If you’re looking to combine relaxation on the beach with some city exploration, a stay in Platja de Gandia paired with a trip to Valencia is a perfect choice. It’s just a quick 1-hour and 15-minute train ride from Valencia’s city center to reach the charming seaside town of Platja de Gandia. During our trip, we also ventured to Cullera, another coastal gem, and explored the fascinating Oceanogràfic, situated within the stunning Gardens of Turia in Valencia.

Platja de Gandia truly surprised us! With its 3-kilometer-long promenade, this beach was more than we expected. Our apartment was conveniently located just a street away, right next door to a cozy fruit shop, a small local bakery, and a spot offering coffee, warm chocolate, and freshly made churros (churreria). The beach itself is expansive, with soft, fine sand and wooden walkways that make access to the shore easy, especially for families with strollers or those with limited mobility. The beach is well-equipped with free restrooms, plenty of space for sunbathing, and most importantly, it was never overly crowded.

One of the highlights of Platja de Gandia is its lively promenade, which comes alive in the evenings. It’s lined with shops, restaurants, and cafes, making it the perfect place for an evening stroll. Street vendors add to the vibrant atmosphere, selling handmade jewellery, sunglasses, football shirts, and plenty of souvenir trinkets. You’ll even find people offering henna tattoos or creating colorful braids for children. The promenade is wide, allowing sufficient space for pedestrians, cyclists, and scooters, though shade can be a bit hard to come by.One thing to note: the local council has banned dogs on the beach, so if you’re traveling with pets, you’ll need to make alternative plans.

Platja de Gandia is relatively unknown to international tourists. With most visitors being Spanish, English isn’t as common as one might assume and therefore, so we did encounter few issues in the restaurants when trying to find a table or make a reservation. Though knowledge of a few basic words in Spanish goes a long way!

One of the highlights of our time at Gandia’s beach was the dedicated kite-flying area. Every afternoon around 5 PM, the local kite-club would gather to set up an array of colorful kites right on the beach, almost directly in front of our favorite ice cream spot, Cognigni. This group, known as “Cometas Gandia,” brings a playful, lively energy to the beach with their kites, many featuring fun characters like Tom and Jerry—an absolute hit with the kids! You can even follow them on Instagram for updates on their kite displays.

As a refreshing break from the beach, we did a day trip to Cullera by train, to visit the impressive Cullera Castle. The castle, built in the 10th century, sits atop a hill and offers stunning panoramic views of the city, the Mediterranean Sea, and the surrounding coastal area.

The well-preserved fortress is a beautiful blend of Moorish, Gothic, and Romanesque architectural styles, showcasing its historical evolution over the centuries. Originally, the castle had several towers and walls, many of which have been restored, allowing visitors to experience its grandeur.

The most notable feature is the Torre del Racó de Sant Antoni, a tower that rewards you with breathtaking views of the landscape. Attached to the castle is the Sanctuary of the Virgen del Castillo, a quaint Gothic-style chapel built in the 19th century. Inside the castle, there’s also a small museum with exhibits that highlight the history of the fortress and the region. You can explore ancient artifacts, including weapons, pottery, and medieval tools, giving you a fascinating glimpse into life during the castle’s active years.

After visiting the castle, we walked back down to the city and had a delicious lunch in Aroma de Grecia. There was also a lovely bakery La Delicia that served the most amazing savory spinach dumplings—definitely worth a try! We didn’t have time to follow the shore and check the resto of the city and just had a break on the playground near the beach.

In short, the city is a hidden gem, perfect for a family-friendly escape. An ideal spot to unwind, enjoy the sun, and soak up the local atmosphere! For an exciting day trip, hop on a train to nearby Cullera or Valencia or take a bus from nearby Gandia to Alicante (buses leaving from Gania bus station, back side of the train station). In our opinion, wonderful alternative to tourist-heavy beach destinations—perfect for families looking to relax and experience something new.

Practical info:

  • If you’re arriving at Valencia’s Airport (Aeroport), it’s an easy trip to the city center. Metro lines 3 and 5 will take you from Aeroport to North Station (Xàtiva) in just 21 minutes, covering Zone AB+. The fare is €5.80 per person.

  • From Valencia North Station, catch the C1 train to Gandia. Trains run every 30 to 60 minutes, and the journey takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes. A one-way ticket costs €6.30, but you can save €0.50 per trip by recharging your ticket, reducing the cost to €5.80. While most trains stop at Gandia, only a few continue on to Platja de Gandia. If your train terminates at Gandia, you can take bus L2 to the beach. The bus runs every 20 minutes and costs €1.60 (or €1.70 on Sundays). Tickets can be purchased directly from the driver. The Platja de Gandia train station is quite basic, with just one platform and a ticket machine. However, the machine’s translations can be confusing for non-Spanish speakers, as not all options are fully translated. After purchasing your ticket, remember to validate it at a separate area on the platform before boarding.
  • The beach near Platja de Gandia is well-equipped, offering public bathrooms every few meters, beach bars, and recycling bins to keep the area clean. There are also opportunities for sports like football and volleyball, plus exercise stations along the promenade. The beach is spotless, with public showers, toilets, and a first aid station available, making it family-friendly. Lifeguards and police on quads keep an eye on the beach, adding to the sense of security. One thoughtful touch: beside each wooden walkway leading to the beach, there’s an information board with a map clearly marking all the nearby amenities.

  • Our favourites places to eat are listed below with amazing ice cream place that was our place to be every afternoon! Note that most restaurants are closing in the early afternoon and reopening around 8pm where the whole city comes alive.

    • Cognigni: Amazing Argentinean icecream
    • INDIAN RASOI: Indian Food - Try the Goan Chicken !
    • Restaurante Boga: Local project to provide jobs to people with intellectual disabilities and promote social integration - Menu changes daily
    • Restaurante Casa José: A wide variety of sea-food and local dishes
  • Cullera Castle, is a great spot for a family outing, with entry tickets priced at just €3 for adults, and kids seem to get in for free (at least we weren’t asked to pay for our toddlers). While none of the towers or the different sections of walls surrounding the castle were open during our visit, the overall experience was still worth it because of the views. You can either drive right up to the castle and park there or walk from the Mercat de Cullera (which also has public toilets). There seems to be some confusion in reviews about an elevator to the castle—just to clarify, the lift only takes you from the parking area to the castle entrance, which is just a few meters up, and there’s another one after the ticket office to the main entrance. Since we arrived by train and had our prams with us, we decided to start our ascent by foot from the market. If you’re walking with strollers, we recommend taking Carrer del Calvari to avoid any stairs. Our stroll through the picturesque Barri del Pou area wasn’t too difficult, with only a few steps here and there. It was absolutely worth it though—the charming white stairways, stone walls, and lush plants growing along the narrow, clean streets made the walk feel magical.