Just a few areas of local interest to give you even more of a feel of Sempere:

Benicadell Mountain Walk   Las Fallas Fiesta   Gandia Town & Beach   The City of Ontinyent    The Charms of Xátiva   A Typical Bodega

Benicadell Mountain Walk

How to get there: Between Beniatjar and Rafol de Salem - 1.4 km from Beniatjar and 2 km from Rafol de Salem
a narrow road turns uphill from the CV-615. Drive 2.3 km on this road and turn right. 1.6 km further up is the forest house Casa les Planisses. (Roadmap of Vall d'Albaida). Distance: 11km/2h55min

Start at Casa les Planisses (720 m) by taking the sign posted path down to the fountain (Les fontes).
You see the slopes of Benicadell in front of you. Follow the white-yellow waymarks, and ignore a left fork
some 150 meters further. The fountain is a nice picnic place with tables and a fireplace. (6min) (640 m).

Continue from the fountain straight ahead following the sign for Pista Forestal and Alt Benicadell.
The path bends to northwest and comes to the ruins of a house (20min) (645 m). A couple of meters
before reaching the house, the path curves left, and widens to a track that goes through almond groves.

When you come to a sand road and signs (28min) (705 m), turn left for Alt Benicadell. Keep an eye on the right side of the road looking for signposts. When you encounter a sign for Alt Benicadell (40min) (785 m), take the path right uphill. At the fork (50min) (850 m), go left. If you go right, you will meet a dead end by a small cave and have to return to the fork. From the path you have a nice view over the Beniatjat town below and to the rock walls rising in front of you.

Photos to the left depicting some tremendous scenes of the Benicadell Mountain.

Further up the path starts ascending in zigzag. The next fork (1h20min) (985 m) is signposted. Go straight ahead
for the Benicadell ice house (Nevera del Benicadell). Ignore a left fork which you encounter in two minutes, but go
left at the sign posted fork (1h25min) (1015 m). The ice house (1h28min) (1025 m) is well preserved with a roof and windows framed by climbing plants, and locates in a nice spot where you can have a break before returning to the
Alt Benicadell fork (1h35min) (985 m). At the fork, turn right uphill for the plain of Benicadell (Alt Benciadell).
From the plain continue on the path to the top of Benicadell.

The top of Benicadell (1h50min) (1104 m) opens a view to the surrounding valleys rimmed by mountain ranges.
In the southeastern valley you can see the town of Beniarrés, and behind it the reservoir (Embalse de Beniarrés)
lined by mountains all the way to Aitana, the highest top in Costa Blanca.
The crest of Benicadell streches out southwestwards.

When you have descended back to the sand road (2h 40min), turn right to the Casa les Planisses (2h55min).

 

The City of Ontinyent


Located to the north-west of Alcoy and Cocentaina, the historical city of Ontinyent is situated beside the
River Clariano on the western side of the Albaida Valley. With its population of 36,368 (2006),
Ontinyent has two distinct areas, the old (formerly walled) town and the modern industrial suburbs.
The old town ‘La Vila’ still retains much of its old world charm, with narrow winding streets and ancient houses.

There are still some remains of the ancient ramparts which surrounded the town in the 13^th century, at a time when Moors and Christians battled for mastery of the region and the gothic church of Santa Maria, which also dates from the 13^th century, witnessed the arrival of Jaime I of Aragon who entered to hear mass after his forces had regained control of the town from the Arab invaders in 1244, the imposing tower of the church is the highest in Valencia at 71 metres. The towns history however goes back much further as there have been archaeological finds dating from Roman times and a Roman cemetery was found just 2 kilometres south of the old town, remains from the Visigothic occupation have also been found. Ontinyent was granted the title of ‘City’ in 1904.

Ontinyent grew around the textile industry, which has been its main source of income since the Middle Ages, the industry developed due to the abundance of water which propelled the numerous water mills still found in the area. Other industries in Ontinyent include furniture, earthenware, paper, brandy and wine, there has been a rapid increase in population over the last 50 years and almost half of it is employed in the various textiles industries.

As with many Spanish towns, the most important fiesta in Ontinyent is the spectacular Moors and Christians festival which is held in August, other significant festivals include the fiesta of Sant Antoni (January), the Fallas (March), the Fira (November) and the Purisma (December).

Places of interest to visit in Ontinyent include the aforementioned church of Santa Maria, originally from the 13^th century, the Plaza Mayor (Town Square), where you will find many old buildings including the old town hall, the Casa del Consell, dating from the 16^th century, the Almodi (16^th century), the Comtes de Torrefeil Palace (15^th -17^th centuries) and Els Porxets (the Porticoes) from the 16^th century.




Las Fallas Fiesta

Does the smell of gunpowder excite you? Does the sight of flames make you smile?
Do you secretly harbor pyrotechnic urges that are only socially acceptable on the Fourth of July?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then Las Fallas of Valencia is your kind of event,
a loud, smoky, high-spirited fiesta where the whole town is literally set ablaze!

Las Fallas is undoubtedly one of the most unique and crazy festivals in Spain. Then again, Spain is a country known for its unique and odd fiestas. What started as a feast day for St. Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters, has evolved into a 5-day, multifaceted celebration involving fire. Valencia, a quiet city with a population of just over 1 million, swells to an estimated three million flame-loving revelers during Las Fallas celebrations.

Las Fallas literally means "the fires" in Valencian. The focus of the fiesta is the creation and destruction of ninots (“puppets” or “dolls”), which are huge cardboard, wood, paper-machè and plaster statues. The ninots are extremely lifelike and usually depict bawdy, satirical scenes and current events. A popular theme is poking fun at corrupt politicians and Spanish celebrities. The labor intensive ninots, often costing up to €50,000,
are crafted by neighborhood organizations and take almost the entire year to construct.
Many ninots are several stories tall and need to be moved into their final location of over 350 key intersections
and parks around the city with the aid of cranes on the day of la plantà (the rising).

The ninots remain in place until March 19th, the day known as La Cremá (the burning). Starting in the early evening, young men with axes chop cleverly-hidden holes in the statues and stuff them with fireworks. The crowds start to chant, the streetlights are turned off, and all of the ninots are set on fire at exactly 12am (midnight). Over the years, the local bomberos (firemen) have devised unique ways to protect the town's buildings from being accidentally set on fire by the ninots: such as neatly covering storefronts with fireproof tarps. Each year, one of the ninots is spared from destruction by popular vote. This ninot is called the ninot indultat (the pardoned puppet) and is exhibited in the local Museum of the Ninot along with the other favorites from years past.

Traveler and pyromaniac Janet Morton says, "The scene at Las Fallas is extremely cathartic and difficult to describe, but resembles a cross between a bawdy Disneyland, the Fourth of July and the end of the world!"

The origin of las Fallas is a bit murky, but most credit the fires as an evolution of pagan rituals that celebrated
the onset of spring and the planting season. In the sixteenth century, Valencia used streetlights only during
 the longer nights of winter. The street lamps were hung on wooden structures, called parots, and as the days
 became longer the now-unneeded parots were ceremoniously burned on St. Joseph's Day.
Even today the fiesta has retained its satirical and working-class roots, and the well-to-do and faint-of-heart
of Valencia often ditch out of town during Las Fallas.

Besides the burning of the ninots, there is a myriad of other activities during the fiesta. During the day, you
can enjoy an extensive roster of bullfights, parades, paella contests and beauty pageants around the city.
Spontaneous fireworks displays explode everywhere during the days leading up to La Crema, but the highlight
 is the daily mascletá which occurs in the Plaza Ayuntamiento at exactly 2pm. When the string-lined
firecrackers are ignited, the thunderous, rythmitic sounds they make can be considered music as the sound
 intensifies in volume. Those firecrackers timed to fall to the ground literally shake the floor for next ten minutes,
as the mascletá is more for auditive enjoyment than visual.

Another pyrotechnic cremá takes place in June throughout many towns in Spain. The most famous one is in the city of Alicante, as it celebratres Hogueras de San Juan, "The Bonfires of Saint John."




The Town & Beach Of Gandia

At the northern tip of Costa Blanca is the second city of the Province of Valencia, after Valencia itself.
Its blue flag beaches are 5,8 kilometers long over a surface of 700 000 square meters.

The city has many advantages: The Ducal Palace and Cathedral offer rare glimpses of old Spain. Totally unspoilt, yet being a truly sophisticated working Spanish city, with a wealth of good modern shops, tree lined walkways, parks and squares, the whole town is on a level plane. It is compact so that almost any part is within a pleasant walking distance from the city centre. It is surrounded by orange groves and picturesque mountains. Just three kilometers away is the Port, Yacht Basin and Gandia Playa coastal resort offering a seven Km promenade (over underground car parking) faced with palm trees and golden sands.

Have a walk around the town:
The town of Gandia isnt a tourist destination but is a lively, working town. Its well worth a few hours away from the beach to take a stroll around as it does have a few interesting things to see. The 14th century Palacio Ducal de los Borja (photo 2) is its number one tourist attraction but you can only take guided tours in Spanish with a printed explanation in English. The tours are every half hour with a break for lunch between 1pm and 4pm in winter and 5pm in summer. The church in Placa Major is also worth a visit.

A particularly interesting part of town is Passeig de les Germanies, a tree lined promenade with fountains and benches where the local pensioners gather to put the worlds problems to right. The bridge at the eastern end of this street crosses the dry river bed and takes you over to the weekly Saturday morning market. For more shopping opportunities wander along the lively c/Major where there are plenty shops and cafés keeping the pedestrianised street a buzz with locals most mornings.

The train station at Gandia is right in the centre of town at Parc de lEstacio opposite the tourist information office.
The best thing of all in Gandia is the people: they are stylish, warm and friendly.
Gandia offers you a lot of variety for those among you looking for some nightlife. There is an interesting leisure offer at reach, mainly during the summer: discotheques, Pubs, Taverns by the see with live music, fireworks and other
shows… you can have fun until sunrise!

Typical food of the area: in Gandia and la Safor you will find the smells, tastes and raw materials of traditional Mediterranean cooking.
Its inhabitants love rice, and eat it in infinity of ways: soggy rice, dry rice (oven baked), and those cooked on a pan. The ingredients are numerous, and there are many different rice recipies. A very typial dish of Gandia and the whole province of Valencia is " fideuà ", in which rice is substituted by noodles, and cooked with fish and shellfish.
Try it, you will love it!




The Charms Of Xátiva

Strategically placed on the gentle slope of the Sierra del Castillo, surrounded by natural elements that furnish the landscape with an indescribable beauty. The Vía Augusta, once passed close to the municipality, and reveals the important position held by the municipality long ago in Roman times, preserved today on its own merits having been declared a historical - artistic site. Home to the painter José Ribera, The Españoleto and two Popes from the Borja dynasty, Xátiva’s importance has stood out over centuries. In the XI century Europe's first paper mill was installed in the city – paper made from straw and rice, today is still known as "Xativi" paper.

From the middle of the XIII century to the beginning of the XVIII century it was the second city in terms of political importance and population in the kingdom of Valencia. As with all important and coveted cities, Xátiva also had a dark era with the arrival of the Borbone family with Philip V, after winning at the battle of Almansa, he ordered the expulsion of the "setabenses" and to burn the city. In recollection of this insult, the village preserves a portrait of the monarch hung upside down in the l'Almodí museum.

The sporting possibilities are innumerable, the municipality has three complete sport centres with facilities for swimming, basketball, tennis, pelota, basketball, indoor football, volleyball and athletics. Xàtiva also has an environment ideal for trekking, to climb by foot up to the Castle or to visit the surroundings in which visitors can discover the rich history of the La Costera municipality. Finally, football fans have the opportunity of seeing the
‘La Murta' stadium, home to one of the historical regional teams of the Spanish football league,
while children have several 11 a side football pitches and one 7 a side pitch.

The effect s of Arabic culture and the culinary traditions of the area have combined in Xátiva, coming to fruition in an exquisite menu catering for all tastes. Rice, as always in the Valencian community, is the principal protagonist in the majority of the dishes, like "cassola d'arrós al forn" or "arrós amb fesols i naps", without forgetting the famous paella, which in Xátiva is cooked with an abundance of meat, pulses and vegetables.

On the other hand, the desserts are another good example of gastronomic traditions, L'Almoixavena, is a dessert elaborated with oil, flour, eggs, lard, sugar and cinnamon. Also the "Arnadí", stands out as an exquisite sweet that is cooked in two varieties, with pumpkin or with sweet potato - in both cases it is accompanied with sugar and almond - and constitutes one of the basic and traditional desserts during Easter week. An original Xàtiva speciality, today, this delicious dessert can be found on the menu in the most prestigious restaurants.




A Typical Bodega

To talk of the history of Vicente Gandía is also to talk of the history of Valencian wines per se. If with ‘Castillo de Líria’ and ‘Hoya de Cadenas’, another of the bodega’s emblematic wines, the bodega set a milestone, the release of ‘Ceremonia’ on the market in 1999 was non the less dramatic. Regarded as the first Valencian signature wine, ‘Ceremonia’ marked a revolution in Valencian wines, a path which other Valencian bodegas were soon to follow.
And by this time the bodega’s fourth generation of winemakers was firmly established in the business.

These wines were joined by other brand names such as ‘Generación 1’, ‘El Miracle’, the muscatel ‘Fusta Nova’, and more recently, the bodega has adventured into the world of cava. The fact is that Bodegas Vicente Gandía offers a wide range of wines: young wines, single-varietal wines, sweet wines, reservas, and signature wines; all made using techniques which combine artisanal know-how with the most state-of-the-art technology. Always with the idea of offering quality in mind, these wines are destined to put Valencia on the world’s stage.

Behind every wine made at Bodegas Vicente Gandía is hidden the work of hundreds of employees who are spread between the various facilities owned by the wine company; a bodega, a warehouse, and offices in Chiva (Valencia), as well as ‘Finca Hoya de Cadenas’, a bodega built at the foot of the vineyard in the Utiel-Requena region.

‘Finca Hoya de Cadenas’ is an ecological paradise located at 100 kilometres from the city of Valencia. It boasts over 200 hectares of the most noble local and international varieties, some of which are: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, Merlot, Tempranillo, and Bobal, the native Utiel grape. The vitiviniculture complex includes a bodega where the vinification process is carried out, and an ageing cavern which currently houses the largest fleet of barrels in the whole ‘Comunidad Valenciana’: 15,000 225-litre select barrels made from American
and French oak. The ultramodern bodega is equipped with state-of-the-art winemaking technology, designed to safeguard all the characteristics of the terrior.