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Spain has long been the number one air destination for British holiday-makers and the major Costas are well known to millions of us. But incredibly, there is one region of this sun-blessed land that remains relatively unexplored and untouched by the UK holiday market – the evocatively entitled ‘Orange Blossom Coast – Costa Azahar! This is the ‘Land of Valencia’ famed for its oranges and stunning early spring-time blossom (hence the name and nestles next to the Costa Blanca to the south and Catalunya to the north.)

Having travelled much of Spain, this region came as a real surprise and pleasure to my whole family when we first discovered it more than a decade ago. Resorts retaining a predominantly ‘Spanish’ feel, where families dine out and peacefully stroll the paseos until the very early hours of the morning were just what we were looking for. Add to that a coastline offering a variety of contrasting seaside towns, old and ancient villages and sites, great beaches, exquisite cuisine and the dramatic backdrop of the Maestrazgo mountain range and what we had discovered was something very special.

Our favourite spot is the fishing village-turned very desirable twin-resorts of Alcossebre/Las Fuentes. Midway between the airports of Valencia and Reus (approx 80 minutes to both), this is a super place to holiday for families with younger children and those who prefer their resorts free of high rise hotels and wall to wall bars and discos. The emphasis is very much on laid back living, with some very fine restaurants. Top of our list was El Pinar. Perched high above the resort and with views that can only be described as breathtaking, we enjoyed a veritable feast. It has to be one of Spain’s great eateries!

The twin resorts have 5 beaches – each one different in character gave us plenty of options to while away the days. Water sports are available but they are of the non-motorised type so very low key and relaxed and safe for all ages. And for the shoppers in the family the resorts boutiques and extensive weekly Tuesday evening market offered ample opportunities to spend ‘a few’ euros.

For anyone wishing to jump in the hire car, the opportunities to explore are impressive. Head south to the wonderful city of Valencia, which has undergone a stunning transformation in recent years, north to the unique Ebro Delta and its vast rice fields (yes rice!) and inland to the mountain villages of the Maeastrazgo. It is even possible to snow ski at Teruel so that is one for a future visit to the area. We also ventured into Catalunya for a fun day out at the impressive and rapidly developing Port Aventura theme park. A kind of ‘bite size’ Disney, it certainly has sufficient actvities to keep a family entertained on a day trip . 3, 7 and 14 day passes at great value are available for those wishing to dip in and out of the park during a one or two week holiday.

Just north of Alcossebre and an easy 1/2 day excursion, the rapidly developing resort and fishing port of Peniscola boasts one of the most visited historical sites in Spain. Rising dramatically from the long, long flat sea front, Peniscola’s old town is one of the most striking and renowned in Spain. This is where they filmed the epic movie El Cid and a little imagination will conjure up images of the massed armies on the beaches (just ignore the modern high rise hotels!) We took lunch at a quaint old town café close to the Citadel overlooking the deep blue Mediterrenean Sea. Delightful.

We flew into Reus with Ryanair. This is an airport on the up and the new terminal building should be ready for the 2009 season, easing some of the congestion we experienced this year. Valencia is also well serviced from many UK airports and, excitingly, a brand new airport near Castellon is schedule to open early in the New Year and the hope is that services from the UK will begin soon thereafter bringing the Orange Blossom Coast within easy reach of the UK holiday market. I hope so, as this is a region of Spain I will return to again and again.