Castellón (Spain)
LIVING IN CASTELLÓN DE LA PLANA
Castellón de la Plana, the capital of the province of Castellon, is a town with 175,000 inhabitants, although if the small towns that make up the surrounding metropolitan area are included then the total comes to almost half a million people.
It is a pleasant, sunlit town that lies between the Desert de les Palmes hills and the Mediterranean Sea, and is surrounded by orange groves. Industrial development in the area is dominated by a strong ceramics sector. The city is situated 65 km north of Valencia and 285 south of Barcelona.
Castellón has a mild Mediterranean climate, with a pleasant temperature of around 27ºC in the summer and 18ºC in the winter. In Castellón you can enjoy more than 300 sunny days a year. The coldest period is January/February, while the hottest months are June/July. This is a favourable climate for outdoor activities.
Accommodation
Students usually choose to live with classmates or with local students in shared apartments close to the University or in the Center of Castellón.
To search for a shared students have several options:
Infocampus, a service on campus, can provide a list of available rooms or flats, by contacting them at habitatge@uji.es. When arriving, students will also find many ads by students looking for roommates on the notice boards and walls at the university
AEGEE, a student organization can also help you find a flat. http://www.aegee.uji.es, e-mail:aegee_castellon@yahoo.es
Students can find listing of available rooms and apartments for rent from the University webpage by going to www.uji.es and on the right hand side under the section “Informació administrtiva” clicking on “InfoCampus” and then on the right hand side under the section:
"Informació per a l’estudiant" clic on “Allotjament”. Then under the section: Borsa d’Habitatge clic on "Recerca d’allotjament", then on the top of the page you can change the language option to English or Spanish.
Here available flats are listed with contact information, prices, photos, etc.
Also through the following websites:
http://www.pisocompartido.com/
http://www.fotocasa.es/
The Program’s administration at UJI also know of shared flats from previous years for rent, for those interested.
Culture
Castellón has grown in recent years to become one of the most high-profile places in the Valencian Community and Spain. The University, the Conference Centre and Auditorium, the Fine Arts Museum, the Marina and the Planetarium are all evidence of the economic and cultural growth and development of this Mediterranean town.
The main popular festivals in the town are the Magdalena, which is celebrated in March, and Saint Peter’s festival, which takes place in El Grau de Castellón in June.
The province of Castellón mixes seaside and mountain landscapes. Along the coast, the landscape combines large areas of orange groves with 120 km of excellent beaches bathed by the calm waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Inland, the landscape changes dramatically – the province of Castellón is the second most mountainous in Spain and its inland areas have a rich cultural, historical and landscape heritage.
Sports
The sports center at UJI are equipped with the most modern facilities and is completed with more than 80 activities offered to the university by qualiied staff: athletics, aerobics, badmington, skiing, yoga, paddle tennis, tennis, muscle-building, swimming, fencing, Pilates, horse riding, indoor cycling, golf, Tai Chi, sailing, etc., all at a token cost designed for students (the approximate price of one activity is 18 euros per academic year).
International groups
At UJI there are a lot of university groups that students and staff can get involved in.
Also, the UJI style is based on learning foreign languages, new technologies, humanitarianism and the promotion of a spirit of enterprise. The UJI always works respecting and fostering multiculturalism and linguistic richness, and it encourages the incorporation of its staff into the international scientific community.
Transport
HOW TO REACH CASTELLÓN
By Plane:
The nearest airport is Manises, in Valencia (60 km). It is well connected by road and can also be reached by train or, from Valencia, metro. www.aena.es
By train (RENFE):
Valencia-Castelló. “Cercanías”. Approximate journey time: 55 minutes (trains every 30 minutes every day).
Barcelona-Castelló. Approximate journey time: 2 h15 min.
Madrid-Castelló. Approximate journey time: 4 hours.
Alicante-Castelló. Approximate journey time: 2 h 35 min. www.renfe.es
By car:
The N340 road, the A7 dual carriageway and the AP7 motorway link Castellón with the rest of Spain.
- Valencia-Castellón: 65 km, 1h.
- Barcelona-Castellón: 285 km, 2,5 h.
- Madrid-Castellón: 432 km, 4,5 h.
- Alicante- Castellón: 265 km, 2.4 h.
By bus:
There are bus routes that connect the town with the villages in the province and with other Spanish towns and cities.
- From Barcelona with ALSA www.alsa.es (there are buses directly from the airport).
- From Madrid with AutoRes www.avanzabus.com
