Hotel L'Estació
Why we like it: 14-room hotel in the old railway station, in a park with a palm garden, outdoor pool, fireplace and a grill restaurant.
Duration1 night
From Valencia1 h 15 by car
From Alicante1 h by car
Balloon€209 according to Bocairent Tourism
Best timeMarch – June · September – November
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed to arrive first thing on Saturday from Valencia (1 h 15) or Alicante (1 h). Before going, book the flight with Totglobo and the bike with Diània Experiències, and buy the Covetes tickets at entradas.bocairent.org. If Arquea has a tour that weekend, sign up 24 to 48 hours ahead.
Saturday
- 19:30The Mariola by e-bike
With Diània Experiències, three hours with a guide from Bocairent: La Valleta on tarmac, 35 km, or Altos de Mariola on tracks, 38 km. From €65 per person for a couple to €44 in groups of eight. If you prefer to walk, drive to the Font de Mariola and do the 15 km variant of the cavas route and the Montcabrer.
- 213:45Lunch at El Cancell
Market cooking with pericana and olleta de Bocairent, on Calle Sant Roc. Book by phone.
- 317:00Covetes dels Moros
An hour with a guide, much of it on all fours, €4. Closed shoes and no backpack. Before or after, the old town: if Arquea has a tour that weekend, its two hours through the medieval quarter cost €12.
Sunday
- 1At dawnBalloon flight
Totglobo takes off from Bocairent over the Serra de Mariola Natural Park. The tourist office lists it at €209, with a cava toast, breakfast, certificate, photos and video. The time is set by the company depending on the season.
- 212:00Bullring in the rock
The oldest bullring in the Comunitat, from 1844, carved into the hillside. Tours on Sundays at 12:00, 12:30, 13:00 and 13:30, €3.
- 314:00Lunch and the drive back
El Cancell or La Parada, in the old station, and home in mid-afternoon.
Bocairent in a day is the old town, the Covetes and the bullring. With one night you add what surrounds it, the Serra de Mariola: a morning in the sierra on Saturday, by e-bike or on foot, and on Sunday, in the first light, the same sierra seen from a balloon. Sleeping in the village is what makes the flight possible, as it takes off at dawn.
Where to sleep
| Accommodation | Where | Who for |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel L'Estació | In the old railway station, with a garden and pool | Families and those arriving by car: you park on the estate |
| L'Àgora Hotel Boutique | Inside the village | Couples who want the old town on foot |
| Camping Mariola | Bungalows and pools | Families and those who come to walk in the Mariola |
What changes with the season?
In spring and autumn everything fits. In July and August the interior is stifling: leave the bike or the sierra for first thing and the Covetes for the afternoon. In winter, wrap up for the balloon; the full Montcabrer route does not fit in a short day, so stick to the 15 km variant. El Cancell and La Parada close on Mondays and Tuesdays.
With teenagers
The Covetes on all fours, the e-bike, which still has no published minimum age (ask when booking), and the balloon. For small children, swap the bike for the Barranc de la Fos route, of low difficulty, and remember that the Covetes are from age 3.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Bocairent, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Bocairent
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
The Old Town Is Pedestrian: Park Below
You get to Bocairent by the A-7 and the CV-40 from Valencia or Alicante, passing through Ontinyent. The historic centre is pedestrian: park on Calle Batalla de Lepanto or Calle Joaquín Sorolla and walk up.
60–110 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepHotel L'Estació, in the old…
- Getting aroundFrom Valencia, about an hour…
- Where to eatEl Cancell, Wednesday to Sunday…
- ServicesTourist Info on the Plaza…
Where to sleep
- Hotel L'Estació, in the old station, with easy parking
- L'Àgora Hotel Boutique, in the centre
- Mariola Campsite, in the natural park
Getting around
- From Valencia, about an hour and a quarter
- Mariola Campsite is a few minutes by car from the town
Where to eat
- El Cancell, Wednesday to Sunday at midday
- La Parada, at L'Estació, also on Sunday
Services
- Tourist Info on the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, with the tickets
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights1
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're driving
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
L'Àgora Hotel Boutique
Why we like it: Three-star boutique hotel in the centre of Bocairent, with eight rooms each decorated as a faraway country, a café and a sun terrace.
Mariola Campsite
Why we like it: Campsite with bungalows, shaded pitches and pools inside the Sierra de Mariola Natural Park, a few minutes by car from Bocairent.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Bocairent
El Cancell
What to order: the olleta de Bocairent or a dry rice with pork cheek and artichokes, with pericana to start
La Parada Restaurant
What to order: the grilled chuletón, which is best booked in advance
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
Book the balloon with some margin and ask what happens if the wind does not allow flying: that way you know whether an open date suits you.
We'd skip it
Arriving on Sunday morning for the balloon: the flight is at dawn and from Valencia that means leaving in the dark.