We are Zeke and Alín

Espánada was born at sidewalk terrace in front of Valencia’s spectacular Mercat Central. While experiencing the quintessential tapas and beers, an elderly woman peddling friendship bracelets approached us and offered a handful of her creations.

With hundreds of different styles and colour combinations, we both made our selection and, lo and behold, it was the exact same one! Fortunate for us, she found an identical  bracelet in her collection.

It wasn’t until some time later, we realised the colours of the bracelet were actually the colours of the flags of Spain and Canada intricately intertwined! Chance or fate? We will never know. However, on that day, Espánada was born and a Dream became an Inspiration.

If you haven’t already guessed, Espánada comes from the Spanish name for Spain (i.e. España) melded with Canada, our respective countries of origin. Building from our happenstance encounter with a bracelet vendor, we were inspired to find a way to maintain connection with our respective countries and explore ways to bring them closer together.

During our time living in Canada, this inspiration led to initiatives such as Espánada Cultural Imports, Espánada Español, and Casa Espánada. As the concept of Espánada solidified, so did a vision for our future. 

While in Canada, we rented our Spanish home, affectionately called Casa Espánada.  Being a beautiful villa close to Valencia with convenient transportation access (i.e airport, train, bus, and highway), the location was ideal for a visitor needing an ideal base to explore the region or a local wishing to escape the heat of the city in summer, 

Whether it was a visitor to Spain wishing to partake of the incredible features or a local Valenciana wishing to escape the heat of summer, we realised there was an incredible opportunity.

So after our wonderful years in Canada, we moved to Spain and set up operations at Casa Espánada and 

There is a magic to this place that we wish to share with each other. In thinking how we capture this for a blog like this, we boiled it down to three essential elements. Live, Learn and Love. 

1. Visiting or moving to a place like Spain is so much easier with help and guidance. While experience is the best teacher, having someone with experience help and guide you can make for  

“At Espánada, our mission is to ignite a passion for the Spanish experience by living, learning, and loving all that Spain, and particularly Valencia, has to offer. Through our blog, we share our rich tapestry of experiences, aiming to inspire people worldwide to consider and explore the beauty and culture of Spain.

We are dedicated to being more than just storytellers — we are your dedicated partners in making the Spanish dream a reality. From travel planning and finding exquisite vacation properties to comprehensive realty services, we are committed to guiding you through every step of your journey. Our mission is to seamlessly blend the allure of Spain with your aspirations, offering unparalleled support in buying, selling, and financing homes.

Espánada is not just a company; it’s a bridge that connects dreamers with the vibrant reality of Spain. Join us on this transformative journey, and let us help you turn your Spanish dreams into cherished experiences.”