Valencia

Valencia is Spain's third-largest city, sitting on the Mediterranean coast roughly midway between Barcelona and Alicante, and it tends to be somewhat overlooked by visitors compared to those two larger destinations, which is really to its benefit for anyone who does make the trip. Valencia combines a well-preserved historic center with one of the most striking pieces of modern architecture in Europe, plus a long sandy beach and the honor of being the birthplace of paella, Spain's most internationally famous dish. It has a relaxed, sunny pace that many visitors find more comfortable than the bigger, busier Spanish cities.

A bit of backstory

Valencia was founded by the Romans in 138 BC and later flourished under Moorish rule starting in the 8th century, a period that left a lasting mark on the city's architecture and irrigation systems, some of which, remarkably, are still in use today for the surrounding farmland. The city was retaken during the Christian Reconquista in 1238 by King James I of Aragon, and it grew into a major trading port over the following centuries, particularly known for silk production during its medieval golden age. Valencia's more recent transformation began in the 1990s, when the city started a major redevelopment of its old riverbed, turning it into the parkland and futuristic architecture the city is now equally known for.

One fact that surprises many visitors is that the wide green park running through the middle of the city, the Turia Gardens, used to be an actual river until it was diverted after a devastating flood in 1957, and rather than build a highway in the empty riverbed as originally planned, the city turned it into nine kilometers of parks, gardens, and sports facilities instead, one of the largest urban parks in Spain. Another interesting detail is that paella originated in the rural areas just outside Valencia, traditionally cooked over an open fire using rice, beans, and whatever meat was available locally, long before the seafood version most people know internationally became common.

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The City of Arts and Sciences is Valencia's most striking modern landmark, a complex of futuristic white buildings designed largely by Valencia-born architect Santiago Calatrava, built within the old Turia riverbed. It includes an opera house, a science museum, Europe's largest aquarium, and a planetarium housed inside a building shaped like a giant eye. Even for visitors who do not go inside any of the individual attractions, walking through the complex and admiring the architecture, especially with its reflecting pools, is worth the trip on its own.

Valencia's historic center offers a very different atmosphere, centered around the Central Market, one of the oldest and largest fresh food markets in Europe, housed in a beautiful Art Nouveau building from 1928. The Valencia Cathedral nearby is said to house what some believe to be the actual Holy Grail, a claim that has drawn both religious pilgrims and curious visitors for centuries. The Torres de Serranos and Torres de Quart, two surviving medieval city gates, are also worth a look, remnants of the fortified walls that once surrounded the old town.

The beach is another major draw, with Playa de la Malvarrosa offering a long stretch of golden sand just a short tram ride from the city center, lined with seafood restaurants that are a good spot to try an authentic paella looking out at the sea it was traditionally paired with. The Turia Gardens, running the length of the old riverbed, are excellent for cycling or a relaxed walk, connecting many of the city's major sights along a single green corridor.

Eat like a local

Beyond paella, Valencia is also known as the home of horchata, a refreshing cold drink made from tiger nuts, traditionally enjoyed with a type of pastry called fartons for dipping. The city's tapas scene is strong too, and the Ruzafa neighborhood in particular has become known in recent years for its mix of traditional bars and newer, more creative restaurants.

Traveler's cheat sheet

Valencia is well suited to exploring by bike, with an extensive network of cycle paths, including a long stretch running the length of the Turia Gardens, making it easy to cover a lot of ground without a car. The compact historic center is also very walkable, and the metro and tram system covers the rest of the city well.

Spring and early autumn offer particularly pleasant weather for exploring the city and the beach alike, while summer brings hot, sunny days well suited to time on the sand, if you do not mind the heat. Winters are mild, and Valencia's famous Las Fallas festival in March, featuring huge sculptures and fireworks, is worth timing a visit around if you can.

For a change of scenery, the Albufera Natural Park, just south of the city, is a large freshwater lagoon surrounded by rice paddies, the very fields where paella's key ingredient is grown, and boat trips across the water at sunset are a popular and relaxed way to spend an afternoon. Closer to the center, the Bioparc offers a modern, immersive take on a zoo, designed so animals from Africa roam in naturalistic, enclosure-free-looking habitats rather than traditional cages.

As across Spain, the euro is the local currency, and tipping remains modest, with rounding up or leaving a small amount for good service being standard practice rather than an expectation. Both Spanish and Valencian, a variant of Catalan, are spoken locally, and you will often see both languages used side by side on street signs and menus around the city.

Valencia offers a genuinely appealing combination of beach, history, and modern architecture without the crowds that come with Spain's biggest cities, and its manageable size means most of the main sights are within easy reach of each other, either on foot or via a short tram or bike ride through the Turia Gardens.