Jalon Valley

The Jalon Valley is just a 25 minute drive inland from the Costa Blanca towns of Denia, Javea, Moraira and Calpe. This ideal location is just off the beaten track yet close enough to enjoy the Spanish coast. Stunning mountain scenery surrounds the valley towns of Jalon, Alcalali and Parcent. The surrounding area has a quiet and relaxing atmosphere, with beautiful and unspoilt scenery and many small villages to explore.

Jalon is the principal town in the Jalon Valley, or Val de Pop. The scenery is beyond compare and is a popular valley for walkers and sightseers. More than half of Jalon remains untouched - these areas are working vineyards, orange, lemon and almond groves and greenbelt areas.

Jalon is a traditional Spanish village with the townhouses dating back many centuries. The town comes to life on Tuesdays for market day and Saturdays when people from all over the area come to its famous Rastro, The town also has an assortment of specialist food shops, restaurants and cafes.

The summer here is not to be missed, with the grapes being harvested and ferried to the local bodegas where you can stroll round and try any of the local wines for which Jalon is famous. In the spring the valley is a stunning carpet of pale pink almond blossom.

Pego

Pego is the hidden gem of the Spain's Costa Blanca, sandwiched between orange groves, marshes and nine mountain ranges. Just twenty minutes from the hustle and bustle of Denia and yet it feels like another world.

Between Oliva’s coastline and Pego town lies the Marjal, a natural park which is home to numerous endangered species and an ornithologist’s paradise with herons, linnet, kope and kingfishers, even ospreys and eagles can be seen circling the airspace above. From June to August there is a free boat trip across the Marjal - or you can go on foot or by bicycle. You can enjoy an immense tranquillity and feel totally at one with nature whilst exploring the green valleys and mountains via the network of walkers’ routes to be found in the area.

Pego has traditionally been associated with growing rice, though its proximity to Valencia has encouraged the growing of citrus fruits to the detriment of rice.

Pego, with its attractive town houses, offers everything from traditional restaurants and bars to local shops and medical centres. No visit is complete without seeing the Ambra castle, with its spectacular view of the town, the orange groves and the rice fields. Pego's most popular monument is the Church of the Assumption with its breathtaking architecture of the 17th century and a bell tower topped with small canons.

Pego’s most famous annual fiesta is the carnestoltes, which takes place on a Saturday the week before Lent and attract tourists from as far away as Valencia. The carnestoltes ends the following Saturday with the ‘Burning of the Sardine’, which begins with a slightly more sombre, black-clad parade, and ends with a huge firework display and the Correfocs (where the residents run through the streets carrying lighted torches).

Orba

Orba, a village proud of its Moorish past, is set in the Orba valley - the most inland part of the Marina Alta. The valley is famous for its luxuriant greenness and mountains, combining with the luminous blue of the sky.

The name Orba originates from the Arabic Ur-Obia meaning "the place where water springs from the mountain". Orba provides an important transport hub for the Marina Alta since it links Pego with the Marina Baixa and the Retoría Valleys with the Vall de Laguart. Its economy is essentially agricultural with a trend toward the monoculture of citrus fruits, though almonds, carob and olives are also grown.

Orba has approximately 1600 inhabitants. Ceramics are manufactured here, and there is also a bag making industry. The town has plenty of modern facilities, including traditional restaurants, bars and local shops. The area's attraction today arises from its privileged position, close to the coast and tourist areas, but retaining its opriginal characteristics and life style.

Castalla

The historic old fortress town of Castalla stands high above the countryside, in a magical setting and yet is just under 20 minutes from Alicante. The area surrounding Castalla is covered in dense forest so it is a popular area for activities such as cycling and walking.

Castalla is a peaceful and relaxed town with a preserved old centre with steep and narrow streets and small squares. Pathways lead past manor houses showing its noble past up to the now ruined castle overlooking the surrounding countryside. The castle was taken over from the Moors by King Jamie I, who rebuilt it and consecrated the first church in the second half of the 13th century. Today, the town combines its traditional characteristics with its many modern facilities, including restaurants, bars, banks medical centres, local shops and supermarkets.