Everything Spanish … just as it used to be!

Holidays to Spain have been beaten to death haven’t they? The Costas – Almeria, del Sol, Brava and then, Benidorm and Magaluf have taken us away from “Espania” and turned Spain into a mass of highly spoiled beach resorts.

Even Spain’s archipelagos of the Balearic and Canary Islands are so crowded and commercial, why; you can get “fish and chips” just anywhere!

Luckily Spanish cities like Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia can still seduce us to a glimpse of Spain’s rich history and national heritage – its beautiful cathedrals and fascinating museums and even its modern art

If you’d like a short break (mid-week or weekend) and not in a city, walking your feet away(!) I can show you a rural gem of real Spain in a little town called Sueca!

Sueca is just 30 mins South of Valencia, but you’ll feel like you have gone back in time 300 years! Cobbled streets, café culture squares, and beautiful original architecture all around you.
…and time just stops still.

Suddenly, afternoons are long and lazy – and evening sundowners and tapas go on forever. Everyone has all the time in the world to stop and chat, share a joke and drink a beer.
It’s just 10 minutes from the beach - a deserted beach with just a lighthouse for company. No beach bars, umbrellas or deck chairs. Just you, strolling and unwinding, oh so slowly!

Sueca is actually quite famous – famous for rice. Rice which makes Paella what it is and which is exported all over the world. The flat rice fields stretch for acres around and, so the little paths through are perfect for bicycles and walking. As the seasons change, the flooded rice fields are a mirror of lakes; then green in the summer to changing gold in harvest time, and with harvest comes the Paella Festival in September when the town comes to life and the smell of Paella fills the air!
There are fiestas all year, that’s a Spanish trait! The most famous in the region is the “Fires” in March – bonfires and fireworks, music and parades – something even the local Suecans look forward to

But it was Paella that I wanted to see and try, and this area near Albufera Lake, brings out the most adventurous taste buds – never mind the more usual monkfish, prawns, octopus and squid – this is where you’ll try eels and duck, pork and rabbit, peppers and roe! Washed down with local wine Mistela and Moscatel … a true culinary adventure!
Sueca is surrounded by orange groves too – trees so laden with fruit there is just too much to pick – but do pick one to taste – the zest just explodes, fat and juicy!

Good food, good wine, good company – a landscape of natural beauty and pastimes to relax you, fishing, walking, or just being idle -
Just a short break and you’ll feel a new you, in no time!

If you’d like to know more email me: charmaine@hallmarktravel.com