Gandia is sort of four different things. There is a nice town about two miles inland with a rail link straight to the centre of Valencia in about 50 minutes; a port with its own community, restaurants etc.; a beautiful beach which again has its own community; and villages dotted around it all, some of which are really nice.

I was staying near the end of the beach at the opposite end from the port. I walked along the beach to the port and then inland to the town. In total that was about 4 miles, so they feel different, but they are close to each other.

I absolutely loved it and ended up staying for an extra night.

It is the opposite of Torrevieja. I heard three people speak English in three days. My lack of Spanish, which has been a minor occasional inconvenience on the Costa del Sol, is a serious problem in Gandia.

But, I think learning Spanish and fitting in in Gandia would be for preferable to being in an expat place where it doesn’t really matter.

Gandia Beach

Gandia Town

The Port