If you have come to this page from another web-site and you want to see more articles (and great pictures!) about Spain - click on the logo to go to Derek Workman's Home Page

Hotels

For the past four decades eastern Spain, and most notably the Costa Blanca, has been thought of as a sun, sea and sand holiday destination, but what many of those sunning themselves on the golden beaches did not know was that within twenty minutes they could be dipping their toes in mountain streams or meandering along narrow roads through stunning mountain scenery with great vistas down to the Mediterranean. A half-hour further, to the high wine-growing plateau, hill-top castles and Disneyesque villages of narrow cobbled streets and gorgeously decorated churches, so peaceful that little moves except the shadows or a languid cat.

As Spain is said to encompass Europe and Africa, from the lush greenery of Galicia, to the arid plains of Andalucia, the same can be said of the Valencian Community, from the forest-covered mountains of the Maestrazco in the north of CastellÛn to the semi-desert in the south of Alicante - a change of continent in a three-hour drive, with the un-discovered regions of Teruel and Murcia a short drive further on.

Until little more than a decade ago few visitors to eastern Spain set foot in the interior, partly because of the lack of decent accommodation. The image of rural Spain as a backwoods of flea-bitten hostelries with holes in the ground for toilets is part of the dim and distant past. All that has changed, particularly over the last five years and the region now has top quality places to suit every need and pocket, from tiny village casas rurales to sumptuous hotels, often designed or restored by the owners themselves, incorporating family heirlooms that make you feel part of a Spanish family and not simply a paying guest. Many beautiful old mansions and farmhouses have been turned into delightful rural hotels and it is rare to be offered a room in even the smallest casa rural that isn't en-suite.

The increase in demand for good quality accommodation away from the coast has led to the rejuvenation of many old buildings that would once have continued on their decline into dereliction. Flour mills, palacios, country houses of the once-rich, tiny farms and village houses, all full of history now brought back to life.

One of the unexpected bonuses of the influx of foreign residents is that the traveller can now experience a wide range of cultures and their different approaches towards entertaining their clientele. The British, German, Dutch, and Scandinavian have opened up hotels and casas rurales, bringing their national comforts with them to blend with the wonderful Spanish countryside, warmth and way of life. In many cases it is these extranjeros that have lead the way in opening up the more rural areas.

The following hotels are taken from Small Hotels and Inns of Eastern Spain, Published by Santana books. For more information on this and Santana's other excellent publications click on the logo to the right.

This website is designed and maintained by tiv ©2004