COSTA AZAHAR  [The Orange Blossom Coast]

The touristic term "Costa Azahar" [Orange Blossom Coast] takes in the whole province of Castellón, which is the most northern of the provinces making up the ancient Kingdom of Valencia. A hundred and twenty kilometres in length, it is endowed with fine warm beaches and beautiful wild coves, all bathed by the calm waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Inland, it is complemented by pine woods and immense orange groves. It is bounded by Catalonia in the north, Aragon in the west and in the south by the province of Valencia, in the unique stretch of land formed by the end of the "Alto Palancia" and "La Plana" regions.

On the "Costa Azahar" we guarantee almost three hundred days of sunshine a year and an average temperature of 18º C, which make it a magnificent area to be enjoyed all year round. The climate is therefore a Mediterranean one of long, dry, hot summers and mild winters, in which to stay and enjoy the extraordinary attractions which this Spanish province has to offer to the visitor.

The province of Castellón is also the second most mountainous in Spain, and thus within very few kilometres, the clean beaches of the coast blend in with an aggressive mountain- scape inland which gradually declines as it nears the coast.

The tourist coastline of Castellón is very well connected. The A7 motorway crosses it from north to south, with wide roads giving access to the different towns, and we also have a complete railway service, and even a maritime and air service, due to the short distance from Valencia, capital of the Community. Soon "Costa Azahar" will have an airport that will facilitate, even more, the access to our lands.

Castellón is an eminently industrial province with strong agricultural roots. Eighty per cent of the Spanish tiles and ceramics industry is based here, living happily alongside the cultivation and commercialization of citric fruits; the orange tree is the most distinctive tree on the "Costa Azahar" and its blossom "el Azahar" gives the coast its name.

Traditionally, another of the most important resources of this province is the fishing industry, since this part of the Mediterranean is very rich in fish and shellfish. Tourism has gradually become as important as industry in the area. The professionals of the tourist sector have managed to make the most of the magnificent natural resources and beauty of the "Costa Azahar" and complement them with a modern offer of hotels, campsites and restaurants, as well as golf courses and marinas.