ESCORTED HOLIDAYS COLLECTION 2020

The Orange Blossom Coast, Peniscola
& the High Villages of the Maestrazgo
8 days from £699 May, September & October
Just to the north of Valencia is the Costa del Azahar, the ‘Orange Blossom
Coast’, so-called because of the abundance of orange groves in the area.
The coast is speckled with watchtowers and lighthouses, while inland
there are fortified castles and villages - especially in the inland Sierra del
Maestrazgo, where white villages cling precariously to rocky outcrops –
spectacular indeed! You will also see the unusual landscapes of the Ebro
Delta, complete with the paddy-fields where rice for paella is grown.
• 7 nights hb in Benicassim • Excursion to Morella and the hilltop villages
of the Maestrazgo • Excursion up the coast to Peniscola & the Ebro Delta
• Visit to the Desert of Palms Natural Area, with superb views of the
coast • Walk by the modernist villas of Benicassim
PROGRAMME
DAY ONE: Flight to Valencia or Castellon.
Transfer to your hotel in Benicassim (an
hour from Valencia, 30 minutes from
Castellon), for seven nights’ half-board
accommodation. Benicassim has a
pleasant town centre a mile inland from
the beach, but its pride and joy are the
splendid Modernista villas towards the
northern end of the seaside avenue. It
also has a 3 ½ -mile Via Verde Greenway
linking the resort with Oropesa del Mar
– this is a disused coastal railway line
suitable for walking or cycling and featuring
spectacular sea views. Take a torch for the
tunnel! There are train and bus services
from Benicassim to surrounding areas, and
neighbouring Castellon has both a main
line station and also frequent suburban
services to Valencia.
DAYS TWO TO SEVEN: In resort with
one half-day and two full-day included
excursions.
Half-day excursion to the Desert of the
Palms and the Villas of Benicassim. You
drive the short distance inland and up into
the Palms Desert Natural Park, just behind
your resort. Rising to over 2000ft. the park
is a land of rich Mediterranean vegetation
and wildlife, scattered with castles and
hermitages, and offering fantastic views of
the coast. You will make a stop to visit the
monastery, in a spectacular setting and
where the monks developed a jealouslyguarded
recipe for a liqueur. You then
return to Benicassim and alight at the
edge of town, to walk along the seafront
promenade. In just one mile, walking
towards St Vincent’s Tower, you will pass 27
of the spectacular modernist/Belle Epoque
Villas with wonderful gardens. One is a
hotel where Hemingway stayed.
Full-day excursion to the Ebro Delta
and Peniscola. The Ebro Delta, just over
an hour to the north, is one of Europe’s
most attractive and delicately balanced
wildlife sanctuaries. The visit begins with
a short presentation at the Eco-Museum
in Deltebre, with an explanation of the
relationship between man, agriculture and
wildlife of the area. Much of the marshy
area is covered by watery rice fields which
support the local fauna. There are vast areas
of beaches, dunes, reeded lagoons and
riverside woods. Over the year, between
50,000 and 100,000 birds of 300 species
(more than half the species in Europe) visit
the Delta. You will also stop in Poblenou
del Delta, established under Franco as the
home village for farmers, in an attempt
to increase national food production.
The afternoon is spent in Peniscola.
Founded by the Phoenicians, Peniscola
was an important port: Hamilcar, father of
Hannibal, imported his elephants through
here on his way to wage war against
Rome. The town’s name is a corruption
of ‘Peninsula’ and the castle is indeed,
almost an island. It was built by the Knights
Templar in the late 13th century, but in the
15th became the home of Papa Luna, Pope
Benedict XIII, the last of the Avignon Popes
of the Great Schism, who took refuge here
after being deposed. Part of the movie ‘El
Cid’ was filmed here. The town itself has
a pleasant white painted centre and then
spreads along the excellent beach. 154
miles today.
Morella and the Villages of the Maestrazgo.
Your other full-day excursion takes you
inland into the spectacular Sierra mountain
landscapes of El Maestrazgo. The mountain
scenery is wonderful; the villages and
towns, perched on rocky hilltops in unlikely
fashion, even more so. Today’s main stop
will be at Morella, a medieval fortress town
rising from the plain below, surrounded
by its walls, and featuring narrow streets
clustering along the contours below the
apparently impregnable hilltop castle.
Within the town are tapas bars, craft shops,
the Gothic cloister of the monastery, the
impressive Santa Maria la Mayor church,
and a 13th-century aqueduct. The hilltop
fortress offers amazing views all around.
On the way back to the hotel, you stop in
historic Sant Mateu, from where James I
of Aragon, set out to take back the region
from the Moors in the 13th century. The
sturdy Gothic mansions around the
main square bear witness to the town’s
significant royal past. The Catalan Gothic
church is impressive – with a wide columnfree
vault a particular feature. 142 miles
today.
There will also be the chance to join an
optional excursion to Valencia and the St
Joseph’s Caves near Vall d’Uxo for a boat
trip along an underground river.
DAY EIGHT: Depart to the airport for your
flight home.
YOUR HOTEL
HOTEL INTUR BONAIRE HHHH,
Benicassim (seven nights)
The hotel is located just 200 yards from
the beach and 1 ½ miles from the town
centre of Benicassim. Set in pleasant
gardens, the hotel has a large outdoor
swimming pool and a small indoor
one. There is a bar and restaurant
serving buffet meals. The comfortable
bedrooms have bath/shower, wc, tv,
air-conditioning, safe, hairdryer, and
small fridge, as well as free wifi. Rooms
with pool-view and terrace come
at a supplement. Wellness facilities
(charges apply) are available in a
neighbouring sister hotel. (www.intur.
com/hotel-bonaire-benicasim).
A WALKING HOLIDAY is also available
from this hotel. Please ask for a copy
of our Walking Holidays brochure or
visit preferredts.com.
14 | www.preferredts.com Please refer to the enclosed ‘Dates and Flight Information’ for details of departure dates, prices and flights.