According to a study conducted by the Valencian Institute of Tourist Technologies (Invattur), with the onset of autumn, cultural tourism was the most popular activity in this Autonomous community. Those who come here on vacation or on weekends think about visiting various historical and geographical attractions first, including the Peniscola castle of Templars in Peniscola, Castellón, the Santa Barbara fortress in Alicante, the Red Wall residential complex in Calpe and The City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia.
Second in the rank comes the so-called «active tourism», which means, among other things, walking and hiking through the scenic routes. This type of pastime is chosen mainly by Spaniards (87,7%), and British citizens are among foreigners – (8,4%). Most often, both go to the Peñonde Ifach, national reserve in Calpe, and to the beaches of Benidorm, which rank second within the category «Sun&Sea», after the beaches of Gandia.
During September, the resorts and attractions of the Valencian community, mainly located on the Costa Blanca, were visited by Spaniards living in other localities of this autonomy most often, as well as residents of Madrid and Catalonia. The Italians (8.8%), British (6.8%), French (1.1%) and Portuguese (0.8%)were prevalent among foreigners.
