Castles, Raisins and Paella – Denia, Spain

by: Shari Hearn

I just love trips where I’m never bored. I mean, don’t you just hate to go to a destination where there’s really only one attraction? Only one type of architecture? One thing the place is known for? That’s why I love Denia, Spain, which sits on the Mediterranean Sea. It’s so… out of the ordinary. Denia can’t help but be out of the ordinary. Again, it does sit on the Mediterranean. And, take into account the many cultures that have dominated Denia in its history: the Roman, Greeks, Arabs, Moors. They all have had an impact on the culture, architecture and food of the region.

After taking in the beauty of the Mediterranean, it’s good to begin your trip to Denia with a visit to the hill-top castle which dominates over the city. The castle was once an Arab fortress, and now houses The Archaeological Museum, which has a great number of remains of all the different cultures which has invaded this area.

Then head on over to the Ethnological Museum on Cavallers Street for an exhibit on raisins. That’s right, raisins. Denia was once the premier raisin producer in the region. Though tourism now dominates Denia, raisins are still grown there and are quite the local delicacy.

Okay, now that you have gotten acquainted with Denia’s culture and raisins, it’s time for a little fun in the sun. If you’re a scuba-diving enthusiast, you must head south to a coastal area call Les Rotes, which is known for excellent scuba diving and fishing.

If you’re like me and you want to just relax in the sun, there are sandy beaches north of town. Els Palmars and Las Marinas are two wonderful beaches where the not-so-deep waters appeal to families with children (or, people who are just chicken of deep water, like me).

After a day of sunning, scuba diving and visiting museums, it’s time to eat. And when I think of Denia and food I think Paella, a rice dish with fish, meat and vegetables. Rice is very common in Denia kitchens. There are actually over 200 ways that Denia cooks have found to prepare rice. Someday I plan to try all 200 variations. So, for something very much out of the ordinary, plan a trip to Denia, Spain.

About The Author

Shari Hearn is a writer and frequent contributor to http://www.thetravelerscompanion.com, where you can find all you need to travel well. This article may be reproduced as long as there are no changes and the author’s bio box is included.