"The pearl of the Mediterranean" Comunidad Valenciana by jorgejuansanchez

Valencia history is very rich, as well as the gastronomy and fiestas. Furthermore, Valencia people have, apart from the spanish, another language, the valenciano, which they do not like to be confused with the catalan or the balear languages.
Valencia is compossed of three provinces: Castellon, in the north, Valencia, in the center, and Alicante, in the south.
Inside the Valencia cathedral you can admire the Holy Grial and two Goya paintings, and just in front of it, in the square, you can taste the typical Valencia drink: horchata, specially in summer.
For beaches everybody go to Benidorm, in Alicante, although they are very crowded, mainly with people from Madrid, but if you go with childrem, then Benidorm is perfect because of the Terra Mitica attraction park (a spanish Disneyland). For the tourists without children I suggest you the beaches around the historic and beautiful medieval village of Peniscola, in Castellon province.
You should try to go to Valencia capital around 19th march, during the Fallas, one of the three most important fiestas in Spain (the other two being San Fermin in Pamplona, the seventh of july, when we let the bulls running in the streets, and Feria de Sevilla, in april, when everybody participates dancing flamenco and drinking fino wines). If not, then go to the enchanting Fallas museum, in Valencia capital, to get a glimpse of these incredible and original fiestas.
Elche, in Alicante, one of the oldest spanish towns, also deserves attention, specially its Huerto del Cura (another UNESCO monument), a fantastic garden full with exotic plants and palms unique in the whole of Europe. In Elche, to damage a palm tree is considered a crime.
Valencia is very conveniently situated; from there you can get regular ferries to the Balearic islands, to Italy and Palermo, or from Alicante there are boats to Argel, or you can reach Madrid in train or bus in about three hours.

• Pros:they prepare the best paella in Spain (they invented it !)
• Cons:hard to get a hotel during Fallas fiestas
• In a nutshell:pleasant and clean autonomy