7 days in Barcelona & Valencian Country Itinerary

Hugging the Mediterranean coastline, Valencian Country is one of Spain’s great agricultural districts. The region’s rich soil has been cultivated for many centuries. Arab farmers, who arrived here during the Middle Ages, introduced irrigation methods that allowed for extensive farming of rice, citrus, almonds, and dates. To this day, the area is best known as the cradle of Spanish rice cultivation. Regional ways to cook rice and incorporate it into dishes number in the hundreds. In the colorful countryside, each village features different methods of preparing that famous Spanish rice creation called paella, and no vacation here would be complete without a sample or two. Valencian paella, once the food of humble farmers, is now a symbol of Spanish cuisine that draws tourism from around the world.