Gandia

Gandia (Valencian pronunciation: [ɡanˈdi.a], locally: [ɡɐnˈdɪ.ɐ]; Spanish: Gandía [ɡanˈdi.a]) is a city and municipality in the Valencian Community, Eastern Spain on the Mediterranean. Gandia is located on the Costa del Azahar, 65 kilometres (40 miles) south of Valencia and 96 km (60 mi) north of Alicante.

It was an important cultural and commercial centre during the 15th and 16th centuries: in the 15th it had a university. It was home to several important poets including Ausiàs March, and produced the novelist Joanot Martorell, but it is perhaps best known for the Borja or Borgia, through their family title, Duke of Gandia.

Today, Gandia is one of the largest coastal towns, with a population over 200,000, and a thriving centre of commerce and tourism in the region. There are two main zones, Gandia City, which has all the historical monuments, commercial activity, and shopping, and Gandia beach, where apartments and summer residences used during the summer season are to be found. The bars and nightclubs are concentrated in the beach area. As is normal for Spain, nightlife does not begin until well after midnight. The beach and town are actually some 2 km (1 mi) apart which succeeds in separating summer tourism from day-to-day living.