Logbook · 7 places

What to see and do in Alboraia/Alboraya

What to see and do in Alboraia/Alboraya (L'Horta Nord, Valencia): 7 places across monuments, nature, activities and curiosities, with a photo and a Google Maps location.

1 Villages · 1 Activities · 1 Curiosities · 1 Historical milestones · 3 Food and drink

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Spain › Valencian Community › Valencia › L'Horta Nord › Alboraia/Alboraya

What to see and do in Alboraia/Alboraya

Alboraia
Village
Alboraia is a municipality in the comarca of L'Horta Nord, in the province of Valencia, 6 kilometres from the capital, with 26,273 inhabitants, making it the third-largest municipality in the comarca after Burjassot and Paterna. It is famous for growing tiger nuts and for its horchata, and it retains extensive market-garden areas irrigated by the Tormos and Rascanya ditches and crossed by the Carraixet ravine. Its name comes from the Arabic al-buraig or al-burga, 'little tower'. The urban centre originated in an Andalusi alquería that James I granted in 1238 to the bishop of Huesca Vidal de Canyelles, together with Almàssera; on his death it passed to Teresa Gil de Vidaure, the king's third wife, and in 1331 to Gilabert de Sanoguera, who founded the lordship of Alboraya.
Tiger nut farming in Alboraia
Curiosity
Alboraia is the birthplace of Valencian tiger-nut horchata: cultivation of this tuber was introduced into what is now the Valencian Community during Muslim rule, in the 8th century, although widespread cultivation and the first references to horchata date from the 13th century. The botanist Antonio José de Cavanilles already documented tiger-nut cultivation in Alboraya in 1795. Since 25 September 1995 Valencia tiger nuts have held a Protected Designation of Origin, which covers cultivation in sixteen municipalities of L'Horta Nord, among them Alboraia. There are two varieties according to the shape of the fruit, the llargueta and the armela, and practically all production is used to make horchata.
Festivities of Alboraia
Activity
Alboraia celebrates its patron saint San Cristóbal from the first weekend of July over about ten days, coinciding with Corpus Christi, and the Inmaculada Concepción on 8 December; it also celebrates the Milagro de los Peces on Whit Monday.
The grant of Alboraia to the bishop of Huesca
Historical milestone
After the conquest of Valencia, James I handed the Andalusi farmstead to the bishop of Huesca; in 1240 the parish was founded and in 1331 the place became the lordship of Gilabert de Noguera.
The tiger-nut horchata of Alboraia
Food and drink
A cold drink obtained from tiger nuts soaked, ground and pressed, uncooked and barely sweetened; the village considers itself the cradle of horchata and devotes close to one hundred and eighty hectares of huerta to that tuber.
Fartons
Food and drink
An elongated, spongy bun, glazed on top, designed expressly for dipping in horchata without falling apart; it was born in the village's bakeries and has become the drink's inseparable accompaniment.
Valencian-style snails
Food and drink
Huerta snails stewed with ñora, mint and chili in a spicy sauce, a classic tapa of the comarca; they are served alongside the oven-baked rice dishes and the arròs amb fesols i naps of the households.