Category: Driving Holidays

Old Friends Return!

Last weekend we were really pleased to welcome back some guests from last year – 2 groups of girls who enjoy coming to Gandía for its nightlife, but at the same time like to stay in a quiet rural location. Gandia Casa Rural offered them the ideal place to stay, where they could self-cater and have a short break but enjoy all the benefits the house has to offer at the same time. The first group of four friends come from Segovia, and have visited us twice in the past. The other two girls are from Castellón, and last year was their first visit to Gandia Casa Rural. Since they had not stayed with us at the same time as each other previously, the two groups soon got to know each other and became friends, and went out to Playa de Gandía together on the Saturday night. Before that, however, there was plenty of time for relaxing around the pool and making the most of the facilities of the casa rural. Friday was spent settling in and then going to the beach at Playa de Gandía, returning in the evening and then having a leisurely barbecue in the garden. They…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…

Read More