Canals Spain: Quick Essential Tourist Guide From Locals…

Enjoy our quick guide to Canals, a municipality in the Spanish administrative region of La Costera. Situated in the valley of Montesa, its highest points are found in La Serra Grossa which features l’Atalaia and la Creau with peaks measured at 556 meters and 520 meters respectively.

Below we feature an expat interview with Kevin Daniells of Valencia Value Property who covers the Canals area.

Specifically, we wanted to learn from Kevin the many reasons why people should consider moving to this area and the value for money they can get once they decide to stay permanently.

Kevin, thanks for helping our readers. I guess we should start off by asking what would you say would be the advantages to living in Canals compared to other Valencia towns?

As an Agent we looked long and hard for an area to live and originally moved to the coast. After around a year of exploring, we soon realised that living inland was the better option, choosing to be in “Real Spain.” We had driven past Canals on the motorway, but had not ventured in, as it looked quite industrial. However, one day we did and what a surprise. We discovered a beautiful town, with extremely friendly people that made us very welcome indeed. As a result, we moved there and have not looked back.

The advantages of Canals are many, not least the excellent range of shops and facilities, but the fact that the town is on the level, meaning that getting around is easy. In addition, on the outskirts of the town is the railway, which leads to Xativa and Valencia. The A7 and A31 motorways also pass by the town, meaning that getting to Alicante and Valencia is less than an hour’s drive.

Would the area not suit certain types of people, i.e. are there any possible downsides?

I cannot see any downsides to living in the town. There are very good schools, a municipal market and friendly shops.

What proportion of the local population are Spanish?

The population of the town is predominantly Spanish, but there are also Bulgarian and Romanian communities too. Several English families live within the town and everybody is extremely friendly and helpful. I cannot stress this enough.

What are your favourite things to do in the area?

Favorite things to do in the area are visiting the adjoining and large town of Xativa, which has a superb Medieval Castle overlooking the town, being perched on top of the mountains and forming a beautiful back drop. The town definitely has a cosmopolitan theme and a great range of specialist shops and facilities. The town has its own STUNNING Bull Ring and a most impressive Avenida which is lined by enormous trees, providing loads of shade in the summer months. This is a great place to sit in a café and just people watch.

The village of Montesa is close by and this quaint village has an ancient castle dominating it from the top of a massive stone outcrop. The castle was damaged by an earthquake over 200 years ago, but it is a great place to walk and take in the beautiful views. The area is also popular with walkers, mountain bikers and rock climbers.

Can you give us some insider tips to the best bars or restaurants?

On the outskirts of the town is a carwash called Alfonso’s. It is legendary, attracting locals and people from miles around for its very reasonable Menu Del Dia. Within the town itself, close to the centre is Bar Brazilia – again excellent for Menu Del Dia and Tapas.

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