Gandia is a coastal town in Spain. It’s located in the Province of Valencia. In fact, it is the second biggest city in Valencia. You might have not heard about this city yet, as it mainly serves local tourism. However, there are many interesting things to do in Gandia.
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ToggleWhen you choose Gandia as a place to visit in Spani, you will go to an off-the-beaten-path destination. In many ways, international tourism skips over this town. Don’t be fooled though, Gandia is a beautiful place. It’s built-in a unique place, where you will have mountains from most sides and the Mediterranean from the other.
Lately, as the most popular cities get crowded with tourism, Gandia is beginning to be recognized as a good holiday destination for foreign tourism. Today, you can still choose it as a laid-back destination, but this might not be true for long.
How to get to Gandia
Before we get into the things to do in Gandia, we’ll help you figure out how to get there. You have multiple options whether you travel internationally, or want to come here from another Spanish town.
Get to Gandia by plane
Gandia doesn’t have its own airport. However, the town is located between two major cities: Valencia(70km) and Alicante(110km). Both of these towns have direct international connections.
If you travel to either Valencia or Alicante you will have an easy time reaching Gandia. They both have a good connection to the city by land. Even better, you can catch a direct transfer from the airports to Gandia.
Get to Gandia by train
It’s very easy to reach Gandia by train as the city has its own railway station. The Estación de Tren de Gandia has regular connections with Valencia and Alicante. The Valencia line has a train every hour and the journey takes around one hour to complete.
Get to Gandia by bus
The city of Gandia has a large autobus station. Almost all the major Spanish cities have a bus that stops here. These include cities like Madrid and even international destinations.
Top Things to do in Gandia
On your Gandia holiday, you will have a wonderful time in a coastal town. The city consists of two parts. The main part is the city of Gandia which has all your major attractions and historical sights. Then you have Platja de Gandia which is more like the resort part of the town. It has a huge beach where you can spend your days to relax and enjoy the warm Mediterranean sea.
1. Go to the beach
Gandia is a coastal town. As such it has some great beaches. The beach on Platja de Gandia is a huge stretch of sandy seashore. Due to the sheer size, it’s an awesome choice, as you will easily find spots to settle down for the day.
When you are looking at the available amenities, there are dressing rooms, sun loungers, beach football, and beach volleyball fields.
The other beach that’s close by is Platja de Daimus. It’s another beautiful sandy beach, however, it proves to be less popular than Platja de Gandia. If you are looking for a quiet place to get into the water, you can seek out this place.
2. Visit the Ducal Palace of Gandia
The Ducal Palace of Gandia is a beautiful building from the 14th century. Originally it served as the home for the Royal Dukes of Gandia. Later in its lifetime, it was also the home for the Borja family.
It is an important cultural attraction. The Ducal Palace is one of the most preserved examples of civil architecture in the Valencia region. An interesting building to visit, both from the outside and inside.
You have two options when visiting. Either you can opt for the audio guide to tour the palace. As another option, you can choose an extended audio tour that includes both the palace and the historic center of Gandia.
3. Learn about history in the Archaeological Museum of Gandia
You can learn about the local history and marvel at the relics uncovered in the area when you visit the Archaeological Museum of Gandia. It is located in the old building of Sant Marc Hospital.
If you love history, then you must keep the museum on your things to do in Gandia itinerary. There is a permanent exhibition that you can see. It mostly focuses on the prehistoric ages and displays relics of the past.
4. Take it slow in Parc de Sant Pere
Parc de Sant Pere is a small quiet city park in Gandia. Whenever you are looking to slow down a little you can visit this place. It’s the perfect Gandia attraction to stroll around slowly and to enjoy some nature. All around are multiple plants and even a small pond with flowers.
5. Hike up to Ermita de Santa Anna
On days, when the weather is favorable for hiking, you can go up to the Ermita de Santa Anna church. It’s a small and easy hike that will take you through Parc Periurbà.
When you reach the top of the park, we suggest you take a breath and look back at the city. It’s a well-known viewpoint where you get a picturesque view of Gandia.
From here, a short walk is going to take you to the doors of Ermita de Santa Anna. Once you arrive at this small and cute church, you will have another great view of Gandia.
6. Ermita de Sant Antoni
Small churches with a great view seem to be the theme at Gandia. Another good option is the Ermita de Sant Antoni, just on the outskirts of the town. After taking some stairs up to the church, you can get another nice view of the city.
7. Fun times at Gandilandia – Parque de Atracciones
One of the fun things to do in Gandia is to pay a visit to the local theme park. Gandilandia can be found in Platja the Gandia. It’s a small theme park where you can spend a nice evening going to some attractions.
One of the main rides is the Ferris wheel. You can ride it and take in views of the beautiful Mediterranean. You will have good photo opporutnities for showing off.
8. Explore the historical center
Gandia has an industrial center surrounded by remains of the old city wall. Make sure that you take at least a few hours from your itinerary to explore the narrow cobblestone streets.
You will be able to experience the classical Valencian style of architecture, find great cafés and restaurants. It’s a very pleasant old town to walk around.
9. Collegiate Basilica of Gandia
The religious place of Collegiate Basilica of Gandia has started out as an Arabic mosque. Later once the town has changed its owners, it was converted into a Christian church. Today it has the status of Collegiate Church that was granted by Pope Alejandro VI.
The building lies next to the Old Town of Gandia. It has a mixed architecture due to the later additions. The base is Gothic, while most of the renovation and additions are in Baroque style.
10. Try the local paella
Everyone knows, that when you are in Spain, you must have paella. It’s a rice-based seafood meal. However, in Valencia, they’ve put a twist on the classic recipe.
The local version is called Paella Fideua and instead of rice, it’s based on pasta. It’s a different experience with all the flavors you already know. Some people actually prefer this variant to its rice counterpart.
11. Monastery of Sant Jeroni de Cotalba
You will be able to find an awesome monastery when you travel north of Gandia. Although this things to do in Gandia is not directly in the city, it’s close. If you get the opportunity to check it out, we definitely recommend putting this one on your itinerary.
The Monastery of Sant Jeroni de Cotabla is a historical building from 1388. It features wonderful hallways and romantic gardens. Just strolling around inside the monastery is a pleasant experience. To get the full experience you need to take a guided tour. They last for around 1 hour and 30 minutes and have reasonable pricing.
12. Parc Natural de la Marjal de Pego-Oliva
Lastly, on our list of things to do in Gandia, we have another place that’s out of town. It’s a natural park, not far from the city. The park features beautiful open marshlands.
Many hikers and tourists love to include it as an attraction during their holiday. You can walk around the marshlands to get active on your holiday. As a marshland, it’s also an important place for birds. The park has an ample bird population, that you can observe when visiting.
Best Hotels in Gandia
To have a great vacation in Gandia we have gathered some hotel recommendations for you. Whether you are traveling as a family or as a couple, TopFlightsNow will have hotel recommendations for you.
Best hotels in Gandia for families
1. Villa Luz Family Gourmet & All Exclusive Hotel
You can find Villa Luz Family Gourmet & All Exclusive Hotel in Platja de Gandia. It’s arguably one of the best family hotels for a Gandia stay.
The beach is only a few streets away from the hotel, but it also has multiple pools in-house. There are even some small waterslides suitable for children inside the hotel.
As the name suggests they try to cater to families and have facilities to entertain children.
2. Hotel RH Bayren & Spa
Found right at the beach in Platja de Gandia, Hotel RH Bayren & Spa is all about comfort.
They try to cater to everyone in the family. For the children, they have attractions and a pool. For adults, a SPA is available for ultimate relaxation.
3. Hotel Cibeles Playa
Lastly, as a great family hotel we have Hotel Cibeles Playa. It’s around 10 minutes from the beach with the own in-house pool. The rooms are spacious and the staff is well prepared. Good entertainment for the whole family and great dining options.
Best Hotels in Gandia for Couples
1. TU&ME Resort
The TU&ME is an adult-only resort. Already the name suggests that this place is all in for couples. In this hotel, you will have everything you need for a good romantic vacation. Cute rooms, great food, and the sea.
2. Hotel RH Riviera – Adult Only Hotel
Hotel RH Riviera is another adult-only hotel in Gandia. The rooms are comfortable and many of them have sea views. Even if you don’t have a view of the sea, it’s still just a few steps away from the hotel. Great choice to have a relaxing couple’s holiday in Gandia.
3. Hotel Fin De Semana
The Hotel Fin De Semana is a long-standing building on the seashore. It’s more of a boutique hotel experience than a big resort. Perfect for those romantic outings, as you will have a unique setting.
A city to discover
Gandia is already popular for local tourism. However, as tourism picks up again, people will be eager to discover new destinations. Already, Gandia has started to get more and more international tourism. If you want to check this place out before it goes mainstream, you have to hurry.
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