Valencia

15 Reasons You Should Visit Valencia right now!

Spain’s third-largest city is a magnificent place, content for Madrid and Barcelona to grab the headlines while it gets on with being a wonderfully liveable city with thriving cultural, eating and nightlife scenes. Never afraid to innovate, Valencia diverted its flood-prone river to the outskirts and converted the former riverbed into a glorious green ribbon of park winding right through the city. On it are the strikingly futuristic buildings of the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, designed by local boy Santiago Calatrava. Other brilliant contemporary buildings grace the city, which also has a fistful of fabulous Modernista buildings, great museums, a long stretch of beach and a large, characterful old quarter. Valencia, surrounded by its huerta, a fertile zone of market gardens, is famous as the home of rice dishes such as paella, but its buzzy dining scene offers plenty more besides; it’s a superb spot for eating.

Here are just 15 things that make this city special to visit.

1. BREATHTAKING BEACHES

You might not expect a city beach to be this vibrant, but Valencia is home to miles of golden sand, a short trip out of the city centre by public transport. The wide, clean blue-flag beach offers plenty of space to relax, plus there are plenty of other beaches to explore along the Valencian coastline.

2. OLD TOWN

Valencia’s atmospheric Old Town is packed with street art, cafés and amazing architecture. Though home to many of Valencia’s most famous attractions, such as the Cathedral and La Lonja de la Seda, it’s also fun for exploring lesser-known sights. Wander the maze-like cobbled alleys and backstreets to escape the tourist trail (it’s completely safe to do so), and you’ll find pretty squares, tiny churches, street art and quirky cafés.

3. UNBELIEVABLY SUNNY WEATHER

Valencia gets more than 300 days of sunshine a year and has a mild winter with little rain – basically the sunny Spanish holiday destination of our dreams. It’s impossible not to be in a good mood here, especially when sitting in the shade of palm trees under clear blue skies.

4. AUTHENTIC PAELLA

This has to be a reason to visit in itself. Valencia is the original home of Spain’s most famous dish, and you might be in for a surprise when you try real paella valenciana at one of the city’s many authentic paella restaurants. It’s not the heap of fluffy yellow rice found elsewhere, and Valencian chefs are strict about the ingredients – for one thing, there’s definitely no chorizo allowed.

5. STREET ART

When exploring the city’s old district you’ll probably stumble across some colourful wall murals, seemingly in striking contrast to the historic architecture and cobbled streets. Venture into northern El Carmen barrio, which has the most street art, and see giant colourful murals (often with political or social themes) adorning the walls of crumbling old buildings.

6. WILD FESTIVALS

Many of Valencia’s visitors arrive in March for the main festival, Las Fallas,when the city is transformed into an outdoor art gallery, firework display and party zone for all two weeks of the festival. But it’s not the only crazy festival in town.

7. UNIQUE CULTURE

Valencianos will proudly tell you Valencia is not like the rest of Spain. As well as having its own language, the region has all kinds of proud traditions, including food, festivals and traditional dress that you won’t find elsewhere.

8. GREEN SPACES

Lush Valencia’s most famous park is the former riverbed now known as the Turia Gardens, with playgrounds, picnic spots and bike paths. It’s just one of the many beautiful and tranquil parks in Valencia to enjoy.

9. BIKE-FRIENDLY STREETS

Valencia is the perfect city to explore on two wheels as it’s flat and has plenty of bike lanes, with more now being built. Bike all the way from Old Town to the port, or try one of the many other scenic routes around the city.

10. AMAZING ARCHITECTURE

Though probably most famous for its ultra-modern City of Arts and Sciences, Valencia is a treasure trove for lovers of old and new architecture. It has remains of both its Roman foundations and its Moorish history to explore. Old Town has many fantastic examples of everything from art deco to Valencian gothic – yes, the region really has its own style of gothic architecture – and many of the buildings are finished off with Valencia’s signature colourful ceramic tiles.

11.HOLY GRAIL

Valencia’s gothic cathedral is one of the city’s most famous architectural sights and is home to a chalice claimed by many to be the genuine Holy Grail. Visit the cathedral’s golden Chapel of the Holy Grail to see it and decide for yourself if it could be the real thing.

12. ACCESSIBLE CULTURE

Art and history are open to explore in Valencia as most museums are free or very cheap to enter, including the Fine Arts Museum and the Bullfighting Museum, while others, like the Valencia History Museum, are free on Sundays.

13. CENTRAL MARKET

Valencia takes food seriously, and locals know that the best place to buy fresh produce is at the city’s many lively food markets. Most interesting of all is Central Market, the city’s grand palace of food in the heart of Old Town. Far from being a relic or tourist attraction, this bustling market is still an important part of local life and the longest-running food market in Europe. Plus, it’s a stunning piece of architecture, decorated with ceramic tiles and topped with a huge dome.

14. FAMOUS NIGHTLIFE

Valencia knows how to party with everything from old school underground nightclubs to open-air terraces by the sea. There’s something for any taste if you want to party the night away.

15. LIVE MUSIC

The world-famous Benicassim Festival is held a short trip up the coast, and Valencia city centre puts on the smaller Festival De Les Artes at the City of Arts and Sciences with an indie-rock lineup featuring both local and international talent.

Visit Valencia

Love Valencia

Visit Valencia

Visit Valencia