Paraiso Marina Denia

The Jalón valley, or Vall de Pop, in the hinterland of the northern Costa Blanca, is loved and known to many Dutch people. But Vall de Gallinera, wide, rugged mountains, white villages, breathtakingly beautiful, is definitely worth a visit for anyone who loves nature and mountains.
The valley is located about 40 km in the hinterland of the coast near Denia. Via Pego you drive via the CV700 to this beautiful valley, which is surrounded by the Sierra de les Solanes, Almirante and Penya Foradá.
After Pego the road gets steeper and the bends sharper, the mountains rougher and higher and suddenly terraces with almond, olive and above all cherry trees loom up.
Between February and April, the mountain slopes change into a sea of white blossoms. From the harvest in May until the summer, you can enjoy the delicious cherries that are offered for sale or processed into mouth-watering dishes in the many restaurants.
But it's not just cherries and the local gastronomy of the villages in the valley that you can venture along the steep, winding route here. For hikers, there is the beautiful 'ruta dels 8 pobles': route of 8 villages, a linear walk of 14 km along the eight white villages of the Vall de Gallinera. You can also take a trip along the villages by car or bicycle, or, as we did, do part of the walk.
The names of the villages are reminiscent of times when the Moors ruled here; Benirrama, Benailí, Benissivà, Benitaia, La Carroja, Alpatró, Llobai and Benissili. Surrounded by mountains and cherry trees, we walk in complete silence from Benirrama to Benailí and Benissivà, which are only separated by a road.
We pass ruins of a castle, white and colorful houses and stop for a moment at old washing places with photos of earlier times. We marvel at the overwhelming surroundings and the tranquility. Our eye suddenly falls on a round hole in the mountains.
On certain dates in March and October, the sun shines through the round hole in the Penya Forradá in a straight line, a special natural phenomenon. It is also very worthwhile for real hikers to climb the Penya Forradá.
In Benirrama a small carnival parade is just coming towards us when we have settled down at one of the small bars. In other villages, time seems to have stood still, but there are small restaurants everywhere.
The village of Llobai is completely uninhabited. In the vicinity of Benirrama and Benailí there are also caves to visit with almost 400 drawings of different periods between 7000 AC and 1000 AC.
If you go further inland, you will arrive in one of the roughest areas of the northern part of the Costa Blanca, the Vall de Alcalà and Vall d'Ebo.
Various cycling and walking routes have also been set out here. The Val de Gallinera really amazed me, and is highly recommended for anyone who loves rugged nature, mountains, tranquility, hiking and cycling.

Dénia
Denia has wonderful beaches, a number of interesting cultural sights and a well-organized cozy center that can be divided into four parts. Around the castle you will find the quiet, village-like neighborhood of Les Roques, which consists of small streets and colored houses, stairs and secret passages. Away from the castle you walk to Baix La Mar, the fisherman's district with many squares, terraces, and restaurants, as well as the food market Els Magazinos. If you walk even further, you will come to the shopping street Marques de Campo, surrounded by streets with shops, many terraces and entertainment venues. Finally, there is the Marina, the marina, with cozy restaurants and a number of clubs. Denia is known for its huge range of restaurants and eateries. There are fantastic restaurants in every price range, from three-star restaurants to terraces where you can eat a delicious fresh three-course menu for 14 euros. I am happy to inform you about different options and reservations.