Planning your trip

Arriving by car
Transfers
Metro from Airport
Bus times
What to take
Local tourism

Flying is the quickest and cheapest way to get to Valencia. You can pay a little extra with EasyJet (from Gatwick) to offset your carbon emissions. Ryanair flies from Stansted. Depending on the day of the week and when you book you can pay as little as £35 return.

Arriving by car
See Multimap to find the way by road to Villar-del-Arzobispo, the nearest town to Amitavati.

Directions from Villar del Arzobispo to Amitavati.
From the roundabout with a wine press in the middle just before Villar -del-Arzobispo take the second exit (straight across) towards Higueruelas, pass an industrial estate on your right and take a right turn at the signpost to Andilla. Following this road for about 2 kilometres. You come to a 60km/hr speed limit and shortly after, a 40km/hr speed limit. The road widens then and you turn left. There will be a sign to Amitavati on a post at this junction if a retreat is due to start. Follow the dirt track until you reach a 20km/hr sign. Turn right at the sign and continue past a group of houses. Cross a small valley. Coming up the far side there is a sign affixed to a pine tree on the right indicating Amitavati. Turn right. 50m ahead Amitavati is a 2 storey house on your right.

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Transfers
You can arrange for transfers between Amitavati and the airport, Lliria (nearest big town) or Villar del Arzobispo (the local village).
Costs of transfers: Airport (50mins): 20 euros each way. Lliria (35mins) - 12 euros. Villar del Arzobispo (10mins) - 4 euros. (Less for more than one person)

Alternatively take the metro to Valencia (Turia stop) then the bus to Villar del Arzobispo (4.35 euros) and pick up your transfer there. From anywhere in Valencia take an 80 or a 2 bus to the bus station (estacion del autobus).

Metro between Airport and Lliria
At the airport there is a metro station next to the arrivals hall. The trains are fairly frequent. It takes about 1h 15m to get to Lliria and pick up your transfer to Amitavati. The metro fare is 2.40 euros. First take the no. 3 (red) line in the direction of Rafelbunyol. Change at Angel Guimera onto the no. 1 (yellow) line to Lliria (the last stop). There are 10 stops to Angel Guimera and it takes about 20 mins, then 21 stops to Lliria, another 45 mins. Wait in the car park at the side of the station for your transfer.

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Bus times to and from Villar del Arzobispo (about 1 hour)

WINTER (11 September - June24)

Valencia to Villar
Mon - Fri 9.30, 13.30, 18.30
Saturdays - 10.00, 13.30, 18.30
Sundays and bank holidays - 10.00, 18.30

Villar to Valencia - (11 September - June24)
Mon - Fri 7.00, 9.00, 10.30, 14.40
Saturdays 9.10, 17.15
Sundays and bank holidays 16.40, 18.05

SUMMER (June25 - 2 September)

Valencia to Villar
Mon - Fri 9.00, 13.30, 18.00, 19.30
Saturdays - 10.00, 13.30, 18.30
Sundays and bank holidays - 12.00, 19.30

Villar to Valencia
Mon - Fri 7.00, 8.15, 8.55, 16.05
Saturdays 9.15, 17.05
Sundays and bank holidays 10.00, 18.10, 19.05

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What to take
Light clothes in the summer and swim-wear, and both light and warm clothes in the winter when the days can be warm and the nights very cold. So bring thick socks, gloves and woolly hat; even a hot water bottle. Bring a towel and slippers for use in the house and strong boots for walking. Sun protection cream should be used all year. If on a working retreat bring old clothes too.
Bring a torch for hill walking at night. The electrical sockets are 2-round pin with a 230v supply. Although it is possible to recharge electrical equipment in the main house the advice is not to bring laptops and after mobile phones are used for essential communication on arrival they should be switched off on arrival.

Local tourism
Andilla - picturesque hill village with springs and waterfall
Chullia - beautiful village in red-rock hills with striking river gorge, and spa with hot springs
Villar del Arzobispo - the nearest historic hill town with its 500 year old summer residence of the Archbishop of Valencia. There is a good street market on Fridays and an excellent supermarket (Consum).
Casinos - 10km away. In late summer the turron factories have an open day where you can try all the different varieties of turron.
Valencia - If you get a chance, set aside a day at least to explore Valencia. You can pick up an excellent map from the tourist office in the airport arrivals hall.

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 © Amitavati MMVIII   photography: Chris Hill and others  design/webmaster: George Grant