XATIVA, SPAIN
Xativa (Jativa) is a lovely inland town of about 28,000 inhabitants in the Valencia region. It is a very Spanish town with a nice vibe. It has a direct train link from Valencia and Madrid, and is a straightforward drive of about 45 minutes on the motorway to Valencia. Xativa is overlooked by a large spectacular castle. Please note that English is not widely spoken in Xativa, even in hotels and restaurants, so it helps to know at least a little Spanish!
Valencia is the closest airport to Xativa, but Alicante is another option and is just under 1½ hours drive away.
We spent 2 nights at the Hotel Huerto de la Virgen de las Nieves in September 2008. The staff were friendly, although none of them spoke English. The rooms are nice, a bit different from your standard hotel room, but a bit dark. You can park outside the hotel free of charge, and can easily walk into the centre of Xativa at night. We didn't use the restaurant at night, but breakfast was included and consisted of a glass of orange juice, a cup of coffee, a piece of toast and a muffin. Visit the hotel's website here.
We also spent one night at the Hotel Murta, which is in the centre of town. The rooms are very basic but clean, and there is wi-fi in the rooms. Car parking in the centre of Xativa can be a nightmare, so it may be worth using the hotel's car park, even though there is an extra cost. Visit the Hotel Murta's website here.
There is a 4 star hotel in Xativa on the road leading up towards the castle. The Hotel Mont Sants also has a highly rated restaurant. We have not stayed here, but had a very nice meal in June 2008, although prices are quite high. The reviews for the hotel tend to be very mixed. Visit the hotel's website here.
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Xativa Castle |
Church tower in Xativa |
Flower displayin centre |
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City
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Horse & cart at Castle |
Interesting shop facade |
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Statue in city centre |
Typical back street |
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Click here to book discount hotel rooms in Xativa, Spain
If you're going to be staying for a week or more, it's possible to rent a villa in one of the nearby villages. Search for rental properties in Xativa to get a selection of villas.
Things to see and do in Xativa
There is a tourist information office on the main street, so we'd recommend you pop in there to see if anything is happening when you're there. Being Spain, there are often fiestas, parades, firework displays, etc so make sure you don't miss something!
There is a tourist train which will take you to the castle from outside the tourist office. We'd recommend taking the train up and walking back down as it's quite a hike up to the castle, specially on a hot day!
There is quite a good selection of shops in the town centre, but if you want a lot of shops in one location, it's worth visiting Plaza Mayor the main shopping centre which has several fashion shops, sports shops, restaurants and a large supermarket. There's even a cinema here. Click here for the website with more information. It's open Monday to Saturday but all shops in Spain close on Sundays.
Bars and Restaurants in Xativa
El Padrino is one of Xativa's most popular restaurants. There are actually two branches in the centre of town, one in the town square and one on the road up from the main street in town. The food at both branches is good without being exceptional. El Padrino Due is probably the most popular in the winter, while El Padrino Mercat has outside seating in the town market square which is a great place to be in the summer. Due do a great deal menu del dia where you get 3 courses and a drink (beer, wine, water, etc) for just 9.50 euros* - a good selection with main courses such as pizza, pasta, fish or meat.
If you have a car, don't miss going to eat at Casa Sibarita in the little village of Rafelguaraf which is about 15-20 minutes drive from Xativa. It's well worth the journey as the food is excellent and in you can eat outside by the pool in a pretty little courtyard. Casa Sibarita is actually a guest house with 5 rooms, and only recently opened their restaurant to non residents. It is a small restaurant, so don't just turn up, contact them to make a booking in advance. Get more information, and contact details on their website here.
Another nice place to have lunch is Duende del Sur on Calle Ronda de la Sequia de la Vila, close to the main Mercadona. Their menu del dia is around 10 euros and the food is very good. There's a nice chill-out area outside as well as a large indoor restaurant. Visit their website for more information.
If you are in the market square there's a nice little bar just opposite El Padrino's where you can sit outside and enjoy the ambiance. They serve the beers in frozen glasses in the summer, and give you a dish of mixed nuts to snack on. There are several other nice bars in the square - try them and see!
A good place to go for lunch is Xativa Castle. The food is good and the surroundings are very pleasant, but unfortunately the restaurant isn't open in the evenings.
Some other restaurants in Xativa that are worth a mention are: Canelo Y Clavo, La Forca, Casa La Abuela, Pastamania, Euniss, Yuan Chinese (the best of all the Chinese restaurants in Xativa - quite good at night, but their menu del dia is dreadful!), Carpanel, Mont Sant Hotel (Restaurant in 4* hotel on road up to the castle - expensive)
At the other end of town, on Calle de la Reina, there is a nice bar on the corner of Calle del Bisbes. They do a cana + tapas (bread with jamon) for just €1.50 which is very popular, and serve nice chilled wine too.
If you just want a coffee, Sirone Pasteleria on Calle Montcada is a good place to watch the world go by. The coffee is good and their apple muffins (magdalenas de manzana) are delicious!
Some useful sites about Xativa:
Trip Advisor - Xativa's trip advisor section
Official Website - Xativa's official website
*Note: Prices quoted above were
accurate in 2010