Oranges give the Mediterranean its flavour - Saborea España

Oranges give the Mediterranean its flavour

Oranges give the Mediterranean its flavour

Route through the mediterranean citrus country

The coastal city of Vinaròs, located at the far north end of the province of Castellón invites you to learn more about its history, culture and cuisine through an experience that’s a bit out of the ordinary. Along this journey you’ll become immersed in our local citrus culture, where you will experience new sensations and discover the best kept secret of one of the best oranges in the world, the Vinaròs navelate, along with other delicacies of Mediterranean cuisine.

 

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Points of interest:

Orange groves

  • Address: Township of Vinaròs
  • Opening hours: Available preferably between January and May.
  • Teléfono: +34 630 196 296
  • Email: info@exploramaestrat.com
  • Web: go to the web
  • Description: Vinaròs is a renowned culinary destination due to the quality and variety of the products that come from the Mediterranean waters, as well as those which come from the county of Maestrat. Exquisite oranges and tangerines are the highlights of its fruit trees. The most important kind of orange in Vinaròs is known as the navelate, the tastiest orange variety in the world according to experts. In fact, Vinaròs is renowned worldwide in citrus-growing countries thanks to this variety of orange. To discover Vinaròs’s agricultural tradition, we’ll head to one of the agricultural farms that are part of this route. To visit them, we highly recommend scheduling the visit between January and May to be able to enjoy their trees in their greatest splendour. In the presence of the local farmers, Ester from Explora Maestrat will be our expert guide along this journey of discovery through the citrus world, showing us all the secrets of this crop that has been a staple in the Valencian territory from the 19th century to today. On this journey you’ll actively take part in the orange and tangerine harvest. You’ll get to know the different types of our citrus fruits, in addition to the historical-agricultural features of our citrus industry. Later you can taste the characteristic flavour of these citrus fruits in a small tasting. Give your body the vitamin C it craves. Since we know that you won’t be able to resist the lure of the navelate, you can take the oranges you pick home with you.

Santuari de la Misericordia sanctuary

  • Address: Camí de l’Ermita, 176, Vinaròs
  • Opening hours: Mondays except for holidays. Summer from 9:00 to 01:00. After finishing up the ancient olive 
  • Phone: +34 964 456 847/ 638 82 08 51
  • Access:   
  • Description: After finishing up the ancient olive trees route and now back in the city limits of Vinaròs, we’ll head off to one of its most iconic sites. Puig de la Misericordia, one of the highest sites in Vinaròs, offers unique views of the coast where we can also find ancient olive trees.

    Going further into the area, the overlook offers an incredible panoramic view of the sea where you can even catch a glimpse of the Columbretes islands on clear days. From here you can make out the coast of Vinaròs, Benicarlò and Peñiscola, with its historic castle and to the left, the imposing Montsià mountain that brings us closer to Catalonia.
    On this idyllic natural reserve stands the historical Santuari de la Misericordia sanctuary, also known as Saint Sebastian’s sanctuary, which was built over different chronological periods, although the Hermitage located on the same site dates back to the 15th century.
    The same site featured the construction of stables and shelters to host pilgrims who came to venerate the saint. This site has a lot of history to tell.

Central Market

  • Address: Pl. Sant Agustí 8, Vinaròs
  • Opening hours: 7:30 to 20:30. Saturdays, 08:00 to 14:00. Located in the Plaça de Sant Agustí 
  • Phone: +34 964 455 931
  • Email: anamercat@gmail.com
  • Web: go to the web 
  • Access:   
  • Description: Located in the Plaça de Sant Agustí in the city’s old town. Its origins date back to the mid-19th century when the Plaça de Sant Agustí hosted several permanent stalls selling vegetables, legumes and fruits. In 1899, the plaza featured more than 200 stands with the main local products, with an additional 16 travelling stands every Saturday (truly a sight to see!). A few years later, in 1928, the current market was built on the site of the old Saint Elmo Convent (home of the Augustine monks). Currently the plaza and the market are the best site to spend the morning watching people go about their daily lives and to purchase the best local products. What could be better than enjoying a bicicleta (the local home-made vermouth with an orange slice) and an octopus or fresh king prawn tapa with aioli purchased right then and there? Inside the market, the bars will make you whatever you just purchased right then and there so that you can enjoy your meal peacefully with a vermouth in hand. Can you think of anything more authentic? Once a month you can also enjoy local product presentations in the Espai Gastronòmic del Mercat, located inside the market.

El Bergantín Restaurant

  • Address: Carrer del Varador, 8.
  • Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday, 13:30 to 16:00 and 20:30 to 23:00.
  • Phone: +34 964 455 990
  • Email: info@restaurantebergantin.com
  • Web: go to the web
  • Access:   
  • Descripción: El Bergantín first opened its doors on New Year’s Eve 1967. Customers can enjoy excellent Mediterranean cuisine accompanied by highly attentive service. The Albiol siblings, Carlos, Inma and Cristina, offer traditional cuisine with the best selection of rice dishes, meats, fish and seafood with a touch of innovation. Rice with sea urchin caviar, “blind man’s” rice with a hard crust and monkfish a l’orange are just some of the specialities that they have prepared to surprise the most demanding palates. Bergantín boasts more than 50 years of experience and passion for cooking. We can enjoy sole or local Vinaròs king prawn a l’orange at Bergantín.

Restaurante Nou Bar

  • Address: Av. País Valencià, 7. Vinaròs.
  • Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 09:00 to 15:00 and 20:30 to 23:00. Closed on Monday afternoons.
  • GPS: 40.467826, 0.474746
  • Phone: +34 964 45 27 72 / 671 585 996
  • Email: aladrocvinaros@gmail.com
  • Web: go to the web
  • Access:   
  • Language: Spanish.
  • Description: The restaurant boasts high-quality contemporary cuisine with traditional roots that offers much more than just great food. In Nou Bar you can discover an experience for all five senses with their wine and food pairings featuring a fully personalised select menu. Passion, cuisine and quality await you.

Rafel Lo Cristalero Restaurant

  • Address: Cervantes, 2
  • Opening hours: In Winter, Wednesday to Monday, 13:00 to 15:30 and 20:00 to 23:00. Open every day in summer.
  • GPS: 40.470269, 0.474678
  • Phone: +34 964 40 20 48 / 637 43 32 17
  • Email: rafellocristalero@live.com
  • Web: go to the web
  • Access:   
  • Description: Fusion, freshness and creation are three concepts that perfectly define Rafael Lo Cristalero’s cooking. The restaurant’s Mediterranean cooking with Japanese and Italian cuisine means make these creations authentic delights. This is the perfect restaurant to enjoy signature recipes and the best traditional cuisine.

Our Lady of the Assumption Fortress-Church

  • Address: Plaza Parroquial C/San Cristófol
  • Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, 10:00 to 13:00 and 17:30 to 18:30.
  • Phone: +34 964 451 933
  • Web: go to the web
  • Description: The Plaça Parroquial is where you’ll find the Church-Fortress of Our Lady of the Assumption, a place with a lot of history which served as a fortress during the eras such as the reign of Felipe IV and the Carlist Wars, and was used as defence of the pirates and Turkish corsairs. This church with its functional, military-style exterior has many stories to tell… Come and see more!

Casa Membrillera

  • Address: C. Socors, 64
  • Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 17:30 to 20:30. Closed on Sundays and Mondays.
  • Phone: +34 964 45 60 46/ 676 64 10 86
  • Web: go to the web
  • Email: fundacio@caixavinaros.org
  • Description: If you’re eager to learn more about fishing culture and tradition, we recommend stopping by Casa Membrillera, the old noble house from the 18th century better known as the “Casa de los Membrillera” or the house of the colonels. There, in Espai Mar, you can learn a bit more about fishing in Vinaròs in an exhibit that features exact miniature replicas of the old boats used for fishing. Apart from this space, you can find other exhibits dedicated to agriculture and industry. It’s an incredible trip to the past!


    This 18th century renaissance noble house is popularly known as “Casa de los Membrillera” or “House of the Colonels”. The house has a ground floor entrance, a main floor and an attic featuring five windows with a semicircular arch. Currently, the building serves as the headquarters of the Fundació Caixa Vinaròs, a cultural institution funded by the Caixa Rural Vinaròs bank founded in 2000 whose main objective is to promote a variety of cultural activities. The building features 4 spaces that host permanent exhibits dedicated to the culture, trade, trade and history of Vinaròs.− Agricultural Space− Woodworking Space− Sea Space− Industry Space.

Ca Massita Bakery

  • Address:  Plaza de Tres Reyes, 3, 12500 Vinaròs, Castelló.
  • Opening hours: Pl. dels Tres Reis, 3: Monday to Saturday 07:30 to 14:30. Sundays: closed. Trav. Safón, 7: Monday to Saturday 8:30 to 13:30 and 17:30 to 20:00. Sundays: closed.
  • Phone: +34 964 45 18 90
  • Email: camassita@gmail.com
  • Description: Helena (the owner) and her two bread ovens offer the best artisan bakery and pastry products. Her pastissets, cocs and much more will leave you wanting much more. Helena opens the doors to her bakery by reservation so that you can learn how she creates her products, and actively take part in the process.
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Milano Ice Cream Shop

  • Address: Av. Passeig de Jaume I, nº17 Bajo, 12500 Vinaròs, Castellón
  • Opening hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 16 to 23:30. Thursday mornings and afternoons. Weekends, all day long
  • Phone: +34 964 10 25 57
  • Email: milanovinaros@gmail.com
  • Web: go to the web
  • Access:   
  • Description: Who said you can only have ice cream in summer? The Milano Ice Cream Shop is one of the Vinaròs classics and it is open all year long. The owners are passionate about artisan ice cream. Along your route don’t forget to try the amazing ice cream flavour made with our favourite oranges.


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