Small Wonders and Good Eats Along Spain's Orange Blossom Coast Small Wonders and Good Eats Along Spain's Orange Blossom Coast

Today we’ll dive into the Spanish way of life. We’ll begin our day like the locals, grabbing a sweet pastry and a cafe con leche at a local cafe. Next, we’ll be joined by a local expert who will help us get to know the city and its culture. We’ll finish the morning with what’s probably the most important culinary tradition of the region: the so called “esmorzaret”, Valencia’s second breakfast. In the evening we’ll attend a pilota game at the city’s largest trinquet (pilota court). A game first played by the ancient Greeks, pilota was the most popular sport in Europe for centuries. Think team tennis using bare hands (instead of rackets) to bat a smaller, harder ball across a net. Though pilota has mostly disappeared from the European sports scene, it remains a vibrant part of life in Valencia. We’ll get a run-down of the rules before watching a live game. Although we won’t be playing, we’ll definitely share in the adrenaline, as pilota spectators are seated on benches that are actually a part of the playing field. We’ll quickly learn the fine art of duck and cover! Afterward, we’ll enjoy a vermouth aperitivo and chat with a local pilota fan.

Today we’ll leave the city behind us. At our first stop we’ll descend into hand-carved caves beneath the town of Requena. Secretly built centuries ago as escape passages beneath a Moorish fortress, these caves have now been transformed into a unique wine cellar filled with giant clay vessels. Returning above ground, we’ll visit one of the few remaining family-owned vineyards in the region. The vintner himself will teach us how to harvest the grapes, and then we’ll take off our shoes and socks to learn the art of stomping!* After all our hard work, it’s time for a well-deserved meal of homemade local delicacies and wine (of course!) on the beautiful terrace overlooking the vineyard. On the way to our new hotel, we’ll descend underground once again. This time the liquid in question isn’t wine, but rather one of Europe’s largest underground rivers. The final destination of the day is our home base for the rest of the trip, Benicàssim. Not just any coastal town, Benicàssim was once the destination of choice for members of the high society and artistic communities (even Hemmingway stayed here). Our historic hotel is located directly on the beach, at the end of a promenade lined with charming villas built in the 1920s. The sea views from the hammock on your private balcony will not disappoint.

Today our first stop is Peniscola, a town from Spain’s official list of the country’s prettiest villages. Jutting out into the sea, Peniscola is a maze of narrow, cobblestone streets and stark white houses, winding around the majestic Templar castle. We’ll spend a couple of hours like regular tourists before heading on a beautiful drive through the region of El Maestrat, famous for its landscape of orange trees, almond trees, and the largest concentration of ancient olive trees in the world. We’ll wander among the fantastically gnarled trees, many of which have stood in their place since the first century AD. We’ll taste the award-winning oil made from their fruit by a local master. After lunch, we’ll make our way to a stunning medieval hilltop village, reminiscent of an undiscovered Tuscany. You’ll be charmed by the town itself and the stunning views over the surrounding countryside. But what makes the village of Vilafamés especially unique is its extensive collection of contemporary art. Continuously inhabited since before the 11th century, Vilafamés was practically abandoned in the 1970s, as young people flocked to the cities to find work. A group of painters banded together to keep the small town alive by transforming the village of fewer than 2,000 people into an unexpected center for contemporary art. Joined by a local art enthusiast, we’ll have an exclusive entrance to a lovingly restored city mansion with over 30 rooms filled with the art that saved an entire village. After some exploration, we’ll return to our hotel on the beach, where you’ll have the evening at your leisure.

Our first stop today will be to enjoy the breathtaking view from the Santa Lucia Hermitage perched atop one of the highest hills along the very last undeveloped coastal stretch in the entire Spanish Mediterranean shoreline. After lunch with a view, we’ll travel to the wide-open landscape of the Delta Ebro. Its vast rice fields, lagoons, and marshes are home to more than 350 species of birds, including pink flamingos. To draw this magical day to a close, we’ll charter a private boat and watch a very special sunset from the Bay of Alfacs. Afterward, we’ll return to our lovely hotel on the beach of Benicàssim for an evening at your leisure.

This morning is all yours—perhaps go for a ride along the coastal bike path, Via Verde? Treat yourself to a thermal spa visit? Or simply enjoy the sea views from your hammock. In the afternoon, we’ll visit a local artist at her beautiful stone finca in the middle of an orange orchard and experience an authentic paella. We’ll help do some chopping and prep work, but then we’ll stand back, sip our dry martinis, and watch a master (our guide’s father, Paco) do his thing. While the rice is bubbling away on an open fire, we’ll have the chance to wander throughout the property, sampling the sweet fruit directly from the trees and hearing about the pleasures and challenges of owning an orchard in a world of globalized trade. But the most important part of having an authentic paella in Spain is gathering friends and family together. The long conversations at the table, often lasting for hours after the meal is finished, are an essential cultural tradition called the sobremesa. To enrich our experience, we’ll be joined by several local artists, and we’ll stay as long as the conversations flow. In the evening, join your guides for a farewell toast and one last meal to celebrate our amazing week together.

Today we’ll return to Valencia and say our goodbyes. All flights or continuing journeys should be booked for the afternoon on this day.