Vall d'Albaida

Vall d'Albaida (, lang es) is a comarca in the province of Valencia, Valencian Community, Spain. Reconquered by the Aragonese king James I of Aragon in the first half of the 13th century it was heavily populated by Muslims until the Expulsion of the Moriscos from the Kingdom of Valencia in 1609.

The name of the comarca is derived from the Hispano Arabic word albáyḍa, which in turn is derived from the classical Arabic البيضاء (al bayḍāʾ, "The white one" – reference to the white chalk land of the comarca), from which the yellow flowering plant native to the comarca gets its common name Anthyllis cystoides.

Lying approximately 70 km south of the city of Valencia and covering an area of some 722 square kilometers, Vall d'Albaida borders on the north with the comarca of Costera, to the east with Safor, to the south with Comtat and Alcoià, and to the west with Alto Vinalopó, the latter three of which belong to the province of Alicante. The River Albaida runs through the comarca from south to north.

The area enjoys a typically Mediterranean climate, characterised by hot summers and relatively cold winters, with an average of two snowfalls per year.

Vall d'Albaida has a population of around 90,000 inhabitants (2008).

The Vall d'Albaida comarca is composed of 34 municipalities. Municipality Town/Village Area Density Ontinyent 36,395 125.43 290.00 L'Olleria 8,800 32.20 251.73 Albaida 6,269 35.40 177.09 Benigànim 6,700 33.40 184.13 Aielo de Malferit 4,743 27.10 167.23 Bocairent 4,444 97.00 45.81 Llutxent 2,571 40.10 64.11 La Pobla del Duc 2,561 18.90 135.50 Quatretonda 2,513 43.20 58.17 Castelló de Rugat 2,391 19.10 125.18 Atzeneta d'Albaida 1,364 16.20 145.92 Montaverner 1,833 7.40 247.70 Alfarrasí 1,297 6.40 202.65 Agullent 2,435 6.10 210.65 Fontanars dels Alforins 1,014 74.70 13.57 Bèlgida 701 17.30 40.52 Montitxelvo 626 8.20 76.34 Benicolet 577 11.30 51.06 El Palomar 555 7.80 71.15 Otos 520 11.10 46.84 Salem 482 8.60 56.04 Guadasséquies 430 3.30 130.30 El Ràfol de Salem 421 4.30 97.90 Bellús 387 9.50 40.73 Benissoda 361 4.00 90.00 Terrateig 343 6.30 54.44 Beniatjar 260 11.40 22.80 Bufali 203 3.20 63.43 Benissuera 199 1.90 104.73 Aielo de Rugat 197 7.80 25.25 Pinet 190 11.90 15.96 Rugat 174 3.10 56.12 Carrícola 94 4.60 20.43 Sempere 38 3.80 10.00

The Route of the Monasteries of Valencia (GR 236) is a monumental and cultural route that connects five monasteries located in the south of the Province of Valencia. Of the four different itineraries available, three (by foot, by Mountain bike and on horseback) cross various comarques within Vall d'Albaida, following signposted riding trails, mountain trails, old roads and railroad tracks, and include the Monastery of the Corpus Christi and Xio Castle, both in the municipality of Llutxent. By foot, the route takes approximately 3–4 days. The Route was inaugurated in 2008.