Logbook · 9 places

What to see and do in Bolbaite

What to see and do in Bolbaite (La Canal de Navarrés, Valencia): 9 places across monuments, nature, activities and curiosities, with a photo and a Google Maps location.

1 Villages · 2 Monuments · 1 Nature · 1 Activities · 1 Curiosities · 2 Historical milestones · 1 Food and drink

How far each place is from the centre of Bolbaite

Church of San Francisco de Paula de Bolbaite 50 m

Towns near Bolbaite

What to see in Chella 2.4 km · 18 places
What to see in Navarrés 4.6 km · 12 places
What to see in Anna 5.2 km · 13 places
What to see in Sumacàrcer 5.4 km · 2 places
What to see in Estubeny 6.7 km · 1 place
What to see in Antella 7.3 km · 5 places
What to see in Sellent 8.3 km · 2 places
What to see in Quesa 8.5 km · 11 places

Spain › Valencian Community › Valencia › La Canal de Navarrés › Bolbaite

What to see and do in Bolbaite

Bolbaite
Village
Bolbaite is a municipality of the Canal de Navarrés comarca, in the province of Valencia, in the basin of the río Sellent, 84 kilometres from the provincial capital. It has 1,320 inhabitants (INE 2025) and is Spanish-speaking. Settled since prehistory, with documented Iberian and Roman presence, it owes its definitive founding to the Arabs, who called it Albait, “inn” or “farmstead”; in 1276 its inhabitants joined the revolt of the Moor Al-Azraq against James I, put down after the Morisco expulsion. In 1612 the baroness Catalina Villarroya granted a settlement charter to the place after the departure of more than two hundred Morisco families, resettled with only sixteen, mostly Aragonese; its castle, of Islamic origin, was rebuilt as a palace in the 16th century.
Festivities of Bolbaite
Activity
Patronal festivities of Bolbaite in honour of San Francisco de Paula and the Cristo del Amparo, held the week after Holy Week; the Sunday after Easter Sunday sees the parade of Moors and Christians, the most traditional event of these festivities. The village also celebrates Santa Bárbara, co-patroness, on the first weekend of December, with firework rockets and traditional songs.
Castle-Palace of the Cabanilles
Monument
The castle-palace of Bolbaite stands atop the hill overlooking the town, built in the 16th century by the marquises of la Casta on an old Arab fortress, of which it preserves remains of Flamboyant Gothic style and stone spiral staircases. It was built as a residence and symbol of power of the lordship, and forms part of the historic quarter known as the Rabalet, with its narrow streets around the castle.
Church of San Francisco de Paula de Bolbaite
Monument
Parish church of Bolbaite, in the comarca of La Canal de Navarrés, dedicated to Saint Francis of Paola and listed as a Bien de Relevancia Local (a local-level heritage protection designation). It was built in the early 16th century, around 1521, in Renaissance style, and was rebuilt in 1780 following the neoclassical taste of the time. It has a single nave with chapels between the buttresses and seven side domes with saucer vaults, housing religious images such as that of the Santísimo Cristo del Amparo. The doorway, with a lintel and Baroque decoration, is topped by a niche holding the image of the titular saint. In the presbytery's niche are preserved frescoes by Salvador Pallás, a native of neighbouring Chella, depicting scenes from the life of Saint Francis of Paola, restored in 1976.
Rabalet, historic centre of Bolbaite
Curiosity
Small historic core of Bolbaite formed by a maze of narrow streets around the castle, Islamic in origin and rebuilt as a palace in the 16th century by the Pardo de la Casta family.
Site of the Sellent River in Bolbaite
Nature
Stretch of the Sellent river as it passes through Bolbaite, where the riverbed forms a natural pool traditionally used as a bathing area. The river crosses the village, dividing it into El Lugar and La Peña, joined by two bridges; beneath the Puente Viejo a pool forms with ducks, geese and carp, and upstream the riverbed opens into a natural lake suitable for bathing, with picnic areas and a recreational zone. Further upstream lies the Gorgo Cadena, with a submerged cave of speleological interest.
Settlement charter of Bolbaite of 1612
Historical milestone
On 13 July 1612 the baroness Catalina Villarroya Cabanilles granted a carta puebla to Bolbaite after the departure of the 210 Morisco families recorded in 1609. Only sixteen families, mostly Aragonese, settled in the villa at that time.
Bolbaite in the War of the Spanish Succession
Historical milestone
The lord of Bolbaite, Luis Pardo de la Casta, took the side of the Archduke Carlos when the war began in 1705. When Valencia surrendered to Felipe V in 1707 he had to flee to Flanders, and the barony passed into hands loyal to the Bourbon side.
Bolbaite stew with meatballs
Food and drink
Winter stew of chickpeas, vegetables and pork to which balls of minced meat, breadcrumbs and spices are added. It is served in two courses, first the broth and then the rest, and is a dish of the family Christmas meals in Bolbaite.