Jalon Valley
The beautiful Jalon Valley, traditionally known as the Vall de Pop, is made up of the nine mountain towns and villages of Alcalali, Benigembla, Benissa, Castell de Castells, Lliber, Murla, Parcent, Sanija and Jalon itself, each with its own traditional Spanish charm.
The peaceful and scenic area surrounding the mountains and valley is transformed during January and February when the whole valley is covered in a blanket of wonderful pink and white almond blossom. The valley is also famous for its vineyards and bodegas that produce the sweet beautiful white Moscatel wine. During the summer months the villages in the valley enjoy their traditional fiestas with bull-running through the streets, huge paellas for all to enjoy, dancing into the early hours and sensational firework displays.
The Jalon Valley appeals to those who enjoy the quieter, more traditional way of life in Spain with wonderful mountain walks, cycle tracks and beautiful scenery and wildlife to enjoy. All this within less than a 30 minute drive to the coastal towns of Denia, Javea and Moraira with their wonderful sandy beaches and lively bars and restaurants.
The main town of Jalon has all the amenities you could want from bars, restaurants, banks, shops and supermarkets as well as a modern medical centre and local school. The famous Jalon Rastro is held every Saturday morning alongside the River Jalon and many a bargain can be found there.
Lliber is the smallest village in the Valley and although just a 15 minute walk from the village of Jalon, still has its own local amenities with shops, bars and restaurants serving traditional dishes with locally sourced food and drink. The river Jalon runs past the village which overlooks the Valley floor with its amazing patchwork of vineyards, almond, olive and orange groves. The scenery in the valley changes from season to season with the wonderful colour and scent from the orange blossom, the spectacular almond blossom and the grapes which turn from brown dead looking stumps to lush green vines seemingly overnight – there is always a new and different sight to enjoy.
Benissa is the largest town in the Valley and although the town of Benissa itself is located inland, the Benissa Costa has 4km of beautiful coastline with unspoilt calas and a wonderful coastal walking path. The historic centre of Benissa has been sympathetically restored with the fabulous ironwork balconies and heraldic shields on the 17th and 18th century townhouse being brought back to life. Like the other towns and villages in the Valley Benissa hosts it’s many traditional fiestas throughout the year with paellas in the square, bull-running through the streets and music and dancing for everyone to enjoy.