Valencia is a large region occupying much of the eastern Mediterranean coast of Spain. It is bordered by Catalonia to the north, Murcia to the south and Castile la Mancha and Aragon inland to the west. Valencia is the name for a region of Spain, a province within the region of Valencia and one of Spain's major cities. This guide deals with the Spanish region of Valencia.

Valencia is made up of three provinces - Castellon, Valencia and Alicante. Of these, Alicante, home to the famous Costa Blanca is the busiest and most visited. The Costa Blanca extends into the sourthern parts of Valencia province, as far as Gandia. From here, the Costa del Azahar, or Orange Blossom Coast stretches up through Valencia and Castellon provinces, as far as Catalonia. The difference between the southern and northern ends of the Valencian coastal strip is quite pronounced. The south is busy and developed with a large ex-patriot population in towns such as Torrevieja, Calpe and Benidorm. Smaller towns such as Javea and Moraira still have large numbers of foreign residents but tend to be less hectic. Move to the north of Castellon and the picture is completely different. There are some delightful seaside towns here such as Peniscola and Benicassim, very Spanish, very historic and only just being discoered by the outside world.

Valencia is not all about the beach, however. The coast gives way very rapidly to mountains, which come right down to the sea in some places. Head inland for some rather different scenery, such as the Jalon Valley near Denia. Valencia itself, with its massive historic centre, is somewhere not to be missed.

As you might imagine, there is plenty of accommodation to rent in Valencia, with apartments, villas and townhouses in abundance along the coast. As always, it is wise to book large houses early if you are planning a peak season break. If you're looking to get away from it all with a country rereat, you should be able to find a village house, farmhouse or rural guesthouse if you look inland.