Category: Marchuquera Accommmodation

Marchuquera Accommodation.
Marchuquera is an area that lies to the west of the town of Gandia, stretching to the municipal boundaries of Ador and Palma de Gandia, with the mountainous areas of Sierra Falconera in its centre and Sierra Grossa to the west. Its total land area is approximately 750 hectares, or 12.21% of the total area of the municipality of Gandia.

Crossing through Marchuquera is the road that lies to the west of Gandia and which leads to Simat via La Drova and Barx across the Coll dels Caragols. It is here that we can appreciate the scale of the mountains that enclose our wonderful valley. From any point in Marchuquera you can see the guardian of the valley – the mountain of Monduver – rising up in the distance like an 840 metre high giant which seems to watch over our lives from above.

Nature has ensured that Marchuquera is divided up into two distinct parts with the mountain of Falconera in the middle, which exactly separates Marchuquera Alta and Marchuquera Baixa with the road called Raco de Tomba. The climate here, combined with the protection given by the mountains and the gentle prevailing breezes, all serve to provide an environment conducive to a healthy life.

The name of Marchuquera has now been applied to the area of the entire valley, which extends to the municipal boundaries of Rotova, Palma de Gandia, Beniopa and La Drova, but previously was used to identify only the collection of houses that grew up in what we now call Ermita de Marchuquera, dedicated to the beloved Virgin of Monduver.

This coastal plain, as it is described in many books, is geologically very complex, which explains the formation of numerous caves and caverns. Because of this, Marchuquera is the perfect area for cavers and researchers of the archaeological remains found in the caves (men such as H. Breuil, L. Pericot and others), which date back to prehistoric times. There is a widely held opinion that the name of Marchuquera comes from the belief that the sea used to reach as far as the mountain slopes, substantiated by various findings of marine remains in the area.

Guests from the USA

It was with great pleasure that we welcomed two couples from the United States last week, especially so because they came to us on the recommendation of some friends of theirs who stayed with us last year in our bed and breakfast. Bob and Mary Lou were from Colorado Springs (where their friends who stayed with us last year were from also), but Hank and Maxine come from Missouri. They were on a driving holiday through France and Spain and stopped overnight with us on their way to Malaga. They had visited Barcelona before coming on to us and arrived in the late afternoon, ready for some relaxation in the gardens and around the pool. They soon settled in to their rooms and then enjoyed some drinks and tapas in the bar before joining us for dinner that evening. They had not visited Spain before, and had decided to drive down the Mediterranean coast, stopping off at Barcelona, then on to the Costa Blanca before heading down towards Andalucia. Their whole trip was to last just over three weeks – including their visit to France – and they were loving their time in Europe. They were following some of the…

Dog Rescuers from Germany!

Just over a month ago we were pleased to have Dagmar and Andreas visit us for a couple of days from Germany. They were spending time helping at the local animal rescue centre before taking four dogs back to Germany by plane for adoption. Dagmar chose a dog that she also wanted to adopt, but was not able to take it with her at the time for legal reasons and it was going to be transported to Germany at the beginning of June. We were therefore very happy when they returned to us last week by car with the intention of taking Dagmar’s own dog back with them, as well as three others that had also been found homes in Germany. They arrived late in the afternoon, having left Germany the previous evening and driven non-stop the whole way! Having visited us before, they settled in with us like they felt at home immediately and joined us for dinner that night. The next morning they were keen to go to the rescue shelter and see the dogs they were taking home, so the plan was to straight to the centre, spend some time with the dogs and depart for Germany…

Overnight B&B Guests from Holland

On Sunday we were pleased to have Ton and Frank from Holland stay with us for the night on their way south to Almeria. They had set off on their journey by car from the Netherlands on the Saturday, staying at Narbonne in France along the way. In fact they phoned us from France to enquire if we had a vacancy for Sunday night, as they liked the idea of breaking their journey in our part of the northern Costa Blanca. This was to be a tour around the mainland of Spain for them, lasting about four weeks, in order to familiarise themselves with the country. They already have a property on the Canary Islands, although are thinking of relocating to the mainland, as well as retaining their other home in Holland also. They arrived during the afternoon, having made good time from France, and were pleased to be able to spend some time around the pool in the beautiful weather that we are enjoying now, before taking advantage of our evening meal service too. They decided that it would make things very much easier for them if they could simply relax after their long drive, without having to think…

Property Hunters with plenty of Choice!

Bernard and Grace arrived on Tuesday for a three night stay with us, having already visited this and many other parts of Spain in the past. However, they were here with a purpose other than a break from the routine of life in England – they were looking for a property to buy for their retirement, with the intention of moving here on a permanent basis. They had spent time in the past looking for property in various locations along the Mediterranean coast, but had now decided that this area was the one they preferred. The northern Costa Blanca seemed to suit most of their requirements, and the area around Gandía was particularly to their liking. They wanted to see a good choice of quality properties at reasonable prices in an appealing part of the country – and somewhere that still felt like it was an authentically Spanish area, rather than somewhere that had a disproportionate ex-pat community (whatever the nationality!). With the choice of houses currently on the market, they had already spent time on previous visits viewing a large number of houses, so this visit was to be a series of mainly second viewings, to whittle their list…

Family Holidays in Spain

Easter was a very busy time for us all at our casa rural in Gandía, with a completely full house over the Easter weekend itself. Visitors returned from last year, as well as many new ones visiting us for the first time. The weather had been forecast to be damp and cool, but in the end only a little rain fell over the holiday period, and mostly the weather was fine and warm – always good for our guests on their holidays! Tony, Trudy and their children Harvey, Monty and Queenie visited us for just over a week, and chose to stay in our self-catering apartment. Tony and Trudy had visited the area last year with a possible view to purchasing a holiday property and wanted to return this time with their children to give them the opportunity to see the region also. The self-catering apartment was the ideal option for them, and allowed them much more flexibility – they enjoyed the sense of independence and privacy that the apartment allows, but at the same time they joined us for most of their evening meals – and even for some breakfasts too! They wanted the advantages of the apartment, but…

Motorbike Friendly Accommodation David and Caroline from Devon arrived for a couple of nights with their two children on their motorbikes – they were enjoying a touring holiday around Spain, starting from the Santander ferry, and returning the same way. In fact, we were the furthest point of their trip, having looped around the northern part of the country earlier on in their visit. They decided they wanted a couple of days relaxation before starting back for the ferry home again, as well as the opportunity to take in the sights of Valencia City. The opportunity to have a couple of nights at a Bed and Breakfast where they could be safe in the knowledge that there was safe and secure parking for their bikes was one not to be missed! They decided, however, not to take their bikes into the city when they went to Valencia, but to travel in by train and spare themselves the possible parking problems which two motorbikes can present in an unknown city. They arrived with us on Good Friday and made the most of the pool and gardens when they had settled in, before joining us for dinner in the evening. On Saturday…