One Day at a time: Finestrat

From brightly coloured houses, fish auctions and chocolate factories to our next destination: Finestart. Finestrat is a beautiful traditional village which seems to have the best of both worlds: the mountains and the beach. This picturesque village hugs the Puig Campana, a majestic rock, which happens to be one of the most emblematic points on the Costa Blanca. Not only does this mountainous village boast spectacular views of the surrounding countryside but it also has its own beach, situated some five minutes from the village itself. Getting excited yet? I hope so! Lets go on and explore some more!

So if you have been following my “One Day at a Time” series, a story of a man, a wheelchair and his family taking on the challenge of exploring the hidden treasures of our area, you must be thinking we´re mad. First we go to a town which has steep, narrow, winding slopes for streets, now this, a mountain village. What can I say? We´re just gluttons for punishment. That, or we really are just mad! Either way the up and down hill battles in this case were most definitely worth it, that pain/ pleasure theory must be true! Anyway – another ramble, sorry – some day I´ll learn, now onto the point: Finestrat!

I would describe Finestrat as a village completely at harmony with its natural enviornment. It is a privilaged little enclave which offers us some extraordinary views which manage to contrast the villages charm with the natural beauty of the area. Words fail to express this villages uniqueness. As Finestrat is an elevated mountainous village, hanging houses, narrow winding streets, quaint corners and gardens are all important characteristics of it, with each one adding to its seductiveness and charm.

Now I must say we did manage to learn a valuable lesson on this journey and that was: wheelchairs + downhill slopes + flip-flops = disaster! I know right now that each of you reading this is thinking: obviously, but I shall explain! Our trip to Finestrat was actually an unexpected one. After deciding that the queue for the chocolate factory in Villajosa was too long we decided to head home. However, on our way out of the town we saw a sign post for Finestrat and, having heard great things about this village, we decided to venture there instead. Great idea but, sadly, it left us rather unprepared for the severity of the mountain slopes this town has to offer. In some places it proved too difficult, and dangerous I might add, to leave P in the wheelchair and he had to disembark and attempt to walk up, or down, some steep steps with the aid of J or I. Poor P!

Apart from this, the village is a delight. You can easily lose yourself while meandering through it´s narrow inclined Moorish streets which are filled with tradition, culture and history. It seems, as you are wandering through the streets, that behind every corner, on every new street, lies something new and more beautiful to discover. In other words: it is a maze of discovery rather than your stereotypical Spanish town.

Apart from its very attractive streets and the enchanting atmosphere it has to offer, one of the most impressive things about this village has to be its scenery. No matter where you are, no matter what street or square you find yourself at, you are presented with the most mind-blowing backdrops of either mountain or countryside and this, in my opinion anyway, money can´t buy. The beauty of this area is astounding. It has remained completely untouched and unspoilt by tourists and the development that usually goes with them. The town has maintained its identity by respecting the splendour of the natural environment around it and chosing to complement it with its Moorish influenced buildings rather than destroy it with modern architecture. With its views from the mountain right down to the sea Finestrat, in my opinion, is most definitely one of a kind.

The atmosphere in this village is relaxed and welcoming. While on our travels, we saw very few people on the streets but those we did bump into all warmly greeted us with a smile. Even the animals gave us a warm welcome, a well-loved and cared for Labrador decided to accompany me as I explored a wheelchair unfriendly part of this charming village, just in case I´d get lonely on my own!

So all that´s left for me to do now is to stop talking and let you sit back and enjoy the beautiful images this area has to offer. Here is a slideshow featuring some of the best photos, out of hundreds, I took that day! It was so difficult to narrow it down this time but, don´t worry, I managed it somehow! Enjoy the show:

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While P, J and I all loved Villajoyosa there was something about Finestrat that stole our hearts. Its traditional rustic feel and charming Moorish architecture won us over and, despite our difficulties getting around the village with the wheelchair, it is a place that filled us with joy, a place we will never forget. And if nothing else it is a trip that we can look back at and laugh because within the beauty that we experienced lies the stupidity of three tourists taking on the mountain village with a wheelchair and flip-flips!

I hope you enjoyed reading about Finestrat and our experience there. I would recommend this village to anyone who enjoys true beauty and splendid scenery. Just remember though, if venturing here with a wheelchair, make sure you are not wearing flip-flops! 🙂

As always, thank you for reading!

Until the next time, take it one day at a time…

Giana xoxo