Reasons to visit Valencia

The region of Valencia lies along the Mediterranean coast between Catalonia in the north and Andalucía in the south, making it a favourite year-round destination for tourists. Valencia and Murcia are sometimes known as the 'market garden of Spain', with acres of orange and lemon groves, orchards, fields of vegetables, vineyards and rice paddies- yes, this is the home of paella after all! Valencia has over 350 kilometres of stunning coastline and an interior of rugged mountains and gentle river valleys. The Communitat Valenciana incorporates the three provinces of Castellón, Valencia and Alicante.

Valencia the city is also the region's capital and is Spain's third largest city and one of its liveliest. Situated on the coast, with beaches on its own doorstep and many cultural and historical attractions, it is a popular tourist resort.

One of Valencia's major attractions is the world famous Falles festival (Las Fallas in Spanish) which takes place in March and is an event not to be missed. It consists of five days of festivities, one aspect of which is the ninots, the puppets/dolls which are hoisted high, made of paper, wood and polystyrene, and designed to send up notorious characters such as local politicians or be satirised versions of other famous figures. The fallers who choose not to mock others in this way occasionally choose to pay homage to the likes of painters or other revered historical Valencians. Every day begins with a 8 o'clock wake-up call called la despertà, with brass bands playing and fallers walking behind them throwing firecrackers in the street. In fact, firecrackers and noise constitute a central part of the whole festival, because at 2pm every day, La Mascletà takes place. This is a bombardment of firecrackers and fireworks, initiated by the Fallera Mayor's declaration that "Senyor pirotècnic, pot començar la "mascletà " ("Mr Pyrotechnic, you may begin the Mascletà"), and it is pretty unique. There are also firework displays at night which get progressively more dramatic, ending La Nit del Foc (The Night of Fire) and then on the last night, La Cremà is the final climax of the festival. The word means 'The burning' and the constructions of ninots (called 'falles' themselves, or 'torches') are burnt on huge bonfires.

Aside from the wilder festivities, it is worth visiting the City of Arts and Science, a futuristic building designed by the prestigious architect Santiago Calatrava. It has an IMAX cinema, a planetarium, various interactive exhibitions and its latest addition, the oceanarium. Dominating the city is the cathedral; from its octagonal bell tower (El Miguelete) there are spectacular views over Valencia. There are also several parks and gardens throughout the city; Jardines de Monforte is a romantic 18th-century park with Italian sculptures, and the Jardín Botánico has gardens with thousands of varieties of exotic plants and trees.

Around the province, there are numerous historic towns and villages. These include Xàtiva, to the south of the province. Famous in Roman times for its silk manufacture, it was also the birthplace of two popes, Callixtus III and Alexander VI. Bordering a fertile plain, it features two castles on a hill, one which is found on the ancient Via Augusta road. Xàtiva also has a Royal Monastery of the Assumption, built in Gothic and Baroque styles, and a museum located in a 16th century granary with Roman and Iberian artefacts and Islamic ceramics. Further south again, one comes to Oliva, which is home to one of the best Moors & Christians festivals in the province. The festival commemorates the battles that took place regularly between these two factions between the 8th and the 15th centuries. There is a castle and two churches in the idyllic old town. There are excellent stretches of beaches, a yacht club, marina and golf course designed by Seve Ballesteros. There is a lovely promenade, the passeig as it is known in Catalan, which every Friday holds a market with fresh local produce. Plus, there is also a local falles in the spring.

The coast of Alicante province is one of Spain's most popular holiday destinations; known as the Costa Blanca due to its miles of white sandy beaches, many of which have been awarded the prestigious EU blue flag. The region boasts a wide variety of sports facilities, the most popular being golf and sailing, and for families a visit to the Terra Mítica theme park near Benidorm is recommended. Be warned, the coast gets very busy especially in the high season and some areas are very built-up. But you can always head inland to the quieter non-touristy villages or go north to the coast near Dénia to find picturesque hidden coves. The castle at Dénia is also home to the Palau del Governador which has a museum of archaeology, divided into four eras: Iberian, Roman, Moorish and Christian. Going south, we find other towns and cities that make Alicante so attractive. A little inland (around 30km from the coast), Benimaurell is notable for being the last bastion of the descendants of the Moors when they were expelled in 1609. In fact, legend has it that these moriscos threw themselves from the precipice of Cavall Vert, preferring that to being captured by Spanish forces. The village is surrounded by excellent mountain scenery, superb for hiking (with various marked routes), abseiling and caving (there are several with prehistoric paintings). 275 metres above sea level and one of the oldest towns on the Costa Blanca, Benissa is a fine to spot to relax and take in the scenery, and the Fuentes Del Algar waterfalls are not far away. Calpe sits at the foot of the Peñon de Ifach (Ifach Rock). The ruins of Los baños de la Reina (the Queen's baths) are well worth a look. There is also a Gothic Catholic church and the 18th century tower La Peça. There are some excellent beaches along this stretch of Alicante. It is not far north of Benidorm, so it is within range of the attractions that this has to offer, whilst being comfortably away from the tourist hub, in a more scenic and less-discovered spot. All around here, there are some fine landscapes to explore. Guadalest is a picturesque mountain village south of Alicante. Here, visitors can go to see a 12th century jail with a dungeon. There is also a museum of torture instruments! Outside the Ribera Girona Museum, there is a 'magic garden' of figures. There is a also a museum of doll houses, an ethnological museum displaying ancient tools and musical instruments, and the Museum of Miniatures, featuring such oddities as the Guernica of Picasso painted on a seed and the Statue of Liberty in the hole of a needle. Also inland, Bolulla is often the venue for one of the stages of the Vuelta de España cycle race. Naturally then, there are some excellent cycling roads, and there is plenty of good countryside for mountain biking too. This area has a profusion of golf courses- nine in total. Just five miles away is the former fishing town of Altea, endowed with a church which has a marvellous blue Byzantine-style dome, found in the old quarter. There are plenty of whitewashed buildings and limited large hotel development, keeping it beautiful for those who wish to appreciate Spain as it long has been, with all the benefits of Costa Blanca sun, but away from soulless resorts. This town has become particularly known for its art and artists, with plenty of exhibitions and galleries there. Inland from Altea are the towns of Biar and Petrer. The former has a walled castle from the 12 th -13th century Almohad dynasty's era, plus a mediaeval aqueduct. Meanwhile, in Petrer are the Catholic church, Arab castle and hermitages of San Bonifacio and Christ. The Moors & Christians festival here also attracts a lot of people to the area.

As for the city of Alicante, it is one of the most popular along the Costa Blanca with its Moorish Castle of Santa Barbara dominating the town. It has an impressive seafront promenade stretching around the harbour shaded with palm trees and lined with shops and cafes. There are interesting museums to visit, one of which is the Hogueras Museum which is dedicated to Alicante's most famous festival, the Hogueras de San Juan (St. John's Bonfires). This event takes place in June with colourful processions, marching bands and dancing, culminating in a huge fireworks display and the bonfire at midnight.

Murcia is a small, and for the most part, un-discovered region of Spain. It has, along with its neighbouring province Almeria, one of the driest climates in Spain. Its coast is called the Costa Cálida, meaning the warm coast, and because of its own microclimate, the temperature averages around 5 degrees warmer than the rest of the Mediterranean. Murcia boasts Europe's largest seawater lagoon, the Mar Menor, its waters reputedly having therapeutic qualities. The Mar Menor also attracts plenty of wildlife too and is home to thousands of flamingos during their migration in the autumn.

The historic city of Murcia lies inland about 45 minutes drive from the Mar Menor, and is worth visiting for its many beautiful buildings and historical treasures. The second largest city is the ancient port of Cartagena, a principal naval base of Spain. It was founded by the Carthaginians in the 3rd century BC and the city has done much recently to restore many of its important buildings. Nature lovers should visit the Sierra Espuña National Park, Murcia's best kept secret. It's a mountainous area covered by pine forests and excellent for walking, climbing and mountain biking.