Included with my program I got the opportunity to spend a weekend in Valencia. While my first thought when hearing Valencia was “Valencia Orange Juice” (which, by the way, was very good), I had no idea about the many hidden treasures surrounding Valencia. We decided to rent a car and drive to some of the beautiful nature locations near Valencia. It was such a cool experience to get to drive through mountain roads and see the many places which we wouldn’t have gotten to experience had we stayed in the city. The first spot we visited was a famous waterfall. This waterfall was located in a very small town and you had to hike a bit to get there. It is extremely old and there are many local folk stories surrounding it. Next, we ventured to the hot springs which also are known for their centuries old stories. For both locations it was said that noble people would often swim in the waters in the belief that it held magical properties. While I’m not sure if there was any magic in the water, the views and experience was magical in itself! This was one of my favorite trips because often times it is easy to stay in the larger cities and not venture out. This trip was so cool and was an experience you could not get in a tourist filled city.