The Region of Valencia is an excellent holiday destination, with something to offer everyone on any type of holiday. Inland, it includes the high peaks of the Iberian Mountain Range while the coastal areas include beautiful beach resorts with marinas full of yachts. Its metropolitan hub, the city of Valencia, although frequently overlooked in favour of the more popular Spanish cities of Madrid and Barcelona, more than competes in terms of culture and entertainment. The region includes an exciting mix of cultural influences and is an industrial centre of the Mediterranean.
Its climate is largely Mediterranean, with warm seas and sunny weather for most of the year. In the Iberian Range it is not uncommon to see a few days of snow, but for the most part Valencia`s winters are moderate. Peak Season is typical of the rest of Spain, with the best weather and the most visitors arriving between June and September.
Its climate is perfect to enable one to comfortably explore Valencia`s rural landscape. The Iberian Range is a beautiful place to walk, not too harsh underfoot and slightly cooler than the plains below. Views out to the sea can be breathtaking at dawn and dusk. Walking outside of the major urban centres through the old towns and farming villages will give you a taste of the Spain of old, although a more central rural walk is available right in the city centre of Valencia through a nine kilometre long park which follows the route of an old river. This city walk encompasses the Turia gardens, which contain a playground and fountain and the architecturally stunning `City of Arts and Sciences` lies at one end. It houses an IMAX cinema, a science museum, an aquarium and a city viewing area.
Throughout the rural landscape there are many tavernas and restaurants offering a rich array of traditional foods and drinks from the Region of Valencia. A local speciality is the Spanish classic `Paella`, as Valencia has a close relationship with the sea. However more unique to the area is Valencia`s Horchata, which is a traditional drink made with one (or a mixture) of ground almonds, rice, tigernuts and sesame seeds. Finally there are the ever popular Buñuelos. These are sweetened doughy fritters, flavoured with anise and often filled with ingredients such as cheese.
Aside from the rural sights, other places of interest might include the Valencia Botanical Gardens. This tranquil and green paradise in the city is matched only by the Parque Natural de la Albufera, where one experience peace and quiet along with great food from one of its local restaurants. For a more historical experience, the streets of the Barrio del Carmen have buildings from the time of Roman and Arabic rule.
Whilst one could happily stay in a metropolitan centre, a much better experience can be had out in the rural areas. The Bed and Breakfast Spain in the orange growing region is easily accessible yet offers stunning views of the rural landscape and a more relaxed countryside pace of life.
The best way to get to the region of Valencia is through one of its airports, either Valencia airport or Alicante airport. Alicante airport is preferable as it is larger and is connected with many European carriers including Easyjet and Ryanair. Connections are simple throughout the region, but cheap car hire Alicante is a good place to look as road travel is undoubtedly the most convenient in this largely uncongested region. In some instances, a car is the only way to navigate the rural landscape as many of the best locations are slightly remote.