Teulada Moraira
'The Jewel in the Costa Blanca Crown'Gandia
Gandia is a city in the Valencian Community, on the East coast of Spain. Gandia is often thought of as being on the Costa Blanca, however it is actually on the Costa del Azahar.
View across Gandia harour and marina
Over the centuries, Gandia has been home to several cultural figures, the most famous of which was the novelist JoanotMartorell, but it is as the home of the Borgias that Gandia is most famous.
Gandia is now one of the largest towns on the Eastern coast of Spain. Split into two zones: Gandia City, where the main shopping centres are, and Gandia Beach, home to the many holiday rental villas and apartments, bars and nightclubs. With a distance of approximately 2 kilometres between the city centre and the beach area, the noise generated by the lively atmosphere at Gandia Beach during the day and night, does not affect the day-to-day lives of the Gandia locals.
Gandia hasn’t gained any real traction with European tourists, who have preferred its neighbouring city further north: Valencia, and the coastal towns and villages of Denia, Javea, Moraira, Calpe and Benidorm further south. The tourism industry of Gandia has therefore geared itself towards the internal Spanish market and has avoided the foreign-owned bars, specialising in cheap, greasy food and the over-development that some of the Southern Costa Blanca towns have been plagued by. This has resulted in a an excellent resort, with deep and wide golden, sandy beaches and a traditional Spanish atmosphere where siestas are long, where meals are even longer and the pace is slower, slow enough to enable the tourist to participate in the life of the town and truly experience the ‘Real Spain’.
Gandia Church
Gandia City is a working town with many interesting sights. Any visitor to Gandia should allocate at least an afternoon or a day to taking in these sights. From the 14th century Palacio Ducal de los Borja, where daily tours are organised, to the church in Placa Major and on to Passeig de les Germanies: a typical Spanish promenade, with benches and fountains, lined with trees it provides a beautiful walk over the bridge and on to the weekly market. Along the Placa Major are cafe-bars and restaurants with counters and bars-tops, laden with fresh Spanish tapas being devoured by the locals who love this part of town.
For those wishing to visit Valencia, Gandia provides easy access, with the train station being located in the centre of town. Regular services operate and it takes less than half an hour to get to Valencia: a city which, since being awarded the Americas Cup, has attracted significant investment turning it into one of the finest cities in Europe.
Gandia Town Centre Street
The skyline above Gandia is dominated by the Safor mountain range, in particular the Mont Monduver: one of the highest peaks in the Marina Alta region. At the feet of this magnificent range are orchards, laden with various varieties of orange, from clementines to mandarins and satsumas.
For beach and sailing enthusiasts, Gandia is second to none. Its Northern beach is an impressive 3.5 km long with golden sand that slopes gently into the clear, inviting Mediterranean sea. Lining the beach are low-rise apartment blocks, restaurants and the occasional bar. Gandia has very few hotels, due to its lack of foreign tourists.
There are a number of excellent boat trips that can be enjoyed including trips to Denia, Javea, Calpe and Altea. It is also possible to take a trip onwards from Denia to Ibiza.
For those that prefer land-based trips, as well as Valencia, Gandia provides easy access to the mountains that shroud the coast. A trip to the mountain town of Xativa is a real treat.
Gandia is not on the typical tourist map – don’t miss out on this truly wonderful city – make sure it is on yours.
Enjoy!
