Every city has a past … and all cities should have a future. Valencia has, for centuries, revelled in its history. But only recently has it begun to lay the foundations for the years ahead.

The city has experienced a remarkable rebirth over the last decade, transforming itself from an industrial sprawl into a ‘must-visit’ European destination. This renaissance has allowed Valencia to grow more than any city in Europe. The financial investment has been staggering. But it has been wisely spent, allowing Valencia - for so many years in the shadow of Madrid and Barcelona - to once again go head to head with the big boys.

Now is the ideal time to enjoy the revamped Valencia. Meander through ancient streets and glimpse a landscape that rejoices in progress and celebrates the past. The Plaza del Ayuntamiento provides an attractive starting point. It contains the imposing Town Hall, a building that reflects the city’s capacity to seamlessly merge the old and new, with parts of the edifice dating back to the 18th century, but the majority - including the glorious facade - constructed in the early 20th century.

Make sure you also allow a few minutes for the station. Yes, the Estacion del Norte, a few hundred metres down Calle Ribera, next to the city’s bullring. This is no ordinary railway station. Inaugurated in 1917, it’s a shining example of Valencian modernismo, full of decorative touches so often neglected in purely functional buildings. The other great square in the city is the Plaza de la Virgen. Surrounded by stunning architecture, it’s a pleasing location for a coffee while you take in the sights. At night the place is a hive of activity, with rollerbladers entertaining the crowds.
Food is a serious passion for all Valencianos and, in fact, it is difficult to ever witness the locals without some item of food being fed into their mouths. There are, unbelievably, seven eating periods in a typical Valencian day. But, as with all cosmopolitan cities, there is a wide variety of restaurants to feed the habit. A popular place for a fine but reasonably priced meal is Pizzeria La Vita e Bella, located on Calle d’En Llop just off the Plaza del Ayuntamiento. This superb restaurant, sympathetically converted from an old draper’s shop, successfully recreates the ambience of 1920s Valencia. The tagliatelle in green pesto, by the way, is to die for.

If you’re coming to Valencia for nightlife, you have certainly chosen the premier destination in the whole country. Valencia has always been a party town. The fiesta capital of Spain, the Valencianos are renowned for legendary weekends - when Friday runs into Sunday morning without a siesta in sight. Whether grooving in Barrio del Carmen, the real heart of the city, or chilling out at Playa de la Malvarrosa - a great atmosphere is guaranteed.
Malvarrosa is Valencia’s beach resort, where the city meets the coast. The hordes descend here en masse in the summer, with all the beautiful people hiding behind their Gucci sunglasses intent on eating the finest paella and making sure that lunch lasts for the rest of the day. If you fancy following in the footsteps of the legendary Ernest Hemingway, check in at La Pepica - the last in the line of restaurants in the Las Arenas area, north of the port.
If you are able to visit in March, you can enjoy the city’s world-famous Las Fallas festival. Lasting an entire week, with the papier-mache burning taking place on the last day, you will need a strong constitution to see out the whole fiesta. But many people do, and this is surely one of the greatest parties on earth.

Make sure you visit the City of Arts and Sciences, where you might consider spending a whole day in the best marine centre in Europe (L’Oceanografico) or in El Museo de Las Ciencias, a hands-on interactive science and technology experience. It is while you are here - surrounded by buildings at the vanguard of modern architecture - that you begin to understand what Valencia is all about: the perfect fusion of past and present, vision and inspiration … and fun for all of those who visit.

All the apartments are in mint condition and just very close to the sea and beach. Most of the apartments are fond close to Benidorm´s Ricon de Loix, where is also the famous Benidorm Palace and the waterpark Aqualandia.

Folies Vacances has a very professional crew waiting to help you with any questions regarding the apartments, Benidorm itself or any other aspects of your Benidorm Holidays.

In the summer Benidorm is filled with life and joy, you can always find something to do at the beach and the large beaches make sure everybody has his or her own spot and if you don´t want to be packed all together you can go to the Levante beach where there is always plenty of place.

The last few years another beach, la cala de Finestrat at the south of Benidorm went to an extremely fast development with lots of new holiday apartments being build, so if you are going to rent an apartment there it could get a little crowded on the small beach. One of the nicest beaches to be is there just around the corner, at the end of the Poniente beach, called la playa de Benidorm.

The great advantage of the Benidorm beach is that in the winter you can even go to the beach while in other parts of Spain it is impossible. The temperature at the beaches of Benidorm is always a few degrees up compared with surrounding beaches, like Calpe, Altea or Villajoyossa. The first reason is because the whole valley in which Benidorm lies has a micro-climate and is already always warmer than the rest of Spain. The other reason is because the beach of Benidorm is very much south facing, and with over 300 high buildings reflecting the sun and blocking cold winds from the north it explains a lot.

The development in the Benidorm area was tremendous over the last few years. A wonderful family-park called Terra Mitica was realized behind Benidorm. It now also holds a Golf course and an outside zoo called Terra Natura. Of course there are the classic attractions like the wonderful water park Aqualandia and the water-ski track at the levante beach.

At night, you will not get bored. Although the town hall made a very big mistake illuminating the enormous Benidorm Boulevard with fluorescent white light, so everybody looks a little bit pale, and the boulevard most of the time is being flocked by elderly Spanish couples in the winter, Benidorm nightlife has many faces. With numerous pubs and bars with entertainment in English it is not very difficult to find yourself at home. If you would like to “taste” the real Spain you can go to the old town where there is a special street where the Spaniards eat there “tapas” every day at about 20:00 you can walk over the heads so many people and such a good atmosphere! If you are young, just shaved off all your hair because all your friends did you might like to go to “the English street” where there are a lot of bars and discos for equally minded. At the beach there are the more classic bars and discos like Penelope and KM.

Renting an apartment is easy, but not very cheap. Buying an apartment in Benidorm is really crazy, because prices have gone up so much…

For the people who want it all there is Altea. Although the few among us who really want to live somewhere in the inlands, far away from the civilized world and internet connections we will not be able to help.

Altea is a real Spanish fisher village with a small harbor and a all-overlooking church on a small hill near the sea. It was build there together with the village because on this hill there is always a very nice and refreshing current coming from the sea, and air-conditioning was only invented a couple of years ago….

in Altea you will find a lot of nice places to visit also during the winter season, all the restaurants are open and at the boulevard there is always something going on. Unlike many other parts of Spain or even the Costa Blanca which are more quiet in the winter season.

Of course in Benidorm there is always something to do but that is more for the elderly people (and then I mean really old) In Altea, or La Nucia or L´Alfaz del Pi you can also come for the winter season. If you want to rent a place there are lots of websites ofering large collections of holiday villas and apartments; you can rent at a weekly base but also on a monthly base.

Normally you can rent an apartment or a villa in the winter for a month for the same price you rent it in the summer for a week!! If you are planning on buying a property it is the best way to do it because there is a lot of property on the market and you don’t want to make any mistakes. Buying a property is somthing else as buying a piece of bread or a cup of coffee!! You cannot do this in a week time ! I also advice everybody to not mix holidays with buying a property, it will ruin your holiday and in the end it will leave you with not enough time to look at Altea properties.

At the big hill called the “Sierra Bernia”; near Altea there are a few very nice urbanizations like Altea Hills or Sierra de Altea and Don Cayo which holds its own 9 holes golf course. From this mountain and these urbanizations the views to Altea and the further to the north village Alfaz del Pi are breathtaking.

In the old town at the village you find this typical Spanish small streets where you can find very nice cousy restaurants and bars. In the summer it is really busy at the square in front of the church which has been converted into one big terrace.

Have a great holiday and take my advice: do not go back.