Category: Casa Rural

Guided Spanish Walking Holidays

Guided Spanish Walking Holidays A 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…

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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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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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