Located just 32km north of Alicante, is Villajoyosa the happiest town in Spain? It’s name suggests so. Villajoyosa translates into English as Joyful Town. There is every reason to think this could be an accurate nomenclature. It is, after all, the home of Valor chocolate. You too can make yourself happy by visiting their museum and factory in the town. We revisited in June 2024 so some parts of this blog have been updated after a six year gap!
English tours are available at 10.00 and 16.00 during the week, but only at 10.00 on Saturdays. They are closed on Sundays and public holidays. If your Spanish is up to it, there are other times available. It’s still free but it is now advisable to book as if there are more than 50 visitors, you won’t get in. If you decide to book then they will ask for your credit card and you will be charged €5 per person if you don’t turn up or cancel six hours before the tour is due to start. Make your way to the factory gates a few minutes before the tour is due to begin and a guide will meet you by the giant chocolate bar walls of the waiting area.
Just inside the gates stands a vintage car decorated in old fashioned Valor livery. You’ll be led alongside the ultra-modern factory to the brand new audio-visual suite. The smell as you walk along is amazing!
Once inside the AV suite you get a quick history lesson about how chocolate was discovered and how it is made. You’ll even get the chance to hold ground chocolate beans in your hands and let the gorgeous smell permeate through your entire being. Afterwards you’ll sit down in the adjacent room, the lights will dim, and a short video will tell you all about the history the company and its modern-day operations. In this room there are displays of advertising posters and chocolate wrappers through the years. After that your mouth will already be watering at the prospect of some free samples, but you’ll have to wait a while!
Next up is the museum itself. Inside there are all sorts of historical artefacts such as the original chocolate-making machinery. There are many photographs showing off the history of Valor, including some of the then Prince Felipe’s visit in 2006 to commemorate the 125th anniversary of chocolate in the town.
From there you will be taken into the factory. Put your camera away now as no photography is allowed for the rest of the tour. You’ll be led up the stairs to the viewing platform from where you can see the factory floor in action. The sheer quantity of chocolates being packed into boxes is staggering. They did tell us how many but the number was too high to comprehend!
Finally you’ll be led to the shop. In there you can buy all sorts of goodies. More importantly though, there are free samples. High cocoa content chocolate, sugar-free chocolate, mint chocolate, double mint chocolate, orange chocolate – it’s a chocoholic’s dream!!
If your visit to the museum hasn’t completely satisfied your sweet tooth then head to the Valor café at the top of the travelator which saves your legs walking up the hill from the seafront. The chocolate and churros are to die for, but there is also an extensive menu of different choclate drinks for you to choose from.
Don’t wait. Go now before other greedy tourists have polished off the free samples!!
March 10, 2018 @ 11:03 am
thanks anythingbutpaella! M7y eyes are still watering!