Cafes and castles in the Valencian countryside

While staying in the Community of Valencia it is highly recommended to visit villages in the countryside. Xátiva is a Spanish village, which offers the typical Spanish culture combined with its tranquillity. Offering food for decent prices, interesting sightseeing and paths away from the main tourist attractions. Xátiva has a wonderfully situated ruined castle to visit, but there is more to see and experience in this unique Spanish town. 

Joe Thorpe already wrote an article about Xátiva and its castle, but reading about a second experience in this fantastic place will only help you.

The cover picture shows the view from the castle of Xátiva. You can either park your vehicle at the foot of the hill, or there are also parking spots further up. Enter the castle and enjoy the amazing views over the valley and the surrounding mountains. With clear weather conditions it's possible to see down to Valencia and the Mediterranean sea. Xátiva is less than an hours drive away from the capital of the Valencian Community and it is definitely worth a day trip.

Situated on top of the hill the castle offers great views in all directions. One cannot just only spot Valencia and the Mediterranean Sea, but also the mountains on the other side of the castle. The play of light from these viewpoints are stunning and at the highest point of the castle, the wind howls through the ancient walls. There is also a museum situated within the castle showing more about the history and culture of the town and its castle.

The castle also has its own café where you can get a rest from strolling around. Combining an awesome view with a good cup of coffee or a little snack. It is quite nice to see the sunset on top of the hill. The sky changing its colour slowly into darker reds.  

There are very good restaurants in Xátiva, because it is quite a popular sightseeing town close to Valencia. During the day many of them offer special day menus with typical regional Spanish food. Get a decent meal before starting the ascent to the castle in one of them. We really enjoyed the food and the different dishes. It is a very nice experience to sit down with friends, having a chat while eating the delicious local plates, finishing with a good cup of coffee. The market square of Xátiva is the perfect place for this, because the density of good restaurants there is high. The following picture shows one of these daily menus with different courses for just 17€.    

There are quite a lot of bars and restaurants in Xátiva. After enjoying the sunset at the castle one can enjoy the bars of the town a bit. If you haven't had a decent meal yet you will find good diversity in restaurants. Strolling through the small beautiful streets in order to find a good restaurant is a nice experience. I prefer the bars and restaurants in the small passages, which offer a good Spanish calm atmosphere. I recommend to try the regional beer Turia, which comes from Valencia and which serves as a good finish for your day trip to Xátiva.