RELAX, MAR Y MONTAÑA

Relax, Mar y Montaña is a four-star hotel in Tavernes de la Valldigna, a small coastal town in the Valencia region where the Valencian mountains meet the Mediterranean shoreline. The name says it plainly: this is a place built around the contrast between sea and hills, and the town itself sits at that exact junction, with beaches within easy reach and the Mondúber massif rising behind. With a near-perfect guest rating of 9.9 from 59 reviews, it has clearly found its audience.

That audience tends to be couples and families who come to the Costa Valenciana not for city sightseeing but for days that move at a slower pace — morning swims, afternoon shade, evenings with nowhere urgent to be. The hotel has two pools, which matters here: when the Valencian summer peaks, having the choice between a quieter pool and a livelier one is not a small thing.

Guests arriving by car will appreciate the free on-site parking, since Tavernes is a town where driving is the practical way in. Check-in opens at 16:00, leaving the afternoon free to settle in before dinner, and check-out at 11:00 gives the morning enough room for one last swim or a gym session before the drive home.