The Valencian Community is a box of surprises. Although the province of Valencia is the most visited, if you are willing to enjoy a cheap holiday in Spain, you may be interested in looking a little further north. Castellón keeps villages with a lot of charm such as Morella or Peñíscola and wide beaches with all the services, perfect to enjoy with the family. For example, the beaches of Els Terrers or Carregador are some of the best in the Valencian Community.
Valencia, Alicante and Castellón have corners that you cannot imagine. How many have you already been to?
That Spain is a beautiful country is undeniable. Each region has corners of great charm and that you should visit at least once in your life. Iberinbound, iberinbound@iberinbound.com takes you today to the Valencian Community to discover the most beautiful places in Castellón.
Morella
In the province of Castellón, Morella is one of the most beautiful towns in Spain. Perched on top of a hill and crowned by a castle, this town has its roots in the Middle Ages, although it is known that the area was already inhabited in prehistory (and if not, stop by its caves with World Heritage cave paintings ). Its medieval walls have a perimeter of over 2 kilometers and a height of 10 to 15 meters. In the interior of the villa, manor houses, romantic and Gothic medieval churches, and charming corners abound. If you haven’t been there yet, don’t miss it.
Peñiscola
Another of the most picturesque corners of the Peninsula, Peñíscola, on the Costa de Azahar, takes the passage of time with great grace. This «city» (it has the title since 1707) rises on a rocky peninsula unique to the earth only by an isthmus of sand. This singularity meant that, when the tide rose, it was isolated as if it were an island until the construction of the port ended the phenomenon. Even so, a walk through its old town until you reach the imposing Castle of Papa Luna is something indescribable. And if you get tired of history you can always lie down to sunbathe on one of the wonderful beaches that abound in the area.
Sierra Calderona, Valencia and Castellón Natural Park
The constant backdrop in the regions of L’Horta, Camp de Túria and Camp de Morvedre, Sierra Calderona is the natural park that separates the river basins of Palancia and Turia and Carraixet. Of abrupt relief, limestone rocks, pine forests and cork oaks, from the summit of the Garbí admire views like no other. Dare to explore its trails in search of the Charterhouses of Portaceli and Vall de Crist and enjoy the scenery.
Bride’s Jump (in Navajas)
Such a poetic name does justice to a natural setting of great beauty and perfect for a hiking route or a day outdoors. Located in the town of Navajas, this corner is perfect to contemplate the refreshing 30 meters high of the Brazal Waterfall, but also to let yourself be carried away by the magic of the legend that surrounds it. Apparently, long ago, before getting married, wedding couples visited the place, where the Palancia river narrows the most, and the bride had to jump to the opposite shore.
Columbretes Islands
The four small volcanic islands located off the coast of the province of Castellón are one of the most important protected areas in the Valencian Community. The Columbretes Islands Nature Reserve is a unique archipelago that will delight any lover of scuba diving and beautiful landscapes. Dare to dive or navigate between the Illa Grossa, La Ferrera, La Foradada or El Carallot and enjoy the Mediterranean in its purest form.
Gastronomy in the province of Castellón
Castellón cuisine from the north of the province, bordering Catalonia, has elements from both Valencian and Catalan (Tarragona) cuisine. The historical and natural region of the Maestrazgo receives the influences of the Aragonese cuisine. As in the other eastern cuisines, rice is the main ingredient in many dishes; at the same time it is in an olive producing area.
Arrós amb espardenyes
It is a seafood dish originating in southern Catalonia, very typical in the towns of the Ebro Delta area, belonging to the south of the province of Tarragona, and those of the north of the Valencian Community, specifically in the province of Castellón, and which It is made in a similar way to seafood paella.
Arrós negre
Black rice is a dish of dry rice, cooked in paella or in a clay pot, with its characteristic appearance and flavor that differentiate it from arroz a banda. The base of trash (rock fish for soup or to eat fried) in the broth, the sofrito of onions and minced garlic, and the pieces of cuttlefish, squid and prawns, along with the natural ink of the squid that the animal itself gives off ( are some ink bags that are between the beards of the mollusk). The ink is added to the rice in the cooking broth and it is what gives it that color that calls it.
Iberinbound, iberinbound@iberinbound.com incoming travel agency in Delta del Ebro Tarragona, specialized in Group tours if they are Educational, Students, Leisure , ad-hoc groups, Shorex, MICE Bleisure. Relaxing on the beach is not everybody´s favourite holiday activity, as some rather prefer spending their time with traditional and folkloric festivals full of color and perfume.