U3A Denia

Back row l to r: Graham, Richard and Chris. Front row l to r: Cazzie, Ginny and Liz

Our aim is to provide our membership with a wide choice of value for money trips to suit all pockets, bearing in mind the rising cost of transport and food. As well as being friendly and fun, we endeavour to make our trips educational/cultural in line with the U3A ethos of continued learning and sharing experiences.

These are the trips we've organised for you for 2025:

18-25 September - Eight day trip by train to Asturias, based in a four star hotel in Gijon, visiting all the main sights, including an underground mining museum, a cheese factory and a cider house - with tastings! (Graham). The trip is fully booked.

23-27 December - Five days, full board break in Hotel Kaktus, Albir. We’ve been here twice before and it’s so good that we’re going again! (Ginny & Chris).
This trip is open for booking

We will advertise the following trips later in the year:

October - Day trip to the famous honey and gourmet food festival in Ayora, near Valencia, with lunch. This is a new trip for us (Cazzie & Richard).

December - Sightseeing/Christmas shopping trip to Valencia (Cazzie and Richard).

Green Spain - following the cheese and cider route

Facing the Bay of Biscay and home to the Picos de Europa mountain range, Asturias is a place of unspoilt beaches, forests, lush vegetation and majestic peaks. It’s the most important mining and metallurgical region in Spain and famous for cider, cheese and other dairy products. We’ll be following the cheese and cider route to see how these products are made, visit an underground mine and also take in the many sights this beautiful area has to offer.

Day one
Our holiday begins with a coach trip to Valencia, where we’ll pick up a direct train to Gijon. We’ll arrive early evening at Hotel Silken Ciudad, the base for our holiday, in time for dinner.

Dinner the first night will be our only evening meal there. We’ll be staying bed and breakfast for the rest of our holiday so that we can experience the delights of Gijon’s vibrant tapas bar and restaurant scene in the evenings.

Day two
After breakfast we’ll board our coach for a guided tour of Gijon. The largest city in Asturias, it is the epicentre of cider culture in the region.

Free time for lunch

In the afternoon we will board a mining train, and take a trip along the banks of the Samuño River before going into the depths of the earth to visit the mine and ecomuseum.


Day three
Today we’ll visit Ribadeo on the Galician border and walk around the town to see the Indian influence in the bourgeois architecture.

We’ll travel on to Playa de las Catedrales with its spectacular rock arches sculpted by the force of the sea.

Free time for lunch, then we’ll visit Cudillero, which has an amphitheatre - unique in Asturias - because it isn’t a Roman ruin, but a colourful collection of houses built in the shape of a horseshoe.


Day four
After breakfast we’ll travel to Covadonga, a stunning little town set amongst the mountains of the Picos de Europa. We continue on to Cangas de Onís, the first capital of the Kingdom of Spain, on the banks of the Rio Sella and its famous Roman bridge.

Free time for lunch, then we drive to Ribadesella.

Its historic quarter has been declared Property of Cultural Interest. The historic 13th century town offers an interesting mix of mediaeval town and modernist architecture in addition to an outstanding beach area. The town is also known for its prehistoric Cave of Tito Bustillo.

After that, we’ll visit a cider house to see how it’s made and learn how to pour and drink cider the traditional way - and sample the product!

Day five
Free day. Do as you please, go where you wish or just relax in the hotel. It has a free spa and jacuzzi for guests.

Day six
This morning we’ll be visiting a cheese factory to see how the famous Cabrales cheese is processed and aged in natural caves - with tastings, of course!

After lunch we’ll travel to Llanes, a fishing village with an impressive historic centre which has been declared an Historic-Artistic Site.

Day seven
After breakfast we have a guided visit to Oviedo, the capital of Asturias. Afterwards, there is free time to have lunch before we travel to Luanco, a fishing village that, in its day, was one of the most important whaling ports in the Bay of Biscay.

Day eight
Breakfast, check out, then board our train back to Valencia where a coach will be waiting to take us back to Denia, arriving late afternoon.

Price
€1088 per person in a double room
€466 single supplement

THIS TRIP IS NOW FULLY BOOKED

Pick up time from:
New Marina Denia - tba
McDonalds Denia - tba
Mas y Mas Ondara - tba

4 nights’ full board - 4* Hotel Kaktus

Nestled between Benidorm and Altea in the pretty little resort of L’Albir, our hotel is right on the beach and an easy 50 minute drive down the AP7. It’s used by both Saga and Tui, so you can be sure they have all the facilities we Brits love - kettles in the room for our morning cuppa, English TV stations, an International cuisine (eggs and bacon for breakfast - they even serve porridge!), and they have good facilities for disabled travellers, too.

Decorated in an unusual Art Nouveau style with cane furniture and stained glass. it’s open and airy with a superb bar/lounge and dance floor for their regular entertainment evenings. If you’re a card or games player, or just prefer to read or sit and chat, there’s plenty of space to do so.

We organise a Christmas Eve Quiz, Christmas carols on the terrace on Christmas Day, and Boxing Day Bingo with a difference!

Albir is a lovely town with lots of shops and cafés. It has a flat promenade which goes all the way to Altea. Our rooms are large with comfortable seating and all have a side view of the beach and promenade.

Meals are served buffet-style and we all agreed the food last year was excellent.

The hotel charges €15 a night for their underground car park, but you could probably find parking in nearby streets for free.

The price includes a Gala Christmas Eve Dinner, a Gala Christmas Day Lunch, and wine and water with meals (including the non-gala ones). We’ve had two wonderful Christmases here, which is why we’re going again. I hope you can join us.

Price: 23 - 27 December (5 days, 4 nights) full board
- double room - 454 euros per person
- single room - 584 euros

I’ll ask you for a deposit of €100 per person by 6 September, and the full amount by 15 November.
Please do not pay until I send you an email with the payment details.

YOU CANNOT BOOK THIS TRIP ONLINE

TO BOOK: email Ginny : travel@u3adenia.com with the following information:
- the names of everyone travelling with you
- whether you want a single, twin or double room
- whether you need disabled facilities
- any special dietary requirements (eg vegetarian)

WITHOUT THIS INFORMATION, I CANNOT BOOK YOU ON THE TRIP.

Please read our Terms & Conditions before booking: https://u3adenia.com/pages/travel_terms.php

Pick up time from:
New Marina Denia - n/a
McDonalds Denia - n/a
Mas y Mas Ondara - n/a