5 day trips from Valencia part 1: cultural trips

Xàtiva 

Xàtiva is a historic village with a charming town centre, an impressive castle and its accompanying viewpoints. It looks like one big castle, but there are actually two castles located next to each other, called 'Menor' and 'Mayor'. While climbing, you will find several chapels and squares and have a nice view of the city. On top of the mountain, you will find a prison from the 14th century. In the centre, you will find historical buildings, palaces and water fountains. Xàtiva used to be an Arab city, which can still be seen in its architecture. Xàtiva can be reached from Valencia in about 50 minutes by car. There is also a direct train connection, then you'll be there in 45 minutes. 

Villajoyosa

Villajoyosa (meaning: 'the joyful town') is a colourful village located on the Costa Blanca. It is a traditional fishing village with a fishing port and boulevard, where you will find many bars and restaurants. Here you can relax on the beach, explore the promenade or check out all the small streets with colourful houses. You can also walk through the beautiful park along the Amadorio riverbed. On Thursdays, you will find a large market with 200+ stalls selling fresh fruit, sweets and much more. Villajoyosa also has a rich history in chocolate production and currently has 3 running factories. A (free!) visit to the Valor chocolate museum is therefore highly recommended! In this museum, you can see how the process of making chocolate has changed over the years. Of course, there is also a shop where you can buy a delicious bar. Besides the Valor museum, two other museums can be found in the village: Chocolates Perez & Chocolates Clavileño. From Valencia, you can reach this village in 1 hour and 45 minutes by car and with public transport, it will be just under 3 hours. 

Peñíscola

Peñíscola is a town located on the coast between Valencia and Barcelona. Because of all the white and blue houses, it looks like a Greek village! In this town, you will find a large beach and a cosy centre with many shops and restaurants. At the beach, you can enjoy tapas and sangria or play a game of beach volleyball. You will also find 'Castello de Papa Luna' here. This castle is surrounded by beautiful botanical gardens and on top of the castle you have great views over the beach, the port and the old town of Peñíscola. Also, be sure to visit 'Casa de las conchas' (meaning: house of shells). This is, as the name already suggests, a house full of shells. Another fun fact, Peñíscola has even been a Game of Thrones movie location! From Valencia, you can reach this town in 1.5 hours by car and within 3,5 - 4 hours by public transport.

Altea 

Altea is a village located on the Costa Blanca. From Valencia, you can reach this village in 1.5 hours by car or in 2,5 hours by public transport. White houses, colourful flowers and blue roofs: Altea is also known as the Santorini of Spain. Altea is split into an old neighbourhood and a new neighbourhood. In the old picturesque part, you will find a beautiful church called 'La Mare de Déu del Consol' with blue roofs. A popular activity here is a sunset catamaran cruise. On this cruise, you can enjoy the tranquillity and beautiful views of Altea's 'skyline'.

A perfect village to visit if you love photography and/or if you like the peace and quiet! Because of its location, Altea is perfect to combine with a visit to Villajoyosa or Calpe, for example. 

Madrid

Last but not least, the capital of Spain! Reachable from Valencia in just under two hours by train. The short travel time makes this a perfect day trip, but of course, you can also go for a whole weekend to admire all the beauty. Madrid is known for its rich architecture and various museums and is an excellent city for shopping. We previously wrote a blog post with 10 hotspots in beautiful Madrid. 

Can't wait to start living and working in Valencia after reading this blog, and get the chance to go on all these daytrips? Then go ahead and check our vacancies! 🤩