This is generally an agricultural area, principal crops being oranges, lemons, walnuts, almonds, plums, apples, pears, and some rice. It is fertile and well-supplied with water.

The nearest village to Finca Casablanca is Barxeta, with a population of 1,600 and a number of bars, restaurants, and shops including three bakeries, two butchers and mini-supermarkets. Barxeta is about a ten-minute walk.

Xátiva itself is 7 miles away along a road which winds through orange groves. It is a prosperous “county town” with a population of around 25,000, dominated by the castle which dates back to before Roman times. A modern shopping area with international and local names adjoins the old quarter of the town where street markets are to be found in the market square and the narrow streets around it. The town’s numerous bars and restaurants are complemented by a surprisingly frantic nightlife, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights, when the sun is often well up before the last revellers make their way home. Xátiva is known as the “City of a Thousand Fountains” and although there is no record in modern times of any serious attempt to count them, there is certainly ample evidence of the ready availability of water in the area. One of Xátiva’s other claims to fame is that it is unique in having been the birthplace of two Popes – Calixtus III and Alexander VI – who are commemorated in the square adjacent to the cathedral.

Local bus and taxi services are available from near the mainline train station which has connections to Valencia, Alicante, and beyond.

The nearest beaches to Finca Casablanca are 30 minutes away at Tavernes de Valldigna. On the way, the Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de la Valldigna in Simat de Valldigna is a rewarding detour. Gandía is about 45 minutes away, and the resort towns of Denia and Jávea around one hour. However, the entire coast both north and south from Tavernes is essentially one long beach, except for the breaks caused by ports or marinas. Yacht clubs at Gandía, Oliva, Denia and Jávea, among others, provide a water’s edge environment in which to sip a cool drink or enjoy a meal, with no membership requirement, and golf enthusiasts are also catered for at Oliva and La Sella near Denia as well as El Bosque on the edge of Valencia, which is 50 minutes away.

Because these facilities are so easy to access from the Xátiva area, many would-be Costa Blanca househunters are starting to turn their attention inland, benefitting in the process from lower prices, fewer tourists, and a more Spanish feel to the area than the coastal resorts.