19/04/2018
The chocolate trail in villajoyosa
Our Hotel Servigroup Montíboli forms an indisputable part of a town that not only stands out because of its beautiful beaches and its spectacular Villajoyosa Moors and Christians disembarkations, but also for its exceptional gastronomy. In fact, in this picturesque neighbouring town of Benidorm, you will find the best catering selection that symbolises classic, traditional, Alicante cuisine.
A trademark of Villajoyosa’s gastronomy is undoubtedly the chocolate as since 1790 it has formed part of Villajoyosa’s traditional industries par excellence. In fact, at our Hotel Montíboli, desserts as well as breakfast and even some main dishes are made with Valor Chocolates.
If you are planning a short break to Villajoyosa, the Hotel Servigroup Montíboli, can put the best chocolate tours in the country at your fingertips. There are four of the best brands of Spanish chocolates, that have factories, shops and museums in Villajoyosa.
The chocolate tour in Villajoyosa is composed of Valor Chocolates, Clavileño Chocolates, Pérez Chocolates and Marcos Tonda Chocolates.
And it is these brands that we are going to focus on in this publication, with the intention to once again whet your appetite and encourage you to visit Villajoyosa and delight in the sweet aroma of the chocolate that permeates this pretty town.
Valor Chocolates
It was in 1831 when the grand master of chocolate Valeríano López Lloret began his fascinating chocolate adventure. Thus, began a business that over the years has expanded and at the same time implemented new tools and methods for chocolate making. And over the years, the company has evolved into what is without doubt the country’s most important brand of chocolate and one of the most prestigious worldwide. It also has its own Valor Chocolate factory in Villajoyosa.
With the passing of time, the foundation and philosophy of Valor Chocolates remains the same. It continues on the basis of quality, a careful selection of the best natural resources and a perfect proportion of each ingredient when developing the mixture that constitutes the secret formula to create the most delicious and tastiest chocolates recognised worldwide.
Valor Chocolates in Villajoyosa also offer a wide variety of products ranging from traditional bars of chocolate (the Valor Puro chocolate and Valor sugar free bars are famously known) and its delicious drinking chocolates and exclusive chocolate bonbons as well as its delightful chocolate, specific for confectionary use. You can buy all of these products in the various shops in Villajoyosa as well as in any city in Spain as Valor chocolate shops continue to expand at both national and international level.
You can also enjoy the popular Villajoyosa Chocolate Museum par excellence. The Valor chocolate factory in Villajoyosa and the Valor Chocolate Museum are without doubt the towns most popular and most visited.
If you want to know first hand, the history of chocolate and the making of this delicious product as well as the benefits and the properties of chocolate, there is a range of visiting times* for the Villajoyosa Valor Chocolate Museum (situated on the Avenida Pianista Gonzalo Soriano nº13).
In fact, eight tours are carried out daily from Monday to Friday. Tours in Spanish are at 10.00, 12.00 and 13.00hrs and 17.00, 18.00 and 19.00hrs. For visitors wishing to have the tour in English, visiting times are 11.00 and 16.00hrs.
On Saturday mornings, the tours in Spanish are at 10.00, 12.00 and 13.00hrs, with the tour in English at 11.00hrs.
Clavileño Chocolates
Another outstanding high-quality chocolate brand is without doubt Clavileño Chocolates in Villajoyosa. A chocolate that has been manufactured and has been making a niche in the market throughout the last two centuries.
It was in this case, the chocolatier Jaume Martí who started this chocolate experience. Another adventure that has been renewed and improved throughout the last 200 years of a professional career.
Clavileño uses the best products to make its different varieties of milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate and sugar-free chocolate. Clavileño drinking chocolate is perfect for combining with those churros that so well accompany this delight in a drinkable version.
If you are a huge fan of melted chocolate, don’t forget to try the chocolate drops for melting, specifically for confectionary use or the exquisite chocolate covering.
If you decide to visit the Clavileño Chocolate Museum in Villajoyosa, you will be able to see first hand how they meticulously submit the cocoa beans through the traditional cleaning and selection process, to later be toasted and fermented in order to increase the intense aroma. This is the starting point in order to achieve the best chocolate.
The Clavileño Chocolate museum in Villajoyosa is open from 09.00-13.30hrs and 16.00-19.00hrs Monday to Friday and is situated on the Calle Colón Villajoyosa*.
Pérez Chocolates
The brand’s creator was Gaspar Pérez Pérez, who began as a manufacturer and trader of chocolate more than 130 years ago.
Today, Chocolates Pérez in Villajoyosa, holds enormous prestige for its artisan products. In fact the brand has been catalogued and awarded as a high quality artisan chocolate by the prestigious skilled artisan chocolatier.
Among its wide range of products, you will be amazed by its fantastic white drinking chocolate, its extraordinary chocolate powder, its appetising almond chocolate bars and its elegant dark chocolate with orange.
At the Pérez chocolate museum, located on the Partida Mediases nº1, you can see how the chocolate was made years ago and discover the tools they used to make the exquisite handmade chocolate.
And as it is a certainty that whichever Pérez chocolate product you try, you will be totally satisfied, you will be able to buy them at the museum’s shop.
Marcos Tonda Chocolates
Another brand of chocolate with great tradition is Marcos Tonda Chocolates, a family that has been producing chocolate since 1793 and that has always been defined for its customer care and product quality. Today, they add to these values that have strengthened their brand, their commitment to innovation, where the past and the future combine.
Marcos Tonda Chocolates have been marketed under the well-known brands “La Manchega”, “Elobeya” “Marcos Tonda Tonda” and the famous chocolate bar “La Virgen”.
Its products include sugar-free and gluten-free soluble cocoa, the Puro Virgen deluxe chocolate bar, chocolate bar with almonds, its drinking chocolate and its famous gluten-free drinking chocolate as well as its delicious stone slab created chocolate bars, chocolate truffles, chocolate nougat etc...
Marcos Tonda Chocolates does not have a dedicated area in the Villajoyosa Chocolate Museum as such, but it is a must to visit its shop located on La Partida Torres 3, where they will explain everything you may wish to know whilst trying their delicious products.
Xocolatíssima: The chocolate party
Should you visit the town this summer, don’t miss the Villjoyosa Xocolatíssíma, a chocolate party that takes place at the beginning of August in the beautiful old town with the aim of promoting the many possibilities that this wonderful product offers. During this period, the town comes alive with the celebration of its flagship product and for several days activities are held such as: “cooking with chocolate” workshops, ice cream and chocolate tastings, guided tours of the three chocolate factories, hot chocolate for everyone (popular with the residents and tourists), and many other events, with the aim of advertising, promoting and enjoying the industry of chocolate.
If you are passionate about chocolate, do try the Villajoyosa Chocolate and follow the popular (and at the same time tasty) chocolate trail where you can visit the interesting shops, cafes, factories and museums of this chocolate town.
Should you need any further details, you can contact us at the Hotel Montiboli, where we will be happy to help with any information you require.
Are you ready to follow the sweet path of Chocolate in Villajoyosa?
*Schedules may be subject to change.
