There must be bad parts of Xàtiva because there are bad parts of every large town.
There must be bad people in Xàtiva because there are bad people in every large town.
We just haven’t been able to find any yet.
And here at The CB Friday we must admit we are biased - this extraordinary Valencian town and its beautiful surroundings are among our favourite spots.
It is not hard to explain why that should be... Xàtiva is such a clean and welcoming town that visitors feel at home there immediately.
It is the town of a thousand springs. A jewel of the Costa Blanca, a place where the Iberians minted their first coins and from where the Moors introduced paper to the rest of Europe.
This sophisticated town is the perfect haunt for youth in search of designer shops or those wanting to delve deep into the history of the Romans, the Carthaginians, the infamous Hannibal and the Christians during the time of Jaume I.
This area is just soaked in history.
A skull of a Neanderthal man was discovered in the nearby Cova Negra, the black cave, which is coined as the most important settlements from the Mousterian period.
But don’t let us overwhelm you with history, Xàtiva doesn’t need any help in doing that.
Most people are drawn to this area because of its magnificent castle El Castell.
For those of us who don’t fancy the hike up the steep winding road, you can park near the entrance to the castle or take the ‘train’ that leaves from the tourist office.
The castle has been renovated and protected and is one of the area’s best surviving castles. Although the peak, on which the castle stands, was originally fortified by the Iberians and Romans, it is the Moorish and Gothic influences that remain.
For those in search of a little dark history a visit is recommended to the state prison Del Conte D’Urgell.
It is a short hike up from the entrance of the castle but  worth it because it has been preserved so well. The King of Mallorca, Jaime of Aragon, Gandia and Arenos and Diego de Borja, brother of Francisco de Borja are just some of the famous names who have been held prisoner in this cell.
Even more overwhelming is that the prison is located between such areas of beauty - the royal fountains, the extensive orchards and the Torre Redona Vora la Torre De Santa Fe, the round tower situated on the highest part from which there are beautiful views of the city below and the land beyond.
Over to the south your eyes sweep over the drylands and the mountains of Grossa, Mariola and Benicadell.
Although the castle dominates the town there is much more to discover about Xàtiva than first meets the eye.
Like its sister towns, Xàtiva has suffered under political reigns, perhaps even more so as it was the second most important town in population and political weight in the kingdom of Valencia from the 13th to the 18th centuries.
There is even the tale of the famous character of l’Encobert (‘the hooded man’) who disguised himself as the king’s son and took justice into his own hands in response to the appeals of the townsfolk.
Then there was the attack of the Franco-Castilian troops in 1707 who sent the city up in flames. This led to the reconstruction and renaming of the town in 1708 - it was known as the Nueva Colonia de San Felipe and the inhabitants called socarrats (the scorched) by the Valencian people until 1812.
Since then Xàtiva has become a cultural centre, home to painter Josep de Ribera, poet Blai Bellver and tachygraphist Francisco de Paula Martí, Spain’s earliest adapter of shorthand to Castilian.
The wealth of culture can be felt in every corner of Xàtiva - it is the one town on the Costa Blanca from which you only need turn a street corner to come across yet another work of art, a historic monument or a cascading fountain.
The shops and restaurants are excellent and cheap, the streets clean and tree-lined, the people friendly, there are walking routes, fantastic sports facilities...

If you are visiting Xàtiva and its beautiful surroundings we suggest you spend at least a couple of days enjoying its delights and we highly recommend staying at the Hotel Vernisa.
The sparkling clean hotel is right in the centre of town (behind the Town Hall) so it is a great place from which to set out exploring.
All rooms have en-suite bathroom, air-conditioning and satellite TV and the prices are very reasonable, with extra discounts for groups (it is a favourite meeting place for groups of walkers).
But perhaps the best of all about Hotel Vernisa is its friendly staff, guaranteed to put you in the right mood to enjoy this welcoming town.
The 40-room family-run hotel is owned by Lorenzo García who will be pleased to offer advice on the best local walks and visits. He is also the best person to ask about rice dishes... he runs the area’s famous baked rice competition
(see www.arrozalhorno.com)!