We had P´s kids this week, and all four of us were eager to escape from Madrid for the weekend. Earlier in the week, we had all agreed that a camping excursion in the mountains was exactly what we needed, but were almost thwarted at the last minute by an unseasonable cold wave blowing across almost the entire peninsula (the weather this year in Madrid has been utterly bipolar, vacillating between stretches of summer heat and sudden intervals of cold air and rain.) P was game to try camping out in temperatures of 12 degrees C, but I less so 😏 A few quick Google searches later and I discovered that Valencia was the only viable option -- only a few hours´drive from Madrid, but forecast to be sunny and in the high 20s all weekend. Sold!
Valencia is actually a favorite destination of ours, because it always offers something for everyone. Located on the Mediterranean coast, about a 3.5 hour drive from Madrid, the 3rd largest city in Spain is famous for its beaches, consistently summer-like climate, charming architecture, and fresh, seafood-centric cuisine. When P and I go alone, we prefer to stay in a pet-friendly central hotel, so that I can bop around downtown while he spends the mornings fishing (after which we meet for a paella lunch on the beach and an evening in the city.) However, with an 8- and 11-year-old in tow, we decided that a more kid-friendly option would be the Devesa Gardens campground in Albufera Natural Park.
The Albufera, located 10 kilometers south of Valencia, is a pristine, nationally-protected wetland, full of dune beaches, forests, rice fields and the largest lake in Spain. It is famous not only for its beauty and diverse wildlife, but also as the birthplace of paella, the world-renowned Valencian rice dish (making it a hidden gem of a lunch spot -- while the touristy parts of Valencia are full of foreigners eating paella on the weekends, the locals leave the city and head down to Albufera towns like El Palmar to enjoy an authentic version.)
The campsite is ideally located in this reserve, sitting directly on the marsh and just 1 kilometer from the beach. Only a handful of the bungalows there allow pets (for a fee of 5 euros per day), but luckily one was still available just 2 days before our arrival. The campsite was running a special that weekend, which included daily continental breakfast, 4 tickets for a guided boat ride, and 4 minigolf passes in the price of our bungalow.
Although Devesa Gardens isn´t a campsite in the natural, woodsy sense, it´s full of facilities that allow you to keep kids easily entertained for a couple of days. The girls were able to run around between the swimming pool with water slides, playground, petting zoo, basketball courts, and cafeteria while their dad was away fishing. The downside to a campground such as this is that although pets are accepted as overnight guests, they are not permitted poolside or in most facilities such as the outdoor cafe area. This meant that poor Pipa was left alone in the cabin most of the morning, as I accompanied the kids to breakfast in the restaurant, on the boat tour, and to the pool.
Fortunately, P. returned from his fishing trip around 1pm, and we quickly collected the kids from the pool so that we could start heading out to lunch. P´s favorite place to eat paella in Valencia is L´Estimat, founded in 1927 and popular for both its food and its privileged views of the beach. We weren´t able to book a table on the terrace, which meant that Pipa had to stay in the car while we ate, but we had parked at an indoor garage so she would stay comfortable and cool.
In Valencia, when you call a restaurant to make a reservation, they almost always ask you whether you are going to order a paella, and what kind and for how many people (so that they can cut down on wait time by preparing it before the customer´s arrival.) The first time this happened to me, I was completely taken aback, thinking to myself, "how on earth do I know what I´m going to order; first let me look at the menu and then decide what I´m in the mood for!" It´s not necessary to pre-order, of course, but it´ll save you about 45 minutes of wait time if you do end up deciding to go with the paella once you sit down.
P. is allergic to crustaceans, which means that anytime we order a rice, our only options are the traditional or the vegetarian (though it´s always prudent to confirm with the waiter that the restaurant doesn´t use seafood stock, even in non-seafood dishes.) As usual, we ordered a paella valenciana, with me swapping bits of chicken and rabbit for extra veggies from the kids´plates 😋 While waiting for the rice, we enjoyed starters of artichokes, navajas and tomato salad, washed down by a couple of enormous and refreshing tintos de verano.
After lunch, we had the opportunity to receive a guided tour of the marine conservation agency where P´s fishing buddy works... all that and more to be revealed in the following entry 😀
Valencia is actually a favorite destination of ours, because it always offers something for everyone. Located on the Mediterranean coast, about a 3.5 hour drive from Madrid, the 3rd largest city in Spain is famous for its beaches, consistently summer-like climate, charming architecture, and fresh, seafood-centric cuisine. When P and I go alone, we prefer to stay in a pet-friendly central hotel, so that I can bop around downtown while he spends the mornings fishing (after which we meet for a paella lunch on the beach and an evening in the city.) However, with an 8- and 11-year-old in tow, we decided that a more kid-friendly option would be the Devesa Gardens campground in Albufera Natural Park.
The Albufera, located 10 kilometers south of Valencia, is a pristine, nationally-protected wetland, full of dune beaches, forests, rice fields and the largest lake in Spain. It is famous not only for its beauty and diverse wildlife, but also as the birthplace of paella, the world-renowned Valencian rice dish (making it a hidden gem of a lunch spot -- while the touristy parts of Valencia are full of foreigners eating paella on the weekends, the locals leave the city and head down to Albufera towns like El Palmar to enjoy an authentic version.)
The campsite is ideally located in this reserve, sitting directly on the marsh and just 1 kilometer from the beach. Only a handful of the bungalows there allow pets (for a fee of 5 euros per day), but luckily one was still available just 2 days before our arrival. The campsite was running a special that weekend, which included daily continental breakfast, 4 tickets for a guided boat ride, and 4 minigolf passes in the price of our bungalow.
Although Devesa Gardens isn´t a campsite in the natural, woodsy sense, it´s full of facilities that allow you to keep kids easily entertained for a couple of days. The girls were able to run around between the swimming pool with water slides, playground, petting zoo, basketball courts, and cafeteria while their dad was away fishing. The downside to a campground such as this is that although pets are accepted as overnight guests, they are not permitted poolside or in most facilities such as the outdoor cafe area. This meant that poor Pipa was left alone in the cabin most of the morning, as I accompanied the kids to breakfast in the restaurant, on the boat tour, and to the pool.
Fortunately, P. returned from his fishing trip around 1pm, and we quickly collected the kids from the pool so that we could start heading out to lunch. P´s favorite place to eat paella in Valencia is L´Estimat, founded in 1927 and popular for both its food and its privileged views of the beach. We weren´t able to book a table on the terrace, which meant that Pipa had to stay in the car while we ate, but we had parked at an indoor garage so she would stay comfortable and cool.
In Valencia, when you call a restaurant to make a reservation, they almost always ask you whether you are going to order a paella, and what kind and for how many people (so that they can cut down on wait time by preparing it before the customer´s arrival.) The first time this happened to me, I was completely taken aback, thinking to myself, "how on earth do I know what I´m going to order; first let me look at the menu and then decide what I´m in the mood for!" It´s not necessary to pre-order, of course, but it´ll save you about 45 minutes of wait time if you do end up deciding to go with the paella once you sit down.
P. is allergic to crustaceans, which means that anytime we order a rice, our only options are the traditional or the vegetarian (though it´s always prudent to confirm with the waiter that the restaurant doesn´t use seafood stock, even in non-seafood dishes.) As usual, we ordered a paella valenciana, with me swapping bits of chicken and rabbit for extra veggies from the kids´plates 😋 While waiting for the rice, we enjoyed starters of artichokes, navajas and tomato salad, washed down by a couple of enormous and refreshing tintos de verano.
After lunch, we had the opportunity to receive a guided tour of the marine conservation agency where P´s fishing buddy works... all that and more to be revealed in the following entry 😀
Comments
Post a Comment