Top 7 Things to Do in Valencia, Spain

During my first year as a language assistant, when I was working in Madrid, my friend Morgan came to visit me during spring break — and we took the opportunity to explore more of Spain! Our first stop was Valencia, and it was my first visit to Spain’s third-largest city. Years later, after moving to Alicante in the Community of Valencia, Matt and I decided to visit Valencia for a long weekend. 

After two visits, I feel like I have a good level of familiarity with the city and all it has to offer! So, here are 7 of the best things to do in Valencia, Spain.

1. Visit the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències

The Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències — or the City of Arts and Sciences — is the crown jewel of Valencia. This cultural and architectural complex is considered one of the 12 Treasures of Spain. It is comprised of seven iconic buildings, several of which are surrounded by impressive reflecting pools:

• L’Hemisfèric: IMAX cinema, planetarium, and laserium. It was built to resemble a giant eye.
• El Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe: An interactive museum with the largest exhibition space in all of Spain. Meant to resemble the skeleton of a whale.
• L’Umbracle: Constructed over the Walk of the Sculptures, an outdoor contemporary art gallery, along with plant species native to Valencia.
• L’Oceanogràfic: The largest oceanographic aquarium in Europe, built in the shape of a water lily. 
• El Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia: Opera house and performing arts center.
• El Pont de l’Assut de l’Or: Cable bridge with the highest point in the city at 38m/125 ft.
• L’Àgora: Covered plaza that hosts concerts and sporting events.

Note: All names above are listed in Valencian, a dialect of Catalan which is spoken in Valencia.

On my first trip to Valencia, we only visited the aquarium (Oceanographic), but Matt and I bought a combo ticket that granted us entry to the Science Museum and a show at the Hemispheric in addition to the aquarium. I think the aquarium was our favorite part, though! And Matt, who previously had an internship at the New England Aquarium, was really impressed by it. That’s pretty high praise.

2. Take in the sights & smells at the city’s markets

When I booked our Airbnb for my first trip to Valencia, one of its main selling points was that it was near the Mercat Central — Central Market. I thought the photos looked cool, so I went for it. But I didn’t realize at the time how great the location really was! From our balcony, we had a front-row view to the market, and it was only a 2-minute walk from our front door.

It’s one of the largest markets in all of Europe, and it’s architecturally stunning in the style of Valencian Art Nouveau. Market vendors primarily sell food, although there are some handicraft and artisan products as well.

Another market, though lesser-known, is the Mercat de Colom, which is just to the southeast of the city center — about 15 minutes on foot from the Mercat Central. While also in the Valencian Art Nouveau style, it almost looks more like a cathedral from the outside. But inside, you’ll find more restaurants and cafes for sitting and enjoying the market’s atmosphere.

3. Enjoy the outdoors. Maybe even rent a bike!

While the city of Valencia isn’t technically part of the Costa Blanca, or the “White Coast” of Spain — 200km of coastline against the Mediterranean Sea — Valencia is still famous for its beaches. If you’re looking to stay close to the city, head to La Malvarrosa. It’s easily accessible and popular with locals and tourists alike, although it usually doesn’t feel overcrowded.

Even if it’s not beach weather, Valencia still has plenty of outdoor space to enjoy. The Turia Gardens is a winding, 9 km (5.5 mile) long park that is one of the most visited in Spain. It was built on former sunken riverbed of the Turia River after a devastating 1957 flood, which explains its unique shape.

At the southeast end, you’ll find the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències, so whether you’re going or coming from there, I recommend spending some time wandering through the park. (Maybe stop at one of the outdoor pavilions for some Agua de Valencia. Just my suggestion.) Larger-than-life artistic sculptures and 18 bridges ensure that there’s something new to see at every turn.

On our most recent visit, we decided to rent electric bikes and ride from one end of Turia all the way to Malvarrosa Beach… and back! The whole trek took about three hours, and it was a great way to see more of the city and enjoy all the green space at the same time. It cost €23 per person for an e-bike for the entire day. Highly recommend!

4. Eat Valencian Paella (For lunch only!)

When you think of Spanish food, you think of paella. The only Spanish food with its very own emoji 🥘. The truth is that paella originated in Valencia, so there’s no better place to get your fix. The word paella actually comes from the name of the frying pan that the rice dish is cooked in — wide and shallow with a handle on each side.

While there’s a version of paella to suit anyone’s taste preferences, the “original” recipe is known as Paella Valencià. It has round-grain rice, a few different types of beans, rabbit, and chicken. Sometimes duck and snails might be included. And it’s seasoned with saffron and rosemary. Yum!!

Something very important to know about eating paella, though, is that it’s strictly a lunch item! You will never catch a Spanish person eating paella for dinner — they say it’s too heavy for you to digest at night (or something like that). Of course, you can eat it whenever you want, and I’ve eaten it for dinner many times myself. But just know that the locals will judge you. 😉

5. Try the local beverages: Orxata and Agua de Valencia. And try not to get addicted.

One thing that Valencia is known for is Orxata — you might have heard of “horchata” before, but orxata is the Valencian spelling. I don’t think I’d ever had it before, but I decided to give it a try.

Apparently, the Latin American vs. Spanish versions are quite different, though I had nothing to compare it to. In Latin America, horchata is made from rice, but in Spain it is made from tiger nuts. It’s served cold and looks like a milkshake, but not as thick. My verdict: it was really sweet and had a faint chalky texture.

I have absolutely no idea how I missed this on my first visit, but the official beverage of the weekend on my second trip to Valencia was Agua de Valencia… kind of like a more alcoholic mimosa. 

Valencia is world-famous for its oranges, and Agua de Valencia — which literally translates to “Valencian water” — is made of fresh-squeezed orange juice, cava (Spanish sparkling wine), gin, and vodka. It’s a little concerning how easy this goes down. If you want to try it, you can order it at most bars and restaurants, typically in a full or half-liter pitcher.

6. Go for a wander and see what you find

One of my favorite memories from my first visit to Valencia with Morgan was one evening after dinner. (And probably more than a few drinks.) We decided to go for a little walk in the Ciutat Vella, old town, before going back to our Airbnb for the night. It was dark, and it was late enough that most people weren’t out — so it felt like we had the narrow stone streets all to ourselves.

Matt and I did the same during our most recent trip, though we took the opportunity to wander during the day as well as at night. Some of our favorite places we found: the strange little Casa dels Gats, which is an art project-cat shelter combo with a “door” so tiny that only children can look through it; the El Carme neighborhood with its displays of anti-war, anti-fascist street art and a little free library that included an Italian dictionary and a DVD copy of the 2010 rom-com “Valentine’s Day”; the Jardí de la Generalitat, which isn’t exactly a “hidden” gem, but the scent of blooming orange blossoms was so enchanting as we walked by that we couldn’t resist taking a short detour through the garden’s paths.

7.  Explore the shopping scene

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by @typical valencia (@atypicalvalencia)

Valencia has some really great shopping. Not only do they have fashion brands that I wish we had in Alicante, like COS and Cortefiel, but it also had soooo many cute little boutique art shops and old bookstores!

For clothing:

Not far from Valencia’s City Hall (definitely check this out — I think it’s super beautiful) is Calle Colón. It’s where you’ll find all the well-known fashion brands like Zara, Mango, and H&M, as well as other favorites like Apple, Media Markt, and Lush.

Otherwise, you’ll find brands such as Louis Vuitton and other European luxury brands on Calle Poeta Querol. And if you’re looking for more boutique shops with creative, handcrafted items, check out the trendy neighborhoods of El Carmen and Ruzafa.

For art and novelties:

@typical valencia has two locations, including one in the central market, and any time we passed by, I felt the need to go in. They have so many cool art prints, t-shirts, accessories, and more — all of which are locally designed and produced by Valencian artists.

I could have spent an entire day in El Asilo del Libro, a tiny shop packed to the brim with old maps of every province in Spain (except, seemingly, Alicante) and other regions in Europe, ancient Spanish magazines that reminded me of my parents’ former collection of dust-covered National Geographics, and even old paintings and sketches from random artists lost to time. 

It took a superhuman amount of self-restraint to stop myself from buying so many things from both of those shops for my new gallery wall in our Alicante apartment. However, the contents of said gallery wall are currently strewn across the living room in various stages of completion and I felt like I shouldn’t add anything new to the chaos at this time. 🙃

But it helps to know that I can come back to Valencia any time I want, especially now that I’ve experienced the ease of taking a 2-hour train ride just up the coast for a change of scenery. And I can find even more fun things to do in Valencia on my next visit!

Plan Your Valencia Trip

 

What are your favorite things to do in Valencia? What would you add to my list? Let me know in the comments!

-Cathy

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Originally Published on December 2, 2019.