VALENCIA, DENIA, ALICANTE....finalizing plans for November/December
 

I have another long thread about plans for this trip but now that I've settled on a few things, I will begin this new thread so readers do not have to wade through a long thread about apartments, etc.

In brief: We hope to make a trip of about 17 days, focused mostly on wandering around and discovering new foods and restaurants, and some sights. I went to school in Valencia as a teen and spent about a week there (combined with Barcelona) about 15 years ago. My partner has never been.


This is a tentative plan:

Arrive Valencia (from JFK with connection in MAD) on Sunday 11/17
Valencia..7 nights at ONLY YOU HOTEL

Rent car and drive to Denia..spend 5 nights as HOTEL LA POSADA DEL MAR...hope for a room with water view; will focus on booking table at EL BARET.

After five nights in Denia, drive to Alicante (any recommended stops for lunch?)
Spend five nights in Alicante--Hotel Hospes Amerigo????

Drop the car off upon arrival in Alicante, unless there are great restaurants out of the city that require a car to visit....

In general, have I planned well the number of days in each city? Too many days in Alicante?
Best location for Alicante hotel?


I had planned to stop in Cuenca but want to make this trip as easy as possible for my partner, with fewer checking in and out of hotels.....I can go to Cuenca on my own someday, from Madrid...


I should add that for both of us, the rice we had at Sebe in Lanzarote opened my eyes to how fantastic a rice dish can be.......I can almost say that this dish changed my life at the table.....and it had no seafood, only pork. I think about it every day!!!

How does this plan sound???? Too much time in Denia and in Alicante?????
Once I get the plan set, I will ask Maribel to recommend restaurants in Denia and in Alicante (El Baret is already tops on my list!)

Thanks all for bearing with me through my lengthy and involved threads with all the focus on eating!!!

Be back later, eks, but I´m on my way to Rafa for dinner!!!:)

Quick note: For Alicante I would book the Hospes Amérigo or the Casa Alberola Curio Collection by Hilton. Both get good reviews on booking.com, but read through all the very verified booking reviews to get a sense of each. The Casa Alberola is newer.. Both just a short walk from the seaside promenade and great dining within very easy walking distance.

Rafa!!!! Oh how I wish I could go with you!!!

I just booked my stay in Vejer for March..good news there!!

Hope to hear from you when you get the time!!

Ok, eks, I just updated my 10-page dining guide for the Marina Alta and Dénia just for you!!

5 nights in Alicante for me would be a bit much, unless you take a day trip to Elche and another trip further west-north, inland, to have a spectacular rice dish at Elías in El Pinoso, also recommended by Susi Díaz of La Finca, Elche. Elías I didn't include in my attached file.

From Dénia to Alacant, you'll pass by Benidorm (I keep my eyes closed, lol), but you could stop just inland from highly overdeveloped Benidorm at El Xató in La Nuncia, which we considered, as it´s often recommended by locals, but didn't have time to pursue on our trip up to Guadalest. It does have an excellent local reputation plus a Michelin star. That said, it offers tasting menus only, best done at night while staying nearby and not while in transit!

Or in El Campello you have La Vaquería, Michelin and Repsol recommended. That would be my choice.

And the Alicante Mercado Central, although not nearly as large as Valencia's, is a joy. The fishmongers' stalls are amazing!

Bar Manero (I love this place, both in Alicante and Madrid) just opend its Bikini (yummy grilled ham and cheese sandwiches) Cocktail Bar at the Teatro Principal.
https://www.bikinimanero.com

Maribel you are a marvel!!

I cannot wait to dig into your new guide!!!!!

I will cut down the time in Alicante.

Did you stay at VIVOOD hotel? I have that marked but have not read much about it....
Or, I should ask if there is anyplace we ought to spend the night inland between Denia and Alicante?

Nowhere to spend the night between the two except for the VIVOOD outside of Guadalest, but Guadalest is a strange sort of town, although it has a very dramatic perch, it's tiny and filled with rather quirky museums (the salt & pepper shaker museum, the micro miniature museum, ..) . We stayed for one night at a lovely B&B (we wanted to do some wine touring nearby at Enrique Mendoza), but the town itself at night is dead as a doornail.

Just drive straight down from Dènia or spend the night at VIVOOD but plan on spending your entire time there.

Dear Maribel, I think we will skip Vivood due to your comments. We have time to alter the plan but so far, I have booked:

ONLY YOU VALENCIA...9 nights

LA POSADA DEL MAR, Denia, 5 nights in room with terrace facing sea. We will have a car so can always take side trips. I've marked the dates when EL BARET opens the reservation books and you know I will be on top of that!!!

Not yet have booked Alicante but have trimmed down the time to 4 nights---we could think about Elche and/or El Pinoso during that time.

I had my hair cut today. The salon owner who cuts my hair is French; last summer he booked a house with pool and 4 bedrooms in Javea and adored it...Price was 3500 for a week (I think) and the was thrilled.....he never went anywhere else but had a marvelous time and was highly recommending Javea. It would not be for me, but maybe others here might have interest..he had looked in other places along the coast and said the prices were just so high he could not manage any of them......

Maribel, and others who know Alicante:

Four nights? (one would be day of arrival by car from Denia).

Or would you cut it down to three (not a terrible dilemma either way)
I do not think partner would be up to more than one hour day trip from there, but is there enough to keep me busy with the main food market, and restaurants?

I've got NOU MANOLIN on the list.

BAEZA Y RUFETE (?) (comida only)

???BAR MANERO (snacks, or meal; we are not exactly the cocktail bar clientele since he barely drinks!!))

If there are no other "musts" maybe three nights would be best.....I will take a look at both the hotels you recommended and if one has a room with terrace and sea view, Jeff will be happy on his own just relaxing while I wander around.,...he can't walk as far as he used to these days (can any of us?). So I don't want to just park him in an inside room for an afternoon while I scoot around (maybe "scoot" is a big of an exaggeration for me these days...but let's say "meander!")

I've not booked the air tickets yet so still time.....

I'm now thinking of skipping Alicante and spending the two nights at the beginning in Cuenca at the Parador..should I ask for town view of gorge view room?

Land in Barajas and take IRYO train from Atocha to Cuenca..ask for "assistance" on the train for the partner.

My plan has been changed, slightly:

Arrive Madrid, taxi to Atocha and take IRYO train with assistance, to CUENCA.

Two nights: PARADOR DE CUENCA (had to phone them because their online site would not accept my cell phone number). Took breakfast and need ideas for dinners.

Iryo train to VALENCIA..7 nights at the ONLY YOU.
Have many restaurant recs from Maribel but need to discuss later on...


Rent car in Valencia (train station?). and drive to DENIA

DENIA..5 nights at POSADA DEL MAR. On the cusp of booking EL BARET. Booking should open tomorrow for my dates.....thinking of booking two dinners there (???). They are almost all booked up for November already!!!

QUESTION:


After Denia, I was planning to continue on to Alicante for 3 nights.
BUT...I just learned that there is a 5 hours ferry to PALMA.
Can anyone here tell me how comfy the ferry is (my partner has asked).
Does it make sense to go to Palma for 3-4 nights, and then fly back to USA via Madrid?

I have not been to Mallorca since the 1970s. We would not venture much further than Palma; how many days would do justice to the city?
Nice hotel in the center; no car rental.
Markets, restaurants? (This would be early December)

I hope Maribel is ok as she has not been here for a while hope they are reveling in the North during the summer season!!!

Hi there. I'm only here because I'm currently staying in Javea!

I can recommend a bunch of things to do in the area as been here for a while now :)

With regards to the ferry...I once took it to Ibiza. I remember it not being comfy and I really wanted to get off...and that was only 2 1/2 hours!

Five hours will probably be a lot of travel time. If you go in the day, you're just sitting around, not good wifi, walking in circles. If you're only there for a short time 10 hours seems a shame to lose. Denia is lovely though. Recommend early evening drinks or vermouth at Los Magazinos. Recommend the castle, at least for a short visit, along with the museum for context. There was a British population there in early 1900s, they came to install the gas lamps and export raisins to the US and Canada. Old town and fishing district is lovely.

BUT 5 days seems a lot to me. It's a small-ish city. I'd recommend if you have a car driving to see things in the local area: e.g. visit Javea and walk through the narrow streets of the old town and the museum, maybe check out the Jardi de l'Albarda in La Xara/ Denia, consider the rice fields in Pego and have an authentic paella, if time check out the Les Freses winery which is beneath the remains of the oldest known evidence of winemaking in all of Europe...I'm rambling now. Other interesting areas nearby are the Guadalest castle, the Calpe rock, the Algar water falls, the Cala de Moraig beach.

Maybe something useful there :)

Rambling is good! We will have a car in Denia so could explore from there.

Five hours on the ferry to Majorca from Denia---so tempting, and we could fly home from there so ferry only one way. Choice is only between Alicante and ferry to Mallorca..fly home from either of those places. Thanks so much for your response and for the info on Javea; my hairdresser, New Yorker but originally from Paris, thought it was fabulous but he was there in summer in a nice rental with family and did not explore much.

WAs the water brought to Ibiza? Imagine it would be different in December, though.

Flying home from Mallorca changes the game for sure!!

Honestly, I'm not such a fan of Alicante city. I think the MARQ archeology museum is cool. The Santa Barbara castle is really cool. But I got bored in a day's sightseeing. My most amazing experience in Alicante was the Hogueras festival, but that's in June.

Otherwise Alicante is just another big-ish city with a cool boulevard (in my opinion – love to be proven wrong!).

If I were you...knowing you can fly out from either...I'd take Mallorca.

I moved to Javea for work randomly, but it's really grown on me. I can understand your hairdresser loved it. A lot of the eastern coastline in Spain all long sandy beaches. But Javea is headland after headland...even in peak August I can find a deserted cove. They're nearly all pebble beaches which isn't for everyone but I loved the wild feeling you get in Javea. Denia is all white sandy beach and too me feels different. The cliffs in Javea are just stunning. The old town with its narrow streets are magical, like no other I've seen in the area. You can get bored quickly because there's not really anything to see besides the old town museum. But if you enjoy hiking/ kayaking/ walking/ natural places I would recommend. I've done kayak tours in winter to the giant sea cave in Javea and walked up the Montgo mountain (3-4 hour round trip if you know where to park) and it was breathtaking. You can see Mallorca from the top!

I didn't get your Ibiza comment?

Ha! I don't get that comment, either! Who knows what I meant to write...maybe I mean to ask if the water was rough???

Thinking to skip Alicate and look into that ferry to Palma......

Maribel: I hope all is all right with you and family. We are lost here without you!

Good news: Succeeded in booking EL BARET in Denia for two dinners in late November!!! I've never before encountered a restaurant that books up so fast, four months ahead. (Although I've never been to Can Roca!).

I suppose that by now Etxebarri books a year out as well. I do remember phoning Etxebarri in July for a late September booking. And of course, there was the issue of the (former) incarnation of Ibai, where I showed up at the door a few days early and asked Isabel (??) to book two for lunch. No problem, but even the concierge at Maria Cristina had no luck phoning.

Anyway..EL BARET! Also was able to book Lisa Negra in Valencia.

Looking to firm up the other three meals in Denia; researched all of your suggestions..there are so many places and we only have five nights!!!! Most seem to book now for late fall.

Help with Sunday Evening Meal in Valencia
 

Four of us are taking the train from Barcelona to Valencia on Sunday, September 22. We are scheduled to arrive around 1:15pm. We are trying to find a nice place to have an evening meal but we have not found a restaurant that is open Sunday evenings. What do you suggest we do for dinner? Thanks in advance for your help.

There are plenty...I can take a look into this by tomorrow, but please state your budget and what kind of food you are after....paella is usually a daytime dish.....sure you already know this but just mentioning in case.

Do you not want to eat a nice big lunch and just snack for dinner? That is what I would do....again, when I have time I can offer a few ideas because I now have a list since we are spending a week in Valencia later this year...
Again, you would need to state your approximate budget..no need for me=to offer ideas that are too pricey--or too rustic....

I have ongoing threads here on where to eat in Valencia...click on my name and you can find it......here is just on4e of those:

https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/valencia-denia-alicante-finalizing-plans-for-november-december-1723343/

I will also dine at CA PEPICO..open all day Sundays....


https://www.capepico.com/en/menu/


Do you want sit down, or bars with tapas?

We wanted a sit down, something special since it is the 40th anniversary of the couple we are traveling with. We like great food, budget not a problem. We actually like one star Michelin vs. three stars. We have been to both and find one star restaurants excellent and of course less costly and time consuming but we are open to good suggestions. We did some more looking and we are open to doing a nice lunch and light dinner, but I thought I'd check and see what kind of suggestions I can find on this forum. We have found such great recommendations from Foror's Forums in the past I thought I'd ask.We really are open to whatever suggestions you may have for a special meal on their actual anniversary day. We will be in Barcelona the day before and we will be eating at Via Veneto as part of their anniversary celebration! Thank you so much for your help! I really appreciate it!

I have visited Alicante several times on business and would agree that it is not a prime destination, especially for people as well traveled as Ekscrunchy. To me, the promenade is nice, museums OK, castle OK, Roman fish ponds, etc. Agreed it is great if your timing matches one of the festivals, but that is true of any of the towns and cities. If you do end up going there, I can check where hosts have taken me for some nice dinners in town but you are more of a foodie than I so they may be unremarkable for you.

The only ferry I have taken there was out to a nearby island, Tabarca, and it was terribly rough with several people seasick, but I am sure it was much smaller than the ferry you are considering. So I can't help there.

I am going to ask our friends about visiting the Museo del Turron and factory in Xixona when near Alicante. They usually give us some for Christmas.
https://museodelturron.com/web/en/the-turron-museum/

Oh yes..we are still on the fence about Alicante.
So far we have:
Cuenca--2 nights
Valencia--about 9 nights
Denia--about 5 nights

Leaving mid-November.......

WE might also include Madrid instead of Alicante--I guess the choice there is pretty clear!!! Have t get the partner to agree....

We’ll be in Valencia for just 3 nights next month after which we will be attending a friend’s wedding in Barcelona.

In Valencia, the restaurants I have on my list are Llisa Negra, Casa Montaña, Rausell and Casa Carmela. Maybe I should as Ca Pepico to that list?

Horchateria Santa Catalina, Bar Central and Cafe Madrid for Agua de Valencia will also be some other stops.

La Salita, Restaurante Zacarias for a variety of seafood, Tavella (just north of the city) and Habitual are others on the list, but don’t have time to fit it all in.

Looking forward to see what you have on your list eks!

PS: also wondering about Maribel. She posted on Insta about a month ago during her Madrid and Navarra travels.

mdn
Philip Ross, Maribel's partner(?) and "Director of Iberian Traveler - Maribel's Guide's" has been posting on his FB page continuously. It didn't take much to find this.
I don't know anything about either person but have certainly benefited from Maribel's excellent advice here and was curious. There's no mention of any issue.

Maribel is THE expert on Spain here and on other sites. I had the great fortune to meet her after midnight (is that a song title??) in Jerez about a year or so ago..she is a true marvel and so generous with her help to everyone here.

MDN..I will give you my list for Valencia; I booked Llisa Negra but have others thanks to Maribel, On another thread here on this forum she offers the names of the "rice temples" in that region. If I have time I will try to find it or you can do the same..I hate to be unhelpful, butI leave for Sicily in two days and am going through my usual crazy packing panic......but will do my best to give you my Valencia names, thanks to Maribel. The other is Bar Central. We ate in Camarena's now-defunct restaurant last time I was in Valencia.... IF I do not find the list before I leave I willl post it here after I get to Catania....


https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...ossoms-881879/

See if this helps; look at Maribel's recommendations:

https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...1719836/page2/

welch thank you for letting me know. Glad there seems to be no cause for concern about Maribel.

ekscrunchy happy and safe travels!! Your links are indeed helpful for my Valencia planning.

Hi mdn,
I´m still alive and thanks so much for asking!!:)
I just took the month of August off, a little sabbatical from Fodor´s, but now I´m back! Have to post more on my Instagram.

We´re planning a trip next May to Alcoi for the Moros y Cristianos festival and of course, a little detour to Denia and Valencia for great dining! Tiger John on Hungry Onion has some excellent suggestions as well for Valencia. I think you´ve seen this thread
https://www.hungryonion.org/t/3-nigh...encia/35170/11

Do keep Llisa Negra on your list as well as the wonderful Casa Montaña and Bodegas Rausell and Central Bar in the Mercat for esmorzaret, the mid morning sandwich ritual. We´re going out to Ca Pepico on Tiger John´s recommendation.

Maribel So glad you are back after your siesta!
I have Casa Montaña for our first meal, then Llisa Negra, Rausell and Casa Carmela (ordered the paella Valenciana in advance). Will fit in Bar Central. But that leaves me with 2 more open meals. I think I’ll have had enough paella by then. Wondering if there’s a spot like La Barra de Inchausti in Sevilla that’s a regional seafood place open on Sun/Mon. Marisqueira Civera? Thanks!

Hi mdn,
Yes, it was a long siesta!:)
I wrote a response this morning then lost it, aargh!

Here's the Macarfi guide's rating of Marisquería Civera
https://macarfi.com/index.php/es/val...squeria-civera

I love La Barra de Inchausti in Sevilla! Yes, seafood on Sunday but not on Monday.
The closest equivalent might be la Sastrería in El Cabañal/Cañamelar, just a 2-minute walk from Casa Montaña, but you may not want to venture out there once again.

In the center of the city, in Eixample, there´s La Casita de Sabino, bookable on The Fork. Closed on Mondays.

Or there´s Bocamada in Russafa (web page under construction. Again, closed for Sunday dinner and all day Mondays. It's famous for its sea bass.
https://macarfi.com/en/val/restaurant-card/bocamada
https://www.instagram.com/bocamada/?hl=en

So many Valencia restaurants have gone to tasting menus only.
Fancier and pricier would be El Bressol, getting a nod from Repsol and Michelin (but not a star), but I believe it's tasting menus only----not even remotely like La Barra de Inchausti.

Bookmarking. Although my close friends from London say Alicante is a haven for the lager louts from the UK

Hi mike,
Maybe it was where we were based in Alicante, at the Palacio Salvetti Suites on Castaños, just a skip away from our favorite Nou Manolín, but we saw zero lager louts in the city.
Our time was spent mostly dining, visiting the Santa Barbara castle, visiting the MACA contemporary art museum, the Museo de Hogueras, Museo Taurino and wandering around the wonderful indoor market.
We spent zero time on the beach though, as this was post Fallas, March.

This is a wonderful thread and I got a lot of great information on the posts submitted and links added. I appreciate the wealth of information shared! Just wanted to thank you for all your help! I'm leaving for Spain tomorrow. Looking forward to eating at some of the places I found here!

Just found this BBC article on where to eat rice in and around Valencia, according to Chef Ricard Camarena:


https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/2...la-in-valencia

These are all solid recommendations from Camarena.
Another Michelin-starred chef, Quique Dacosta swears that Levante's best paella can be found at RIOJA in Benissanó, but it´s a half hour taxi ride from the Only You. We plan to hit up Napicol and Rioja but we'll have our car.

https://www.guiarepsol.com/es/comer/...tes-favoritos/

As you know, eks, both the IRYO and the AVE to Cuenca both depart now from Chamartín rather than Atocha---just mentioning this for others following along.

On our latest Andalusian romp we chose the IRYO where available because on these Frecciarossa trains the leather seats are nicer, plenty of leg room, more dependable Wi-Fi and the catering seemed a bit better.
The only downside is that riders are instructed not to use the luggage racks at the end of each car, as they're reserved for oversized bags and strollers only. The attendant was very strict about this.
Luckily we were able to lift our bags up to the rack above our seat, but my husband needed to help a young lady across the isle with her very large bag that she couldn't lift.
But IRYO does provide assistance for "old people" that can be reserved during the booking process! (but eks, you already know that!)

The IRYO booking process is also easier for those who don't read Spanish than with www.renfe.com
And I belong to the Club YO, and with my ticket purchases I accumulated some points that I can use for a discount on my next ticket purchase.

Thanks, Maribel!

Yes, will book the IRYO with the extra help!

From Chamartin to Cuenca and then again from Cuenca to Valencia, if IRYO offer that leg....will be checking on this soon.
Just booked RAFF in Cuenca.

Yes, IRYO offers that leg. It's the same train that leaves from Chamartín with a stop at the Estación Fernando Zóbel in Cuenca (outside of town, you'll need to taxi to the Parador), then on to Valencia Joaquín Sorolla, I believe.
RAFF in Cuenca, good idea. Much better than dining at the Parador. Breakfast is fine, be sure to order freshly made eggs from the kitchen, in any style, but go elsewhere for lunch/dinner.

WELL: Cannot find a way to buy an IRYO ticket on their site. I get the page that talks about Cuenca, but no place to click on that offers me the tickets; also tried earlier dates....will try something other than Safari. I just got off the phone with Apple to fix an issue I had and I hope I did not mess up something with Safari!

This is what I am seeing:

https://iryo.eu/en/destinations/train-to-cuenca


I KNOW I am failing to do something, but what??

Sure enough, buying tix on Iryo seems to be working with Chrome, but not Safari....

I was able to buy two tickets in the IRYO train from Madrid Chamartin station to Cuenca.
I did this with Chrome, when Safari would not work.

I requested help for "older/senior" travelers, which worked beautifully when I took this train earlier this year from Madrid to Cordoba.

Total price for two tickets with a hot meal, reserved seats in front of train, and extra help, cost 80.58 euro.
There are four choices of meals on board!!!!

Unfortunately, the trains do not run as often as I would have liked, so I will not have time to FINALLY try Casa Dani on the morning of departure! (Train departs Chamartin at 10:45am)

We are both so happy and excited to be returning to Spain next month!!!

We will take the IRYO to Cuenca and, again, as I mentioned, from there to Valencia where we are booked for seven nights.

We will rent a car in Valencia and drive to Denia for a stay of five nights.

Return car either at Alicante airport, or Valencia airport..all opinions and comments most welcome on which would be best..so far I have decided to skip a stay in Alicante altogether but might be persuaded.... (??). Timing is a bit limited for this trip.

Have not yet booked any flights from JFK to MAD.
Would prefer to book with Iberia but again, comments are welcome as to which airline (AA or Iberia) would be more comfortable and efficient for the flight from JFK to MAD.