It was home to several important people, including the poet Ausiàs March (1400-1459) and the novelist Joanot Martorell (1410-1465).

As of 2020[update] Gandia is one of the largest coastal towns in Spain, with a population of over 200,000 during summer, and a centre of commerce and tourism in its region.

The beach and town are actually some 2 km (1 mi) apart, which succeeds in separating summer tourism from day-to-day living.

For culture, there are literary contests, the Summer University (Universitat d'Estiu), the International Festival of Classical Music and art exhibitions; sports include water, golf, tennis and hiking.

Traditionally Gandia's tourism has a domestic base, with the majority coming from Madrid, although in recent years it has been an increasingly popular destination for international tourists, mainly French, German and British.

[5] Gandia has an important regional wetland with an extension above 1.2 square kilometres (0.46 sq mi) in the outskirts of the city, called Marjal de La Safor.

There are some specimens of the native palm tree Chamaerops humilis (European palmetto), although very few compared to the naturalised species.

There are also some buses which connect Gandia with cities such as Madrid, Salamanca, Medina del Campo, Tordesillas, Teruel, Zaragoza, Bilbao, Galicia, Barcelona, Alicante and Andalucía.