The Valencian town of Benigembla, previously known as Benichembla in Castellano, lies 314m above sea level surrounded principally by the peaks of the Green Horse and La Solana Mountains at 713m, La Peña at 999m and El Morro de en Serra at 1001m. In the Green Horse Mountain, or Caballo Verde, there is a plant - Carallunia munlayana var. hispanica - and this plant only exists in 3 more places in the province of Valenica other than in Benigembla and has become a protected species.

Benigembla is passed on one side by the River Gorgos - topped-up naturally by the mountains, and which eventually flows out to sea in Javea some 20kms away. This area, like the plant, is special enough to be so designated by the European Union.

In spite of all this natural and dramatic beauty, my first visit to Benigembla left me feeling like I had visited an 80's northern UK mining village; children playing aimlessly in the streets and residents sitting on pavements and generally kicking their heels waiting for time to pass. However, Benigembla has recently found fame in 2006, when this natural beauty was talent spotted by French film director, Jean-Jacques Arnaud ("7 years in Tibet" and "The name of the Rose") and used in his film "Su majestad Minor". Other than this brief brush with popular culture, Benigembla's chief form of employment comes from farming: algorrobas (carob seeds), olives, almonds and citrus fruits.

In 1999 the Generalitat Valenciana permitted the village to use the name Benigembla, following the death of Franco, who only allowed Castellano as the official Spanish language. During a brief spell in the Second Republic, it was also known as Benigembla. The town shield, modified in 1999, shows an open crown above a red and yellow striped square, stood on one of its corners. This shows that the people of the village are Valencian first and foremost and known as Benigembler (male) or Benigemblera (female). Below this square is a golden wall - a heraldic depiction of the real town wall which protects its people from the flood waters of the rivers Jalón and Gorgos. At the same time, the wall also represents the nearby old Islamic Castle of Pop - Benigembla being originally an Arab settlement.

In 2005 the feisty Benigemblers rose-up against a group of developers fronted by Julio Iglesias and Ballester, ( a prolific local builder) who tried to abuse the rights of the individual property owners with Land Grab (as it's known in the UK) or anti the LRAU laws.

Other interesting things to note about the town is its Church of San Jose, dating from the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century and of neoclassic design with a baroque belltower. The church was restored in 1994. Another building which stands out amongst the private townhouses, is the Syndicate, built in 1925 by master builder Adeli Moll. Neoclassic, rococo and French baroque - the latter an influence of the town's immigrants from Argel (Argelia).

In 1615 the town had 99 inhabitants. In 2008 there were 571 - 42% of them foreign and the vast majority being British.

7.5km (about 5 miles) from the town, in the direction of Valley of Ebo (valle de Ebo) in an ancient Morisco town, (Morisco´s being North African Moors who converted to Christianity) Pla de Petracas, there are paintings over 8000 years old and UNESCO has designated it a protected world site. When the Arabs were expelled en masse from Spain in 1609, Benigembla was repopulated by Christians from the Balearics (Ibiza, Majorca, Menorca, Formentera) Islands and also with people from north-eastern Spain -  the Catalans.

Local fiestas are in honour of the Saints Jose, Augustin and Francis Javier as well as the Asunción de la Virgen between 12-17 August each year. In January (16-17) there is a celebration of Saints Honrato and Anthony. I think Benigembla is a town which, despite being steeped in history and natural beauty, you will either love .......or hate!