Tavernes de la Valldigna
The town of Tavernes de la Valldigna is the largest in La Valldigna, a horseshoe-shaped valley surrounded by mountains and open in the east to the plains of the Mediterranean coast. Tavernes is part of La Safor, the southernmost administrative region in Valencia.
Gastronomy:
Quality traditional regional cuisine prepared with quality ingredients. In addition to paella, typical dishes include “l’arròs al forn” (baked rice), “l’arròs amb fesols i naps” (rice with beans and turnip) and “l’arròs amb pebres” (rice with paprika). Other dishes include “l’all i pebre”, “la fideuà” (noodles), “putxero amb pilotes” (stew) and “coques de mestall”. Desserts include dishes made with oranges and seasonal fruit.
“Arnadí” (a sweet of Arabic origin made with pumpkin and sweet potato), as well as “coques cristines”, are among the most traditional sweets.
Places of interest:
Must-sees in Tavernes include the 18th century parish church of Saint Peter the Apostle and the traditional surrounding streets. Following this visit, we make our way to the Calvary, one of the best preserved in Valencia, which is accessed by a path marked by chapels depicting the passion of Christ. Starting from the Calvary, there is a very interesting route that follows the path that runs parallel to the defensive wall. It crosses the upper part of the town from one end to the other, offering a panoramic view of the town of Tavernes and large part of La Valldigna.
Near to Tavernes we find the “Clot de la Font”, a natural spring located a few kilometres from the town at the foot of the Ombria mountain. It is a perfect location in which to spend a day in contact with nature and it is where the “Porrat del Dia de la Sang” fair takes place each year.
The hermitage of Saint Lawrence stands on a hill near the centre of the village and has a recreation area. From here we can walk along the dirt road that leads to a viewpoint offering a magnificent view of the coast.
Festivities:
The capital of the Valldigna celebrates the “Fallas” festivities in March in a special way. April sees the celebration of Holy Week festivities. The second Wednesday of July sees the celebration at the “Clot de la Font” spring of “El Porrat del Dia de la Sang”, a small fair attended by the inhabitants of the La Valldigna. This year sees the celebration of its 150th edition.
On 10th August, another “Porrat” is held near to the Hermitage of Saint Lawrence, located in “Raco de Joana”, which is dedicated to the saint. During the second week of September, the village’s main festivities are held in honour of the Holy Christ of Blood and the Divine Aurora. The traditional ‘Baixà del Crist”, which sees a statute of Christ carried in a procession down from the Calvary Hermitage to the Church of Saint Peter, is held, marking the beginning of the festivities. Events held during the festivities include a typical costume dance, the International Festival of Popular Dances and the Municipal Band Festival.
