Valencia, Mediterranean coast

Day 1. Arrival in Valencia

• Private transfer Airport – Hotel.

Day 2. Valencia, historical and monumental

• In the company of José, we will go for a walk through the old town to visit the medieval Torres de Serranos and the Plaza de San Lorenzo with the buildings of the Valencian Cortes. We will also visit the Cathedral with its famous “Miguelete” bell tower and continue to the Silk Exchange, which represents the commercial splendour of Valencia during the 15th and 16th centuries. The building was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. A must stop is to enjoy a natural horchata with traditional fartons in the town hall square. We will go to the Plaza de Toros and the Estación del Norte. Free time to taste the local cuisine. In the afternoon, we will visit the City of Arts and Sciences, a world of curiosities with an eclectic architecture by the Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava. Accommodation in Valencia.

Day 3. Valencian flavours, rice fields and chufa

• We will go out to enjoy the Valencian garden. One of the star products, which is only grown in Valencia, is the chufa, with which the famous horchata is made, the drink par excellence of the warmer months. We will visit a farm and an authentic dryer where we will learn how to make this refreshing drink. We will enjoy a delicious paella in an environment surrounded by nature before starting the Rice Route. We will visit the rice facilities of a family with great tradition in the cultivation of the best varieties of rice. There we will see the “tankats”, the fields where this precious cereal grows, as well as the grain stores and other machinery necessary for its post-harvest treatment. We will end our day in the Albufera, where we will board the boat of our friend Ernesto and we will tour the environment of the Natural Reserve. Accommodation in Valencia.

Day 4. From the garden to the plate, Valencian oranges and cocas

• We will live a unique day that will make us connect with the local community and tradition through the importance of oranges in Valencia. We will travel to Carcaixent, 40 km from Valencia, cradle of the Valencian orange for several centuries. We will meet the Ribera family in their estate, an authentic stately palace surrounded by a large plantation of centenary orange trees. During our visit we will know the different varieties of citrus fruits, how they are pruned, how they graft, how they were watered in the past and how it is done today. We can also taste different types of citrus, know how they smell, how they taste and how they feel. We will know the export service of the orange, from the Valencian tree to the rest of the world. The visit will end with a tasting of artisan products related to orange. In the afternoon, we will learn all about the cuisine of Valencian cocas. Sweet or salty, Valencian cocas are recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation. We want to pick up the recipe of our grandmothers and revive the tradition by elevating these dishes to a unique experience. Make your own dough, choose your favorite filling and enjoy a Valencian coca. Fillings to choose: marina risotto, spinach, Swiss chard with prawns, apple with black pudding, caramelized onion, orange jam and chocolate. Accommodation in Valencia.

Day 5. Valencia – Alicante

• Transfer Valencia – Alicante. In the afternoon, together with our host Guillermo, we will delve into Alicante’s history to discover the most illustrious neighborhoods and the most relevant monuments of its old town. We will discover the historical origins of the old Laqant medina, we will meet its most illustrious historical figures, we will talk about legends, epidemics and we will see the traces of the wars that have ravaged Alicante again and again. We will take the elevator to climb directly to the Castle of Santa Barbara located on Mount Benacantil at more than 160 meters above sea level. We will know the future of the fortress throughout its thousand years of history. Accommodation in Alicante.

Day 6. Alicante between olive groves

• Ten kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea and at the foot of the Sierra de Aitana, in a valley surrounded by mountains over a thousand meters high, is Relleu. In this special environment, with almost three thousand hours of sunshine a year and a mild temperature, the olive trees are in optimal conditions. The native varieties of olive trees coexist with the typical cultivation of the area, the almond trees, and with extensive mountain fields of pines, holm oaks, carob trees, rosemary, heather, lentiscus, esparto and thyme, which create a landscape of great beauty. Accompanied by our friend Hugo, we will visit the different plots of cultivation. We will enter the world of olive culture, where we will go from young olive trees to millenary olive trees, explaining all the processes of cultivation. We will also visit a farmhouse, where we will observe the facilities and explain the entire process of elaboration, conservation and preservation of the olives. At the end of the visit, we will taste olive oil accompanied by food. Accommodation in Alicante.

Day 7 – Return home.

• Private transfer Hotel – Airport.