Having seen the castle and most of the other principal sights on our first day in Xàtiva, we awoke early on our second day for an excellent 14-kilometer hike. We'd be following PRV-78, a circular path that leads along the Albaida River, past an ancient aqueduct and caves, and through groves of orange trees, before heading back into town.
Let's say you've visited Xàtiva Castle. Amazing, but it sure was exhausting. The hike up that hill? The size of the place? I bet you're happy to be done! But don't relax quite yet, because you're not going to like what I've got to tell you. The castle might be the highlight, but so far you've only seen a fraction of what Xàtiva has to offer. Take a quick siesta, have a cup of coffee, bang out a line of coke, whatever you need to do: you've still got a long day ahead of you.
One of the most rewarding excursions you can make from Valencia is to Xàtiva, which is about an hour south by train. We spent two days exploring the town's quiet streets, checking out its historic buildings and monuments, and hiking into the surrounding hills. But first, we climbed up to the castle which dominates the city from on high.
