia. A group of friends from near Munich arrived in the early hours of Tuesday night/Wednesday morning to stay with us for 4 nights and to use Villa Florencia as a base for hill walking and hiking expeditions.  They had chosen to come to this part of Spain, rather than the Sierra Nevada for their walking, because it is a less touristy area and one that they felt might be worth exploring. Wednesday morning found them eager to depart for the mountains nearby, and they went to the La Drova and Barx area only a few kilometres away.  They spent the day following two hiking trails, one of which took them up Monduver – the highest mountain in the La Safor range – and provided them with spectacular views of the area. They went further afield on Thursday and spent the day in the Jalon valley to the south of here – still only about 40 minutes drive away though.  Again, they followed recommended hiking routes, had a great time and enjoyed the superb scenery of the region. Friday was a different story – they…

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