Three days. Cullera, Guadalest & the Valencian Tuscany. España Discovery

Both the coast and the interior of the provinces of Valencia and Alicante are particularly attractive, and even more on board a motorhome or campervan. With this in mind, we have designed a route considering three attractive points of interest - beach, mountain and vineyard - to visit, taste and spend the night. In three days!

Day 1 and starting point: Cullera, Restaurant El Cordobés, page 165 of the España Discovery guide, 39º08'04''N, 00º14'08''W.
This restaurant and hotel, is located in the Estany de Cullera, on the coast, established in 1958 by the lake of Estany. Previously a beach picnic place, now a days it is a restaurant and hotel straight next to the beach. It is currently run by the second generation, Santiago, Maribel and Ana, who welcome motorhome and campervan users. The visit is better during low and medium season. In summer, especially July and August it can be very busy due the large number of customers who go to the beach and the restaurant and the parking will be full. We do not recommend visit in high season. If you like to fish or surf, this is a very good spot.
Show the current edition of España Discovery guide to the host, thus the owners will know that you know the 'code of conduct' or the 'golden rules', hello and say goodbye! A dinner, breakfast or lunch in the restaurant is the best way to say thanks for letting us stay overnight on the spot. Buy your España Discovery guide here: www.espana-discovery.es

Day 2: Valle de Guadalest, barbecue at Restaurant and Museum El Riu, page 178 of the España Discovery guide, 38º39'52''N, 00º09'36''N
Restaurant El Riu and Museum (classic vehicles).
Located at the entrance of Valle de Guadalest (interior of Benidorm), the specialty of the restaurant is grilled meat. It is very curious to see -at the entrance of the dining room- the large barbecue where all kinds of meat are cooked; veal, lamb, rabbit, chicken, quail.

It is also possible to taste typical gastronomy from the mountains of Alicante, such as olleta de blat, stew, garlic soup, seasonal vegetables or sausages. Desserts are especially interesting, made with medlar, the emblematic fruit of this zone of Alicante, among other delights.
After such a banquet, we can rest while visiting the museum of classic vehicles, a last effort for a mini hiking route and then to rest and prepare to spend the night on the spot.


Day 3: Visit to the Castell de Guadalest and wine tasting at Bodega Los Frailes.
Continue direction Fontanars del Alforins, make a tourist stop to visit the Castell de Guadalest. Pause for a couple of hours in the public parking (38 ° 40'34 "N 0 ° 12'02" W) to visit the historical tourist enclave; museums and souvenir shops.
Take a 'petit déjeuner' Valencian style, that is a 'bocata' of longaniza and a coffee before continuing route. The Castell de Guadalest parking is small, good for large vehicles during medium / low season but not recommended during July and August. Castell de Guadalest has been able to maintain, through the centuries, the most typical features of the populations of the Alicante's interior. It deserves visit.
Bodegas Los Frailes, Fontanars dels Alforins, page 175 of the España Discovery guide, 38º, 46'26''N, 00º49'56''W; (please call and book the visit).
Miguel Velasquez, pharmacist and oenologist will welcome you and show his intersting and modern winery. He will tell you the history of the winery and also the winemaking tradition, initially Iberian and then Roman from the Fontanars dels Alforins area.
In this small region -the Valencian Tuscany- there were more than 100 wineries that made wine and vinegar. Now a days there are many fewer wineries but slowly work continues to recover many of those historic underground cellars.
Great views and fantastic sunset. Buy and drink some wine, spend the night at the bodega of course.

The guide España Discovery and map are available at: www.espana-discovery.es

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