The Area - Gandia

Gandia is located on the Costa Del Azahar / Orange Blossom Coast, in the province of Valencia. Located 65 km. south of Valencia and 116 km. north of Alicante, Gandia lies in a privileged position between the mountains and the sea.

It's a city with a rich historical heritage, which is reflected in its monumental buildings and in the spirit of the local people. This is just one of the major attractions of this modern city fully prepared to satisfy the demands of even the most sophisticated of visitors.

Scenery of contrast.

Gandia is a centre of contrasting landscapes, accompanied by a mild climate that will enable you to enjoy a pleasant stay at any time of the year.

Discover the enchantment of its broad, majestic beaches to the north, its rugged hills and mountains overlooking the sea, such as Mount Montduver with an altitude of 841m, or El Barrane de L'Infern and the cirque of La Safor, or the fertile orchard lowlands extending to the banks of the Rio Serpis.           

Sports for everyone, Gandia offers extensive sports facilities for practically all tastes. Water sports are of course at the top of the list: sailing, windsurfing and scuba diving.

                But the mountains and local terrain also offer activities such as rambling, climbing, mountaineering, pot holing, horse riding and bicycle tours.

With an Olympic-size athletics field, a covered sports pavilion, and covered swimming pools, football fields, basketball courts, hockey fields and more.

Gandia provides an attractive array of activities for sports lovers.

The joc de la pilota (a handball game) is a genuine tradition in the area, and is practiced in the streets and in trinquetes (pelota courts). A visit to a pilota game is strongly recommended for those who haven't seen this swift, exciting game played with bare hands.

Gastronomically speaking, Gandia and our area of influence are true to their geographical surroundings. Both the Mediterranean and the local orchards provide a cornucopia of natural ingredients for a magnificent cuisine.

A stay In Gandia wouldn' be complete without tasting the typical fideua - a kind of paella done with noodles instead of rice, including an array of savory seafood. Fresh fish and seafood straight from the costal waters are thoroughly recommended, as are the eels and gamba amb bleda (shrimp with chard) served in the inland towns of the marsh. 

And to top it off, there's a wide variety of typical desserts and sweetmeats, a heritage of the ancient sugarcane plantations which once thrived in the region

Fiestas galore Festive occasions are an important part of life in the La Safor district. And they offer an opportunity for visitors to participate and discover the true hospitality of local people. 

Fallas (16-19 March).

Holy Week, declared as a national tourist attraction (March/April). Sailors' Celebration in honour of the Virgen del Carmen (16 July).

Saint John's Night (24 June). Gandia Fair and Fiesta.

GandiaHoliday Week honoring patron-saint San Francisco de Borja (29 September to 3 October). 

Cultural tradition Gandia's heritage includes the traditions forged by the Court of the Borgias, the 15th-century writer Martorell, the poet Ausias March and the musician Corella. Today, the city's cultural tradition is still kept alive through activities such as annual literary awards celebrations, the Universitat d'Estiu (Summer University), the International Classical Music Festival, art exhibitions, etc. The old town center of Gandia has a number of monumental buildings worth discovering, a sampling of the city's historical importance: Ia Colegiata (Collegiate Church), the Convent of Santa Clara, the Duke's Palace, the Hermitage of Santa Ana, the Town Hall building and the Archeological Museum. If this awakens your interest, ask for information on programmed activities at the Tourist information Office.                

Mediterranean Nights Enjoying the nightlife in Gandia is wonderfully simple. There's a wide variety of entertainment for all tastes, especially in summer: discos, pubs, beach terraces, live entertainment, fireworks and folklore and dances... And if you want, the non-stop magic of the night continues right until dawn    

What to do:

• Get a good tan on one of the city's broad, white beaches and then cool off in the refreshing Mediterranean.

• Reach back into the past at the Archeological Museum of Gandia, with its rich collection of prehistoric silex and bone utensils and engraved stone plaques.

• Take in a mid-afternoon auction at the fish market in the port   

• Visit the Palace of the Borgias, an outstanding example of 14th-century architecture. 

• Sail along the La Safor coastline and discover a continuous panorama of sand dunes. The Gandia Nautical Club provides all the facilities for seafarers.

• Try a fabulous fideua on a restaurant terrace facing the sea.

• Make a visit to the Monastery of Sant Jeroni de Cotalba, located on a promontory overlooking the road to the town of Albaida. - Admire the Colegiata, a Gothic church constructed over an ancient Moorish mosque.

• Enjoy the hubbub of the city's nightlife along the beach.

Where to go

• See the splendid scenery at Ia Llacuna (the Lagoon), el Barrane de L'infern (Hell's Ravine) and el Raco del Duc (the Duke's Retreat).

• Take an excursion around the La Safor cirque, the mountains of Aitana and Mariola, or the peaks of Font Roja and Benicadell.           

• Beautiful mountain scenery contrasting with flat, sandy beaches across an orchard plain near the sea.

• Relax on the long, sandy beaches of Gandia/Oliva, bordered by orange trees. In the cool of the evening.               

• Visit the Archpriest's Church of Santa Maria or the Temple of Sant Roc, constructed on the foundations of an ancient Moorish mosque.

• Discover the Monastery of Simat de Valldigna, a Cistercian monument in a breathtaking mountain valley.

• Join in on the patron-saint festivities in any of the 30 different towns making up the Orange Blossom Coast.

• Order an arms amb costra (oven-baked rice dish with crusty egg topping) or an Oliva-style espardenya (eel dish in chicken sauce) at one of the local restaurants.

• Take the mountain route to Xativa and visit the old town center, where you'll find ancient manorial homes, palaces and museums.

• Drive over to Ia Drova, from which you can climb the Montduver mountain (841 m.) and enjoy the stunning panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.

Travel Transport Links International airports of Valencia (at 75 km.) and Alicante (125 km.).

A-7 motorway from the European motorway network (exits 60 and 61), connecting to the national route N-332 linking all towns along the coast. Local route C-320 from Gandia to Albaida.

Railway services with national and international connections.

There are various Tourist Information offices in the region of Valencia.

In Gandia, contact: Marques de Campo, s/n 46700 Gandia

Tel.-Fax:(34) 96 287 77 88 

Patronat Municipal de Thurisme C/. Hermana Carmelita Rita, 2 

46700 Gandia 

Tel. (34) 96 295 94 90

Fax (34) 96 295 94 87

Gandia Beach: Paseo Neptuno, s/n. 46730 Gandia

Tel. (34) 96 284 24 07  

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