El Pico del Águila (The Eagle’s Beak Trail) is a difficult route which stretches for 14 kilometres, crossing several bridges and passes before it reaches the summit of El Pico del Águila. The trail crosses ravines carpeted with olive groves along the slopes of El Pichón, climbs towards Gátova and then heads straight for El Pico del Águila. The remaining four are easy routes from two to just under four kilometres long. Each of them takes about an hour on foot but they can also be done by bike. All four trails cross ravines, woods and small hills.

This game is a fun way of learning about Roman customs and the ancient Roman road, one of the Roman Empire’s main arteries of communication which crossed the Region of Valencia from north to south. The script for this game was written by Jesús Gracia, an archaeologist and Classical Culture secondary school teacher, under the supervision of Arturo Oliver, archaeologist at the Castellón Fine Arts Museum. This website is a new service which forms part of Castellón Cultural’s commitment to using new technologies in the promotion of art and culture.

The La Albufera de Valencia area is also important cultural point of view, as it preserves many aspects of a traditional way of life which has been profusely reflected in literature – especially the marvellous cuisine based on locally-produced natural products from the rice fields, fishing and local smallholdings. These dishes can be enjoyed in any of the many restaurants of the area.

There are many interesting routes through the La Albufera Nature Park, such as El Quarter in La Devesa through the salt marsh of the same name and the Els Tancats route from El Palmar to the tancats (groups of rice fields) in Zacarés and El Campot stopping off at the Dreta and l’Overa irrigation channels and the viewpoint over the lagoon. El Palmar allows you to delve into the origins of the inhabitants of Valencia.

You can also follow the Na Molins routes from La Muntanyeta dels Sants de la Pedra – a unique rocky headland with excellent views – to the Ullal de Baldoví,stopping to see the ullals (ancient springs), or the El Port route from the port of Catarroja to the end of the Massanassa and Torrent ravines, stopping at Punta de Llebeig. Other interesting places to visit include El Cabeçol – the highest point in the Nature Park and the Bassa de Sant Llorenç in Cullera - a small lagoon in the limestone folds of Mount Cabeçol and the Raboses range.

Routes and Places of interest.

Ecotourism, tours around the beautiful Natural Park and traditional ways of life. Visits to the Nature Park including fishing, tours, boat trips and food tasting.
Boat trips, guided cultural, ecological and photographical routes, food tasting and cycling routes.

The Gastronomy of Albufera is internationally Famous.

Lovers of good food are in luck because they can satisfy their culinary appetite in the many restaurants they will find along the way, which offer dishes made from local produce. Valencia’s most famous product comes from the immense rice fields that extend across the La Albufera: Paella, whose many varieties delight the most demanding palates. Rice is the basic ingredient of other delicious dishes which you will only find in the Region of Valencia - such as arroz a banda (made with fish and shellfish and served separately), arroz con pato (the typically reddish rice with duck), arroz caldoso (rice stew), arròs amb fesols and naps (with beans and turnips), arroz negro (black rice with squid and its ink) or arroz con langosta (rice with lobster) to mention just a few.

When talking about local gastronomy, it would be a crime not to mention the all i pebre, a traditional stew made with eels, garlic and paprika. This dish is typical of the villages around La Albufera – the source of its main ingredients. Nowadays it is also made with a combination of eel and chicken to create the espardenyà – or with monkfish or other more delicate fish instead of the eel. The main restaurants all serve llisa torrà, the llobarro a la sal (sea bass in a salt crust) and an infinite variety of fish and shellfish dishes, together with others created from local farm produce.

The hotel also offers all its guests 24 hour room service, gym and saunaas well as dedicating an area of 300m2 to four halls where all types of events can be organised. In the restaurant, diners can choose from any of the local, national and international dishes available on the carefully selected menu. Business lunches, breakfasts, cocktail evenings or banquets can also be arranged here.

This is one of the eleven hotels of the SH chain that are located around the Region of Valencia and which have served to reinforce and support the dramatic increase in tourism and business within this sector. There are two different types of establishments available from this chain—city hotels for those travelling on business and holiday accommodation for vacationing families. The type of accommodation on offer, the team of professional staff and the wide range of services available in all the chain’s establishments guarantee that any event, convention, conference or incentive activity turn into a success. Prices per room start from 65 euros per night (with breakfast), weekend rate (+7%VAT).

Camarena opened Arrop in October 2004 and it was soon featuring within the pages of the most prestigious restaurant guidebooks but the major boost came in January 2006 when Arrop was declared Restaurant Revelación at the Madrid Fusión Gastronomy Summit. The awards continued to pour in throughout 2007, with the Chef of the Year award from the Valencian Academy of Gastronomy, which was followed just weeks later by its first Michelin star. Arrop is closed on Sundays and Tuesday evenings, and offers a 58 sampling menu for full tables and a set express menu for 28.

The recipe “Squid with black pudding”

INGREDIENTS AND PREPARATION (for four peolple):
• Cep stock 30 g of sliced and frozen ceps, 100 ml of chicken stock, 2 g of truffle vinegar, 1 tbsp of sliced garlic and parsley.
Sautée the garlic, mushrooms and parsley. Add the stock and allow to infuse for three hours. Drain.
• Cream of black trumpets 10 g cleaned and finely chopped black trumpets, 50 g chopped ceps, 10 g almond butter, 200 ml cep jus, 12 g resource, 17 g vegetable gelatine, 1.2 g Santana, 4 g gelburger and 15 g truffle vinegar. Sautée the black trumpets in a little truffle oil. Add the cep jus, gelatine and gelburger. Stir constantly until boiling. Pour into a gastronorm container and freeze. Remove in one piece and cut into 2.5 x 2.5 cm pieces, allow to thaw.
• Jus of beans and turnips 600 g swede, 200 g pig’s tail, 1 onion black pudding, 300 g dried white beans (soaked), 150 g veal shank, 150 g pig’s cheek, 150 g hen, 100 g pancetta, 100 g potatoes, 80 g chard stalks, a pinch paprika, 75 g sautéed chopped onion and garlic and 2.8 litres water. Lightly fry the meat. Add the sautéed chopped onion and garlic, paprika and swede. Fry lightly. Lightly fry the chard stalks, add the beans and pour in the water. Cook over a medium heat for three hours. Add the potatoes. Cook for one hour, pour through a fine sieve and whisk to homogenise the starch from the stock.
• The squid Separate the legs from the rest of the squid. Set aside the tentacles and the clean squid. Flour the tentacles and fry. Sear the squid on a griddle for 15 seconds on each side. Season with curry salt and black pepper.