Press Releases
View All Press Releases| Agencia Valenciana del Turisme | 28 Aug 2009 |
THE REGION OF VALENCIA
The Region of Valencia, covering a total surface area of 23,255 km2, has a mostly Mediterranean landscape with broad coastal plains and a series of high, mountainous zones, plus 632 kilometres of coastline for making the most of the sea and the good weather. It has a population of over 5,000,000 inhabitants and an ancient culture with countless municipal fiestas all year round; major tourist resorts on the coast, large cities with all kinds of services and quiet, inland towns.
Going from north to south, the Region of Valencia is made up of the provinces of Castellón, Valencia and Alicante. In terms of tourist promotion, this has given rise to four major brands: Costa Blanca, Benidorm, Valencia Terra i Mar and Castellón Costa Azahar.
Costa Blanca
This area is located in the Region of Valencia’s south. It consists of clearly-differentiated landscape types: to the north, there is a mountain range running parallel to the sea, occasionally reaching it as cliffs; to the south, a vast plain of sand bars, palm groves and salt flats forms the environment of Alicante’s famous beaches. These beaches are excellent, with well-tended layouts and golden sand, alternating with rocks, bays and promontories. Everything is bathed in a bright, penetrating light that seems to bounce off the whitewashed towns with their seagoing atmosphere. Alicante’s mountains emerge from among the higher levels, providing excursionists with impressive-looking scenery and peaks. Moorish and Christian towns with ancestral traditions and cottage industries define the idiosyncrasies of the inland people. Traditional districts of sun and sand like Dénia, Xàbia, Benissa, Teulada-Moraira, Calpe, Altea, l’Alfàs del Pi, La Vila Joiosa, El Campello, Sant Joan d’Alacant, Alicante – the provincial capital -, Santa Pola, Guardamar del Segura, Torrevieja and Pilar de la Hordada. Elx, Orihuela and Villena stand out as monumental towns, in addition to Alcoy, Cocentaina, Novelda, Elda, Petrer or Crevillent.
Benidorm
A modern, well-equipped city which lives for – and from – tourism. Benidorm offers relaxation, fun, swimming, games, atmosphere and all the night-life you can take. It has wide beaches with clean, well-tended sand and crystal-clear water. It enjoys a pleasant micro-climate as a result of facing southwards and the shelter given by nearby mountains. All these features, plus the chance to take part in countless sporting activities and the existence of an excellent communications network, have made Benidorm one of the Mediterranean’s major tourist capitals. With the opening of the Terra Mítica theme park, the Terra Natura nature park and other water and wildlife complexes, it has transformed into the area of Mediterranean civilizations and active leisure. A destination for fun with no age limits.
Valencia Terra i Mar
The province of Valencia differentiates the landscape areas of coastline and mountain. The seaboard is one of Spain’s coastal areas with the largest beaches, practically forming one single beach, of fine sand, dunes and shallow water, except at the low Cullera cliffs. The inland region, however, is a rugged mountain landscape made up of peaks occasionally crossed by the impressive canyons of its rivers. The Rivers Turia, Cabriel and Júcar mould these mountains, creating scenery of spectacular beauty with unique wildlife resources. Monumental cities and historical sites combine with districts offering complete tourist services along the coast. Apart from Valencia, the capital, the Region of Valencia is a tourist destination in itself, with towns dotted along the coast including Cullera, Tavernes de la Valldigna, Gandia or Oliva with excellent tourist infrastructures, plus other, monumental towns like Sagunto, Llíria, Xàtiva, Requena or Bocairent.
Castellón Costa Azahar
This area has mountainous terrain together with 120 kilometres of coastline, offering huge beaches of fine sand and sheltered little bays surrounded by forests of Mediterranean pine and perfumed orange groves that let you experience all the environment of moor and farmland between the blue of the Mediterranean Sea. The inland zones deserve a special mention, remarkable not just because of their rugged contours but because of the cultural traditions harboured in most of their districts. Coastal municipalities like Vinarós, Benicarló, Peñíscola, Alcossebre-Alcalà de Xivert, Benicàssim, Castellón de la Plana – the provincial capital – or Burriana, all have an outstanding tourist offer. Further inland, Morella, Sant Mateu, Villafranca del Cid, Benasal, L’Álcora, Onda, Segorbe, Jérica, Vila-real or the Vall d’Uixó, among other districts, also boast attractive resources.
Region to host major sporting events
If the Region of Valencia are currently enjoying widespread recognition around the world and constantly featuring in the leading international media, this is largely due to the organisation of major sporting events such as the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe - on the Valencia Street Circuit- and 32nd America’s Cup -the world-famous sailing competition that has returned to European waters for the first time in over 150 years- , also the start of the Volvo Ocean Race 2008–2009 -around-the-world race with stopovers in 11 countries, the Region of Valencia-Castellón Costa Azahar Golf Master and the ATP 500 tennis tournament at the new Agora in the City of the Arts and Sciences.
The finest beaches in Europe
Hundreds of kilometres of the finest beaches in Europe: hidden and sheltered, large and spectacular, with fine, golden sand or gravel, protected by some geographical feature or opening out to the blue horizon. With warm water in summer and autumn, and excellent for sunbathing, even in winter The Blue Flag flies on the Region’s beaches as a distinction of their water and sand quality, accessible by handicapped persons, with all kinds of facilities and services: play areas for children, sports facilities for basketball, volleyball, floating platforms, ecological footbaths, cleaning and maintenance services, waste baskets, catwalks, etc. From north to south, the Region of Valencia has become the ideal meeting-point for visitors and residents who find its beaches the ideal place for leisure, enjoying the sea and the fine weather.
A mild Mediterranean climate
The gentle Mediterranean climate can be felt all over Valencia’s territory, with variations between the coast and the interior. For example, the average winter temperature in Benidorm is about 18.7º C and in summer around 31.7º C. There are around 3,000 sunlight hours a year and the sea temperature ranges from a winter minimum of 13º C and a summer maximum of 29º C.
State-of-the-art leisure for the 21st century
Intensive leisure and cultural activities take place in the Region of Valencia. Unforgettable experiences in Benidorm’s theme park, Terra Mítica, in the landmark Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias in Valencia, with its brand-new Palau de les Arts. Enjoy the programme in Castellon Cultural Project or the Ricardo Tormo Race Track in Cheste. Open-air concerts in every town or sites as significant as the Palau de la Música in Valencia; exhibitions in over 200 museums, some as prestigious as the IVAM, the Fine Arts Museums in Valencia and Castellón, the Espai d’Art Contemporani in Castellón de la Plana, the MARQ in Alicante or the Contemporary Art Museum in Vilafamés; film festivals like the ones in L’Alfás del Pi, Peñíscola. Elx and the Mostra de Valencia; music band or Habaneras contests and music festivals in Benidorm or Benicàssim, plus other high-profile events like the Valencia Biennial, the religious art exhibitions of La Luz de las Imágenes in several of the Region’s districts or the new technologies and internet meet-up at the Campus Party in Valencia. Other significant sites like the Ciudad de las Artes Escénicas in Sagunt, with top-level artistic performances or the Ciudad de la Luz in Alicante, intended for filming movies, have just started out.
An age-old culture
The Region of Valencia has a long history, forged over thousands of years. From Levantine art paintings in caves and rock shelters, classified as World Heritage, these lands have been culturally influenced by Romans, Visigoths and Muslims. The modern-day Region of Valencia dates from the conquest of the Kingdom of Valencia by the Aragonese king Jaime I from the Arabs, in the 13th century, who set up his own jurisdiction to govern and administer the recently-created kingdom. Since that time, different periods, reflected in its monuments in artistic styles such as Gothic – a style that stands out on the Lonja de Valencia (commodities exchange), classified as World Heritage -, Renaissance, Baroque and Modernist, and also the most contemporary art, have left a deep mark on its cities and towns.
Natural charm
Rice-fields, salt-flats, orange groves, palm forests like the one in Elx . classified World Heritage -, arid inland plateaus, marshes, pine and oak forests, deep canyons gouged by rivers, wetlands, endless beaches and sheltered bays. The Mediterranean air impregnates the Region of Valencia’s varied geography: from the peaks – sometimes snow-covered – like Penyagolosa or Aitana, at over 1,500 m in height, to the farmlands and crops of the lowlands. The Region of Valencia’s wealth of scenery is exhibited in seventeen Natural Parks, protected areas of great beauty which are home to unique species of flora and fauna.
Rural tourism
Just a few kilometres from the coast, the Region of Valencia offers the beauty of inland territories and the genuine local colour of the towns and villages that have conserved their cultural legacy over the centuries. Away from the sea, the mountains are green and rivers, springs and hermitages dot the landscape. Exploring the streets of inland towns you can chance across Gothic and Baroque palaces like in the area of Els Ports and El Maestrat; scan the horizon from a large number of castles and watch-towers of Arab origin such as in the lands of Vinalopó; go trekking through the mountains forests in the Espadán and Calderona ranges, canoe down the rivers like in Los Serranos and in Alto Turia, try delicious stews from the local menus like in El Canal de Navarrés, climb the highest peaks in Valencian territory or go para-gliding and breathe the perfumes of aromatic plants surrounded by nature in Aitana and Sierra Mariola.
Fiestas all year round
Light, gunpowder, music, performance... The Region of Valencia’s fiestas are open and colourful, made to be celebrated in the street. There is a festive feeling in the atmosphere and visitors are always welcome. Festivals of fire like the Fallas de Valencia and the Hogueras de San Juan in Alicante, spectacular representations like the Moors and Christians fiestas in Alcoy, religious festivals like the Misteri d’Elx – classified World Heritage -, pilgrimages in the Fiestas de la Magdalena in Castellón de la Plana or in Les Useres and fun celebrations like the “Tomatina” in Buñol. Each season has its fiestas that commemorate historical events, local customs, legendary deeds, religious rites or the yearly renewal of nature’s cycles.
The cuisine of the Mediterranean diet
Oils, vegetables, spices, fruit, shellfish and rice make up the essence of the Mediterranean diet, which melts in the mouth and tells of traditions and ancestral culture. It is a pleasure to taste dishes made with natural ingredients and which are a delight for the most demanding gourmet. You cannot miss the chance to try the incredible variety of recipes made with rice, the ice-creams, the nougats and the sweetmeats of Arab origin, the local gazpachos from the inland menus and refreshing horchata (tiger nut drink chufa), accompanying your meals with local wines with denomination of origin.
Traditional crafts
The Region of Valencia maintains its traditional crafts alive, where techniques and materials produce objects that are typical of these lands. Ceramics, glass, embroidery and lace, blankets and ponchos, basket-weaving, fans, Holy Week palms, furniture, metal goods, leather, toys and musical instruments. Countless quality products that make a perfect souvenir of your trip.
Outdoor sports
The Region of Valencia is a magnificent open-air setting and has a large number of facilities for sports activities. Sailing along the coast and dropping anchor at yacht clubs; playing golf on any of the 21 courses with an enviable climate; exploring the inland mountains and valleys in search of excitement and adventure; flying at an altitude of over 1,000 feet and getting a bird’s-eye view of the Region of Valencia or studying the sea beds of beautiful marine reserves, are just a few examples of the many activities for keeping in shape and enjoying your stay.
Hub of European communications
An excellent communications network gives easy access into the Region of Valencia, with handy transport all over the territory: international airports (Valencia and Alicante), passenger sea ports (Valencia, Dénia and Alicante) the AP-7 Mediterranean motorway that connects with Europe, an extensive network of highways both trans-national and the A-3 Valencia-Madrid dual carriageway, the A-23 Valencia-Zaragoza and the A-31 Alicante-Madrid dual carriageway, plus a complete offer in rail transport, which is soon to join the high-speed network.
Tourist Info, personalized attention for visitors
For all kinds of information, more than 100 of the Valencian Regional Government’s tourist information offices are at visitors’ disposal to offer brochures, maps and guides. The Tourist Info Office network provides a quality service, friendly manners and appropriate advice for enjoying your stay in the Region of Valencia.
The official tourist website: www.comunitatvalencia.com
And full information at visitors’ service can be found on internet, at the Region of Valencia’s tourist website: www.comunitatvalenciana.com. A complete virtual tour of Valencia’s tourist offer. Also, with the Contact Center service, ¡Hola Tourist Info! on line, you can get personalized attention via the telephone number 902 12 32 12, electronic or postal mail or chat.
