Gandia is the southernmost town on the Costa del Azahar which is located in the Valencia region. This is still very much so, a Spanish working town, unlike most of the holiday resorts on the Costa Blanca further south, although it does have about ten plus miles (20km) of fine sandy beaches. The most popular local beach is the short section, Gandia Playa Nord, which is most notable for the fine, white sand. Right alongside it runs an esplanade which is lined with apartments, small holiday hotels, bars, cafes, restaurants and gardens. The beach has some quite good facilities including showers, sunbeds, lifeguards and even a yacht club.

Another well known of the Gandia beaches, is the Playa Alhuir that extends down from the Vaca river, please note a small part of this beach is used by nudists. There are plenty of water sports available in Gandia, including wind and kite surfing plus sailing. There are also small boat cruises right along the coast to the towns of Denia, Javea and also Calpe. The surrounding country boasts some beautiful scenery and there are a good selection of hiking and bicycling routes, visit the tourist information office in Gandia which can provide you with route maps. Some of the hiking trails take in the closeby villages of L Orxa and Vilallonga. For visitors who love wild mountain scenery the region just inland from Gandia is definitely worth exploring. The highest peak is Mount Monduvar whose summit is over 2,500 ft above mean sea level.

The actual town of Gandia is located on the River Serpis which is roughly a mile inland. During the mid 14th and 15th centuries it was a very important university city and spanish cultural centre, in fact most of the important or ancient monuments date from that era. The largest attraction actually in Gandia is the Palace of Santo Duque, a wonderful Gothic style palace that was supposedly the actual birth place of Saint Francisco de Borja. Dating from the early 14th century, the palace has some beautifully decorated apartments, of which the real highlight is the Baroque Golden Gallery with its gorgeous mosaic and gold leaf adornments. There is as well, a neo Gothic chapel and a display which shows the amazing history of the dukes of Borja. In the middle of the palace is a lovely Gothic courtyard.

The old medieval Hospital of St Marc, which was originally founded by the Duke Alfons de Vell, is now home to the Archaeological Museum of Gandia, which shows the prehistoric relics of the area. Another of the attractions is the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria, constructed during the late 14th and 15th centuries and though it was badly damaged by fire in the Spanish Civil War, it was restored about 70 years ago. Keep a look out for the very unusual nave which is formed from five sections.

In the centre of Gandia is the tree lined street of Passeig de les Germanies, where the local community often meet up for a good chat. The very busy Saturday market is held not far from there (in the morning). For more boutiques, bars and cafes, head to the calle Major which is pedestrianised and often busy mornings and early evening.

Gandia railway station is located at the Parc de l Estacio by to the main tourist office. There is a regular train service from Gandia to Valencia (about forty miles or 65km) further north, with Alicante is about sixty miles south of Gandia town.

For more tourism advice and attraction information about Gandia, Costa del Azahar please visit Gandia