Valencia is one of the communities with the most beautiful landscapes not only in Spain, but in the world. From modern cities to ancient medieval villages, this large municipality opens its doors so you can get to know the immensity of its landscapes. In this article we will visit the 10 best towns in Valencia that you can not miss.
Bocairent
If it comes to history, it is mandatory to visit Bocairent, an Arab village dating back to the Neolithic. In this place it has streets that lead to squares, visiting different hermitages, such as August, the Virgen de los Desamparados and San Juan Bautista. In the eighteenth century, the parish of Our Lady of the Assumption was created.
These temples are surrounded by portals that cover them, and around them there are small houses built between the rocks in medieval times, when the Arabs used a fortress located on the top of Bocairent. This village was known for its large textile factory in 1587, called the Royal Cloth Factory, decorated with flowers and fountains around it. Currently, you can visit the municipal Archaeological Museum, where you can take a history class from the Paleolithic to the Middle Ages, when it was used by the Arabs. In addition, there is the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, from where you can take the “Magic Route” to tour the entire historic center.
Buñol
We continue with prehistoric villages. In this case, Buñol has existed since the Paleolithic and, during the Muslim era, a castle was built that is located in the center of Buñol. Undoubtedly, one of the biggest attractions in the Valencian Community available to tourists. This village has a large lake with a waterfall 60 meters high, called “the Cave of Turche”.
On the other hand, you can visit the various fountains that surround the town, in addition to the famous park of San Luis, the parish of Sant Pere and the mill of Galán, among many other places and buildings of past centuries, ideal to feed on the history of one of the oldest towns in Valencia.
Guadalest Castle
If you visit Alicante, you can not miss Castell de Guadalest,a town that seems to have grown from the rocks and has only two neighborhoods (lower and upper part), which join in a tunnel, overlooking the Guadalest reservoir.
From the upper part, you can go up to the castle of San José, the Alcozaiba, the church of Our Lady of the Assumption and the Orduña house, among other magnificent sites that this mountain village presents.
Chelva
Chelva is one of the most known historical villages in Valencia. Some buildings have tiles dating from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, valuable old pieces that accompany a square that was occupied by the mosque and the Muslim souk, where the hermitage of La Soledad is currently located. Within the suburb or Moorish neighborhood, you can see the Mosque of Benaeçh, which became the hermitage of Santa Cruz and that of the Desamparados.
On the other hand, in the Jewish Quarter, the streets become increasingly narrow. When you look up, you can see an unforgettable green landscape with the Chelva River, known as the “Water Route”, which leads to the Plaza Mayor and runs through the four oldest neighborhoods of the town.
Chulilla
20 kilometers from Chelva, is Chulilla, a town that you should visit not only for its landscapes, but for the history behind them. In this amazing place, you will find a crater caused by the erosion of the Turia River over time, creating the canyon of the Hoces de Chulilla, with walls 10 meters wide and 160 meters deep. To tour this area, there are several suspension bridges that you must cross. Forget the fear and let yourself be carried away by the energies of the Turia canyon, surrounded by Los Calderones, Trascastillo and the Charco Azul.
You can also not miss the old town of Chulilla, which has been declared a historical-artistic monument, by the Parish of Our Lady of the Angels, which is located on a mosque with a baroque façade dating from the fifteenth century.
El Palmar
El Palmar is an excellent option for the conservation of its canals and barracks, such as tío Aranda, which dates from the nineteenth century and which, thanks to its adobe walls and a wooden ceiling, remain standing. In addition, there is the historic construction called La Trilladora del Tocaio,where rice was grown, which is complemented by a walk through the Ethnological Museum of El Palmar and the Embarcadero.
El Palmar is located in the Albufera Natural Park, and is recognized for being the inspiring muse of Vicente Blasco Ibáñez to create the novel “Cañas y Barro”, which deals with the life that the fishermen of the Albufera did. In fact, fish is an indispensable part of the local gastronomy.
Morella
To the north of the province of Castellón, on top of a hill, you can find one of the most beautiful villages in Valencia: Morella, where the ruins of its castle are located, dating from the thirteenth century, accompanied by the fortified wall, which remains as if it were not built eight centuries ago. Without a doubt, going to Morella is like traveling to the past.
Peniscola
Following the route of Castellón, Peñíscola appears, another town in the middle of an island that complements Morella, but with the difference that it is on the seashore. In Peñíscola you can visit the Casa de las Conchas, the imposing Portal Fosc, where you can tour the interiors of this castle.
The fortress of the Castle of Papa Luna was built by the Templars at the beginning of the fourteenth century, although it did not seem, due to its conservation. Nor can you miss the hermitage of Santa Ana and el Bufador.
