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Spain - Costa del Azahar - Valencia |
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Valencia lies on the Mediterranean coast some 350km south of
Barcelona and is Spain's third-largest city with a population of some 740,000. Gastronomically,
the region is home to paella , Spain's most famous dish. Historically,
it is believed that the Holy Grail resides in Valencia's cathedral and
it was here that El Cid fought the Moors.
The climate tends to be mild all year round with an annual average of nearly 2,700 hours
of sunshine.
The beaches in Valencia are of a very high-quality with excellent facilities and
water
sports equipment hire available. Pineda Beach is a beach to the south of Valencia with
access for the disabled and basic services for public use. Saler Beach near Valencias La
Albufera Natural Park is over six kilometers long. Devesa Beach although isolated, has a
range of services available and is set right in the heart of Valencias La Albufera Natural
Park. El Recati Beach in Perellonet is a very long sandy beach in the residential area
where a lot of accesses to the beach are
private.
Valencia is situated in the centre of the Spanish Mediterranean coastline. It overlooks the
spacious Gulf of Valencia and is skirted by a back drop of mountains and rolling plains
leading to the lands of Aragon and Castile-La Mancha. On the north coast, the shoreline
closest to the capital, there a large expanse of sand, where apartments and service
infrastructures have been built, sharing the landscape with farmsteads and large market
gardens ( huertas ). To the south of the capital, separated from the waters of the
Mediterranean by a chain of dunes
and pine groves, the lake of La Albufera was formed
long ago from the deposited sediments from the Rivers Turia an Jucar, which hemmed in
this small inland sea
of fresh water.
Undoubtedly Valencia's number one attraction these days is the enormous complex known as " La Ciudad
de las Artes y de las Ciencias " which attracts over 4 million annual visitors. It consists of four
main buildings :
L'Hemisferic A planetarium and a huge IMAX cinema which shows science and geography
related documentaries.
Museo de las Ciencias Principe Felipe contains science and technology exhibitions.
L'Oceanografic An underwater world where you walk through tunnels with sharks and
other sea creatures swimming around you. This attraction also contains a dolphinarium, live shows
and many activities for children.
Palacio de las Artes consists of auditoriums for the performance of plays, opera,
and music in conjunction with all the latest technology.
There are an abundance of other attractions in Valencia, amongst some of the favourites are the
Cathedral, ( which has reputedly been the home of the mythical Holy Grail for the past 500 years ),
museums and galleries, the silk exchange, the central market and the bull ring.
Valencian night life is famous for its discotheques, where the music plays until
dawn. They are
generally situated on the outskirts of the city and the atmosphere
is lively and rather hot.
Between the 12th and 19th of March, the people of Valencia celebrate Las Fallas. They block traffic
with towering sculptured statues that artisans have spent the
past year making. All day and night,
the streets are filled with crowds and the sounds of exploding firecrackers and fireworks fill the
air. At the end of the week, the huge statues are awarded prizes and then all are set on fire, which
marks the end of Las Fallas and the beginning of spring.
For Golfers there are plenty of courses in the region including; El Saler Golf Course, considered in
Spain to be exemplary. Also on the coast is the Oliva Nove Golf Course, designed by Severiano
Ballesteros, L Escorpion, in Betera, Manises and El Bosque, in Chiva.
Other popular sporting activities in the area include hiking, touring by bicycle, abseiling in the
gullies, canoeing, horseback touring, gliding and paragliding. |
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