Mark van Jaarsveld

Mountain Biking in Spain

Now that the heat of summer has passed and daytime temperatures are very much more suitable for outdoor activities, I decided to take my partner Nigel out on a mountain biking expedition, along with my mountain biking coach Dave Warrington we set off on a day’s excursion into the beautiful mountains and countryside around us. We transported the bikes in the back of Dave’s minibus to Pla de Corrals, which was to be our starting point for the day’s outing. And a beautiful day it was too! The sun was shining and the weather was just perfect for the trip, so we were able to fully enjoy the wonderful scenery in this part of the La Safor region. Starting in the morning and up in the mountains it was still chilly to begin with but once we were on the trail, the warmth of the sunshine came through and made for a great day out. We biked along trails, roads and pathways through the villages of Barxeta and Genoves before reaching the beautiful inland town of Xativa where it was time for a well-earned refreshment break and a look around the old town. Xativa is a warren of narrow streets…

Anniversary Long Weekend

We were delighted to receive a booking from Geoff and Joan who wanted to come and stay with us for a long weekend in order to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. They have owned property for about 15 years here in Spain – further down the coast at the southern end of the Costa Blanca – and have lived permanently here for the last four years. They have already explored many parts of the country, but had not yet visited Valencia city or this section of the Costa Blanca, and were looking for a peaceful venue for a few nights, but within easy reach of Valencia and the rest of this part of the coast. They soon settled in and for the first afternoon enjoyed the beautiful weather in the gardens, before later on joining us for our evening meal service. They were staying for a total of four nights, so were keen to get any advice we could offer regarding scenic drives, local places of interest, and of course the easiest way to visit Valencia city itself. They spent the next day touring the area, spending time in Gandia town and the beach area, before returning to the villa…

29er Sport Hardtail Trek Mamba 29er Sport Hardtail,..I have been mountain biking for the past 9 months, and all this time, I have done all my riding on a rental bike from MTB VLC, a Trek 4300 disc. With an upcoming birthday, I decided that it was time to invest in my own bike.Having done my necessary research, I set off on Monday with my MTB coach, into the Trek Bicycle store in Gandia, with every intention of purchasing a new 4300,…Yes, I could have one, yes, they had my colour, yes, they had my size, but delivery was 2 weeks,….not in time for my birthday!Then I spotted her,…the new Trek Mamba 29er, in glistening orange and black,…(I had briefly looked at this bike while doing my research but thought that it was a little out of my league both in terms of budget, and spec of the bike, and had thought it better to stick with what I knew.)After a brief discussion with my coach (“yes, you can handle the bike”) and salesman (“yes, I can do you a discount, Yes, you can have it today”), the decision was made,… Yes I want one! I returned one hour later,…

We received a booking request for one night from John and Jacqui, who asked if we could accommodate them, along with their Cockapoo named Monti. We always say that we welcome owners as well as their pets, so of course replied that the three of them would be very welcome. They were in fact travelling down to their holiday home in Andalusia, having driven down through France visiting friends along the way. This part of the Costa Blanca is a very convenient point to stop along the way down to the south of the country, and the Bed and Breakfast accommodation that we offer is a very convenient option. Added to that is the fact that guests can choose to take advantage of our evening meal service, so there is no need to look for a restaurant in unfamiliar surroundings after a long drive during the day. The pet-friendly accommodation that we offer only served as an additional inducement for John and Jacqui to stay with us – it was the perfect solution for them. Monti was a beautiful and friendly 8 month old cross poodle and cocker spaniel (hence Copckapoo), who was a real delight and who soon became…

Self-Catering Villa Rental

Some time ago we received a reservation from a lady wishing to book the entire property for a group of 14 family and friends for a week as part of a 50th birthday celebration. When they arrived last week, it turned out that the group consisted of two sets of parents, two grandmothers and eight younger members – i.e. the sons/daughters and respective partners. The accommodation here is ideal for that kind of mixed group who want to enjoy a self-catering holiday on the Costa Blanca, as the two older ladies and one set of parents occupied the self-contained apartment on the lower level of the house, the other set of parents were in the room above that apartment, and the younger members were in the remaining bedrooms in the rest of the house. Each room has its own private bathroom, so everybody had ample space for themselves but could mix and socialise together in the spacious public rooms, sun terraces and around the pool. They soon settled in to the accommodation, acquainted themselves with the kitchen facilities and then went on a shopping expedition to the local supermarket for supplies! The rest of their arrival day was spent relaxing…

Biking 100.1

Last week, along with my good friend Dave, we decided to go mountain biking in Valencia. We parked the van in the town of Xeraco, just north of Gandia. After an obligatory coffee, we set off at 10:30, along a quiet country road that took us through orange groves and up the coast to the town of Cullera. From there we followed 7km of road riding to the town of Sueca from where we entered the Natural Park of Albufera de Valencia. This section of the ride was particularly pleasant as we rode through the rice fields along surfaced but very quiet country lanes. By 12:30 we had reached the famous “Paella village” of El Palmar for another coffee break and to replenish our water supplies, before taking another quiet road out towards the coast, passing the lake of Albufera along the way. From here took another trail, this time right alongside the beach. This great little trail took us up the Mediterranean coast and right into the city of Valencia where we biked through the Turia gardens to the stunning architecture of the City of Arts & Sciences, just in time for lunch! Our original plan was to take…