I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Valencia in October last year to meet friends whom I had not met in a long time.  I spent a week staying at their apartment and what a trip that was!

Did you know that Valencia is the birthplace of paella? Well I did not, until I arrived there.  Valencia is also Spain’s third-largest city after Madrid and Barcelona.

With Alicia & Indra in the Old Town, City Centre

I found that Valencia to be a welcoming city and very tourist friendly.  Getting around on foot was easy, as hailing a cab or taking the metro.  There is an old charm about the city while it striving to be futuristic and current.  In the day the city is a  gastronomic paradise while at night it becomes alive with loud music blasting from the discotheques. It is the city that never sleeps!

Well if you are ready to indulge in jugs of sangria, paella and tapas by the beach, then I would recommend booking your trip to this amazing city in Spain. I can’t wait to head there again and this time with my husband and kids in tow to experience more of Valencia. But in the mean time, enjoy reading about my adventures t Valencia and what is so wonderful about the city.

Places to visit

Valencia Old Town/Historic Centre & Cathedral

Depending on where you stay, you can walk or take private car transfers to Plaça de l’Ajuntament and the Cathedral is just an 8 minute walk from there. The gothic-style building is home to the actual Holy Grail.  Built on an ancient Roman temple that was later a mosque.  Work on the current building began in the 13th century and this currently houses some of Maella and Goya’s pieces.  There is a small section which is free to access but a fee of €9 is needed to tour the cathedral and museum.  For an amazing view of the city, go up to the Miguelete/bell tower for just €2 extra.

While you are here, some of the other places worth visiting includes Plaza de Ayuntamiento which is a large square with a fountain fountain.  The Town Hall is also located here and houses a small museum which is free to visit. The Post Office or Palau de Comunicacionses is also free to visit.

Not too far is also the Ceramics Museum or Museo Nacional de Ceramica. Founded in 1947, you can find collection of ceramics, some dating from the 18th century.  There is a small entry fee of €3 for adults while it is Free for children under 18 and adults over 65.  It is definitely worth a stop.

City of Arts and Sciences (CAC)

You will be able to spot the futuristic buildings which make up the City of Arts and Sciences from afar. Comprising of Oceanogràfic, Hemisfèric, Science Museum, Palau de les Arts, Umbracle, Ágora / CaixaForum Valencia and L’Assut d’Or Bridge these make up a complex which is a must see for tourist flocking to Valencia.

Oceanogràfic – The largest sea life center in Europe with almost 45,000 specimens of 500 different species such as dolphins, belugas, walruses, sea lions, seals, penguins and sharks. There are also various exhibitions taking place daily. Would recommend spending at least half a day here. The tickets can seem pricy, so it is best to book combo tickets.

Hemisfèric – Holds a digital 3D cinema, with a huge 900 metre concave screen with several films are screened daily, mainly educational documentaries of no more than 45 minutes. 3D glasses are given with your ticket enabling you to change the screening language. If you are travelling with children, there is usually a film geared towards children once a day. Do check the film listings and pre-book your tickets in advance.

Science Museum – An interactive museum where the ground floor holds temporary exhibition, some shops, the bathrooms and a restaurant. This is free for everyone, but you will need a ticket for the remaining exhibitions.

Palau de les Arts – There are a hosts of operas, concerts, zarzuela and ballets performed here, you could visit the building by booking in advance.

Umbracle – The Umbracle is a huge garden covering more than 17,000 m² where you can stroll around and enjoy listening to birds and looking at Mediterranean plants. A lovely garden to explore as it is free to enter. At night the Terraza Mya opens its doors where you can have a drink under the moonlight. The public car park of the City of Arts and Sciences is located just below the Umbracle.

Ágora / CaixaForum Valencia – This building designed by famous Spanish Architect Santiago Calatrava is the home of CaixaForum Valencia, a multipurpose space that hosts temporary and permanent exhibits, live music, projections, conferences and shows for visitors to enjoy culture and science. At a quick glance, the building might look a bit strange/rude, but rest assured, it will catch your attention from afar and very futuristic.

L’Assut d’Or Bridge – Again, designed by Santiago Calatrava, the Assut d’Or Bridge connects crosses the former riverbed of the River Turia between the Science Museum and the Ágora. There are several lanes for traffic in both directions and there is a pedestrian bridge in the centre connecting the two banks of the Turia Garden.

Individual entry tickets to these sites can be pricy, so check for combo tickets if you are planning to visit more than one place at the CAC for the best deal. Those with Valencia Tourist Card may get a further discount.

Turia Park/Garden

The Turia Garden is one of the largest urban parks in Spain and it runs through the city along From Cabecera Park to the City of Arts and Sciences.  Spanning around 9km of green belt, it is a haven for families wanting a walk, cyclists, healthy enthusiasts as well as those wanting to enjoy a picnic. Crossed by 18 bridges full of history, the former riverbed passes by the city’s main museums and monuments on either bank.  We walked through old riverbeds of Turia, whose course was altered to prevent constant flooding in the city.

We walked from CAC and passed Gulliver’s Park, which is a children’s playground with the star attraction, a gigantic figure of Gulliver, almost seventy meters long and nine high, lying down, tied to the ground and motionless. The fallen giant is full of stairs and ramps to climb up and down, fast slides and fun ropes to climb on.

The garden is very scenic with lots of palm trees, making it the perfect picnic spot for families or those into running/walking/cycling.  We walked on old riverbeds and saw a few historical bridges. I think there are 18 bridges in total there, built during different periods.

There are toilets, water fountains and cafes along the way. We did the walk on a Sunday and saw a morning market selling souvenirs and food.  We also passed The Palau de la Música which offers a complete annual programme as we walked towards the Serranos Towers, a gate in the old city walls that surrounded Valencia which has turned into a tourist attraction.

Plaza de Toros de Valencia

Plaza de Toros de Valencia is a bullring and worth visiting. The building itself is stunning to look at, built between 1850 and 1860 you can easily spot it when you are in the city.  We did not watch any bullfights but you could book to see one if you are keen on it.

• Valencia is a flat city hence perfect for pedestrian, bike and segway friendly city, so you will find dedicated lanes for these and bike rentals available widely. I would recommend good walking shoes, as we often clocked 20,000 steps a day when we were out and about in the city centre
• How to move around in Valencia? There are lots of local taxis around in the airport and major tourist areas. Just make sure that you have written down the name of your hotel as not all taxi drivers speak English.  We used Cabify whenever we did not walk or use the Metro, as it was a cheaper option to the local taxi. e-bikes are also available for rent in the city centre.
• When is the best time to visit? The best time to visit Valencia is between April to May and September to October. June to August will be the hottest month while November to March will be a lot cooler
• Currency – Valencia uses Euros, most places accept cast, credit card, Wise card or Revolut.
• Where to stay? I was lucky as I was hosted by my friends, Cedrid and Alicia during my stay. There are a lot of hotels in the city to stay in, I would recommend staying at Hotel Primus as it is closes to CAC as well as the shopping malls.
• Tax Free Shopping –  Shoppers who are permanent residents in a non-EU country are eligible for tax refund when they do their shopping. Just remember to obtain the receipt and tax free form which you need to submit at the customs in the Airport to obtain your refund. I did not shop too much, so did not find this worth but if you are planning on shopping loads, then it is a great way to earn some money back.
• Language – People here speak Spanish, so it is best to have some basic Spanish knowledge to be able to communicate with locals. Some basic Spanish – “hablas inglés” which means, do you speak English, and of course start the conversation with “hola” (hello) and end with “adiós” (bye) and thank you is “gracias”
• Water is sold in bottles, you will find carbonated and non-carbonated water available. To order non-carbonated water, say “agua sin gas” .
• Valencia Tourist Card – Something to consider as card offers you UNLIMITED free transportationon EMT (Urban Bus) and in zones AB for Interurban Bus (Metrobus), Commuter TRAIN (Renfe), Metro, and tram. Includes the journey from Valencia Metro to the Airport and back (L3 and 5), zone +.  Card also gives you FREE admission to municipal museums and monuments such as the Silk Exchange, the Serranos and Quart towers, the Fallero Museum, the Almoina  and other landmarks.  Discounts on the city’s main tourist attractions, such as the City of Arts and Sciences, Oceanogràfic, Tourist Bus, Marqués de dos Aguas Palace, Cathedral and on tourist services, guided tours, restaurants, spas and shops.
• Metro Card – If you are travelling on the Metro, do ask for more information at the metro information counter about the SUMA10 which can be rechargeable 10 at a time up to a maximum of 19 trips. It can be used to make up to 15 simultaneous trips by people traveling together.

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Photo copyright: Some of the photos were obtained from Visit Valencia. Thank you to my friends Cedric, Alicia and Shanlee for hosting me.  To Lucien for being our tour guide and to Indra, Wendy and Xavier for being such great travel buddies.