Valencia, the city where I lived for six months during my studies and now consider my second home. Not as big and massive as Barcelona and Madrid, but spacious enough to fully enjoy your city trip.
Whether you go for a week, 5 days or 3 days. This mini guide contains everything you need for your visit to Spain's orange city.
Arrival Valencia airport (Manises)
After arriving at Manises, you can easily take the Metro to the city center. Depending on the location of your hotel, you may or may not need to transfer to another metro line. Info can easily be found on the Metro Valencia website or mobile app. A cab is of course also possible, but more expensive.
Day 1. Historic Center
The highlights in Valencia's historic center are almost endless! An overview:
- Start at the Plaza de Toros and the Estacion del Norte train station.
- From here you can walk towards the Plaza Ayuntamiento (City Hall Square) and make a nice round past the Valencia CF fan shop, the monumental post office (Correos) and the City Hall itself, among others.
You can enter City Hall for free and go up to the balcony for a nice view of the square.
| Opening hours Plaza de Toros | Opening hours Stadhuis Valencia |
|---|---|
| Tuesday - Saturday: 10:00 am - 7:00 pm | Monday - Friday: 8:00 am - 3:00 pm. |
| Sundays and festive days: 10 am - 2 pm | Entrance: free. |
| Standard museum ticket: € 2,00 |
And it continues!
- Continue downtown and visit Mercado Central (open from 07:30 am - 3:00 pm from Monday - Saturday) and discover Valencia's largest fresh food market with lots of local specialties such as Jamon Serrano, oranges and horchata.
- Coincidentally, Llotja de la Seda has several orange trees in its courtyard garden. The 15th century silk fair is now declared a World Heritage Site.
- Climb 1 of the 2 remaining (originally 12) city gates: Torres de Quart.
| Torres de Quart | Llotja de la seda |
|---|---|
| Monday - Saturday: 9:30 am - 7:00 pm | Monday - Saturday: 10:00 am - 7:00 pm |
| Sunday: 9.30 am - 3.00 pm | Sunday: 10:00 am - 2.00 pm |
| Regular entrance: € 2,00 | Regular entrance: € 2,00 |
| Groups with 10+ people, people up to 16 years or 65+: € 1,00 | Groups with 10+ people, people up to 16 years or 65+: € 1,00 |
| Free entrance on Sundays as well as festive days | Free entrance on Sundays as well as festive days |
- Time to head to the first plaza: Plaza de la Virgen. Here stands the Basílica de la Mare de Déu dels Desamparats, a basilica dedicated to the Virgin of the Needy. What is special about this Basilica is that it has the dome not in the center, but on the side.
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday: 07:00 am - 2:00 pm & 4:30 pm - 9:00 pm. Free entrance.
- Moving on to the adjacent Plaza de la Reina (Queen) with the Torre Micalet and the Seu de Valencia (Cathedral) as highlights. You can climb the 206 steps of the Torre Micalet for a spectacular view of the city!
- A final fun stop in the historic center is La Estrecha. I wonder how people could have lived in this, as the little house is only 107 cm wide!
| Torre Micalet |
|---|
Monday - Friday 10:00 am - 7:30 pm (closes at 6:30 pm from November - March)
Saturday 10:00 am - 7:30 pm (closes at 7:00 pm from November - March)
Sunday 10:00 am - 7:30 pm (November - March from 10:00 am- 1:00 pm & 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm)
€2,00 (regular ticket),
€1,50 (groups with 15+ people) and
€1,00 (children up to 12 years old)
| Cathedral of Valencia |
|---|
Monday - Friday 10:00 am - 6:30 pm
Sundays and festive days: 2:00 pm - 6:30 pm
€7,00 (regular ticket),
€5,50 (children from 3 – 12 years old, students and 65+)
Ticket price includes an audioguide in Spanish, English, Itialian, German, French or Japanese.
Day 2. Time to jump on the bike!
Valencia is a very bike-friendly city and since some of the sights are a bit far apart, this is the time to get to know the different neighborhoods of the city better. Depending on the bike rental location, the trip can start. Below is an itinerary for inspiration to discover several places of the city!
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Jardins Real: the quieter, lesser-known park relative to Turia Park. From beautiful trees to fountains and traditional Valencian architecture.
Tuesday - Sunday: 9:30 am - 7:00 pm (€2.00 admission)
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Porta Serrans: the other remaining city gate!
Tuesday - Sunday: 9:30 am - 7:00 pm. (€2.00 admission)
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Turia Park: Formerly a river, but after a flood it was drained (in fact, the water rose to 2-3 meters at its highest point in several places) and has formed a beautiful park where many a Valencian can be found for a walk or workout. Above the park are several beautiful bridges, of which Puente de Las Flores (covered with lots of flowers) is the most famous.
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Once in the Turia Park, a trip can be made toward the colorful, foodie neighborhood of Ruzafa. Stop at the market or have a coffee with a delicious pastry at La Mas Bonita or Dulce y Leche (both my favorite). After the stop back to the Turia park and on towards . .
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City of Arts and Sciences: one of the city's eye-catchers. The project was allowed to cost way too much money, but it has become quite a tourist attraction.
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After your visit, you can possibly go into the mall to shop at Centro Commercial Saler or Aqua.
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On to the harbor and beach; stop for a nice beach vibe at Marina Beach (€€).
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From Marina Beach, cycle nicely along the beach and take the time to lay out the towel if necessary.
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On to the last stop: Alboraya. A spot just outside Valencia. Here you will find Playa Patacona, but the highlight is just down the road: port saplaya. The Valencians are so proud of the place that they also call it mini Venice.
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Back to the center/hotel. Enough exercise, time to enjoy the Spanish cuisine.
Dag 3. Naar de oorsprong van Valencia's kenmerkende gerecht: Paella
Not far from Valencia is El Palmar and its lagoon Albufera: the origin of paella can be found here. Take bus 24 to El Palmar and walk to one of the many jetties to book a boat tour of the lake. A guide will tell you more about paella and the region. After the boat ride, be sure to sample a delicious paella at one of the many paella restaurants. My favourite? El Mornell.
Take the bus back and enjoy an afternoon at the beach. Just as nice, too, after all that walking and biking.
Bonustip: Heerlijk eten bij Restaurante Saona
Well known in the Spanish kitchen is the menu del día, a more than fine deal where you pay an average of €12.95 for a starter, main and dessert. het menu del día, een meer dan prima deal waar je gemiddeld € 12,95 betaald voor een voor-, hoofd- en nagerecht. Restaurante Saona is the perfect example of this! You can go there for both lunch and dinner and there are several locations in Valencia. The dishes will give you a true taste explosion and are also photogenic. Includes several veggie options!
Extra long citytrip?
Booked a few extra days? Then discover all the beauty that the Communidad de Valencia has to offer. The easiest thing to do in this case is to have a rental car. It will make your visit a little pricier, but you will also experience a lot more convenience during your trip through the region.
Option 1. head southwards
- Calpe: Climb the Peñon de Ifach for breathtaking views of the seaside town of Calpe.
- Javea: Back north, but first past Playa Granadella, a beach cove surrounded by mountains and with crystal clear blue waters.
Option 2. Go to the north of Valencia
- Sagunto: Only 30 KM from Valencia and easily accessible by train (Renfe). Discover the Jewish quarter with its many white houses, visit the castle on top of the hill, see the Roman theater, stumble through the modern center (Plaza Mayor) and relax at the beach.
- Montanejos: a small paradise 80 KM from Valencia. The place is known for its many thermal baths, such as Fuente de los Baños. In the village (+/- 400 inhabitants) there is not much to admire.
Or stay in Valencia!
Fun daytime activities include the Bioparc, Oceanographic, a stadium tour of Mestalla!
As a soccer fan, Nou Mestalla is also an unusual sight to have seen: the stadium was grandly announced, but after a short period of construction, the plug was pulled so there is a block of concrete in the middle of the new center. Meanwhile, in 2022 Nou Mestalla 2.0 has been announced, to be continued....
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