Things to Do in Valencia
I first visited Valencia years ago on a grand tour of Spain with my mother, then again in October 2019 with a friend, and most recently, last August, I went alone. If you ask if it’s a city worth visiting three times, I’d say my last visit wasn’t because I loved the city so much, but because one of my friends had moved there.
How to Get to Valencia?
You can fly directly to Valencia or you can take a train or bus from Madrid or Barcelona. The stations are quite central. On our previous visit, we took the train from Madrid, a comfortable journey that took about two hours. This time, I took a 4-hour Alsa bus ride from Barcelona. While the bus ride was a bit chilly, it was overall comfortable with amenities like Wi-Fi and charging options. If you ask whether the scenery was interesting, I can’t say I was particularly moved, either because I wasn’t sitting by the window or there wasn’t much to see.
Where to Stay in Valencia?
My friend’s house was in El Carmen, one of the hippest and most central areas of Valencia. This is one of the areas you can stay so that everything is in walking distance.
In our stay before, we stayed at Casual de la Musica. We liked it for its central location, with plenty of nearby cafes, and overall, we didn’t experience any issues.
Places to See in Valencia
Playa Malvarrosa
Walking among the palm trees at Playa Malvarrosa during sunset was really enjoyable. Since it was towards the end of October, we didn’t have any plans to swim. We had our coats on as it was chill in the evening.
We had walked from the city center to the beach, and the streets in the Canal – Canamelar area, with their beautiful, mosaic-adorned houses, made the long walk worthwhile. A note for singles: I remember seeing a lot of handsome Valencians in this area! Of course, walking is not the only option, you can also take a bus from the city center.
El Carmen
As I mentioned before, this is the most central part of Valencia. You can see a lot of murals on the walls. The houses here are also cute, and some of the doors as well. There ae so many cafes, bars and restaurants around. There is no way you get bored here. Just a warning, cockroaches wander along the streets in the evening in summer, watch out for your feet.
In the El Carmen area, on Carrer de Museu, there’s a small, three-story, terrace-topped building called House of Cats. I call it an artwork because no real cats live there, but it certainly adds some color to the street.
The famous Valencia cathedral and Plaza de la Virgen, the square looking over the cathedral is also situated in this neighborhood. I especially like the night view here. In the evening, Valencia transforms like a woman who loves to dress up. During the day, as you pass by, you might not notice her beauty, but at night, she sparkles, inviting you to admire her charms. As the sun sets, the walls take on a pinkish hue, and the city glows in its most beautiful colors under the sunlight. Later, it glitters, beckoning you to enjoy it, like a woman whose beauty becomes more evident the longer you gaze at her.
Central Market of Valencia (Mercat Central de València) is located in this neighborhood as well. You can find many food and fruit stalls here. It is not only a bustling hub for fresh produce and local goods but also an architectural gem that reflects the city’s vibrant culture and history. The building’s facade features intricate ceramic tiles and stained glass, while its interior boasts high, vaulted ceilings and ironwork, allowing plenty of natural light to flood the space. One of the most striking features is the central dome, decorated with colorful glass and mosaics, which rises above the market and provides a breathtaking view from within.
City of Arts and Sciences
We visited the City of Arts & Sciences in our previous visit. If I remember correctly, we entered some of the free areas or the cheapest one (I guess, it was the interactive science museum). The iconic shapes of the buildings make it a great spot for taking photos. The architecture is modern and unique.
L’Hemisferic, eye-shaped building, serves as a planetarium, IMAX cinema, and laser show venue. The structure’s design represents a giant human eye, symbolizing the observation of the world.
There’s also an outdoor café where we had coffee. Nearby is Oceanogràfic, Europe’s largest aquarium. It is home to more than 500 species of marine life, including dolphins, sharks, sea lions, and penguins. We didn’t visit it, but I heard about its beauty on the Albufera tour.
Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía serves as the city’s opera house and performing arts center.
You can get to City of Arts and Sciences by a long walk or by buses from the centre.
Port Saplaya
I came across a place called Port Saplaya while searching for nearby beaches in Valencia. As soon as I read that the houses there resembled those in Venice, I was sold. My friend had been there before and confirmed it was a nice place, so we drove there in about half an hour.
On a Sunday, the beach was crowded, the sea was wavy—perfect for playing in the waves like children. First, I took a full walk around the small marina to see the so-called “Venetian houses.” In my opinion, it didn’t really resemble Venice, but it was a cute spot. There were also places where you could sit and grab a bite, though the 15-20 minute walk in the heat was a bit overwhelming. On the way, people who saw me alone stopped and asked me to take their photos, giving me a chance to practice some Spanish. We swam and sunbathed for a while and left.
Latin Dance Workshop
Our Sunday night fun was a Latin dance workshop. Mostly locals attended, and my friend had participated in it before. It took place at “Akuarela Playa,” a large venue near the beach, where workshops on different Latin dance styles (like salsa, bachata, and kizomba) are held on certain dates.
We watched for a bit in the outdoor section before joining the bachata workshop. The instructors were super fun, energetic, and humorous. They demonstrated the steps on stage while you practiced with different partners. Usually, partners switched every 2-3 steps. I struggle with partnered Latin dances, but even though I found it challenging, I enjoyed this and no one here was creepy. Afterwards, a different set of instructors continued with the salsa workshop, but their style was more didactic, so I didn’t enjoy it as much. After the workshops ended, people kept dancing.
At one rare moment when I was dancing inside, I found myself in the frame of the club’s professional photographer. I found out when I was back home. Don’t you think our photo is ready to be the poster for a Spanish romantic comedy? Should I send it to a casting agency? The movie could be titled “Head in the Clouds” or something like that 🙂 We left the workshop, which had started around 7 PM, at 10:30 PM. You can check out the workshops on the Supersalseros website or their social media accounts.
Russafa
Back in 2019, we had shopped in small vintage boutiques and had a meal in a cozy spot.I remember totally enjoying this neighborhood and was so keen to visit again. The neighborhood was filled with art galleries, independent theaters, and quirky boutiques.
When I made it to Russafa in my last visit, I was totally disappointed. Everything was closed, even though the opening hours on the shops indicated they should be open at that very moment. I wandered the streets, sat in a park for a bit, but not a single place opened. The only action was around Mercado de Russafa, where there were stalls selling clothes and jewelry. I bought a pair of a earring at a really cheap price.
Russafa is also a key player during Las Fallas, Valencia’s famous annual festival. It is celebrated on 15-19 March in honor of St Joseph. I have never had a chance to visit during this festival but what I observed from social media, it is a vibrant and fun festival. During this festival, its streets become the backdrop for massive artistic installations (known as ninots) and vibrant parades. On the night of March 15, the fallas (large sculptures) are installed throughout the city, transforming Valencia into an open-air museum. Russafa is said to have its own unique take on the celebrations, blending traditional elements with more modern, avant-garde creations.
Turia Park
Don’t let the term “park” fool you—it used to be a river. After a devastating flood caused significant loss of life and damage, they transformed the river into a park. As a result, it’s a very long park, with one end at Valencia’s famous tourist spot, the City of Arts and Sciences, and the other at Parc de Capçalera, where locals usually hang out around the lake (I’m looking up the name on the map now:)). Ducks roam both the lake and the grassy areas. There’s even a group of them gathered around people’s picnic blankets. Since it’s a weekday, it’s quiet—perfect for inspiring some writing. I take notes for my story and scribble some thoughts about life.
We came back here with my friend on Sunday and paddled on the lake. As it was so sunny in the afternoon, I was a bit exhausted putting effort in half an hour paddling.
Second-Hand Bookstores
I came across Aida Books & More by chance, where I bought a Spanish book for 3 euros. Then I headed to Re-Read, a place I also visited in Barcelona. The pricing here was the same: one book for 4 euros, two books for 6. I chose two books here as well.This is a good opportunity if you are a Spanish learner like me.
Jardins del Real / Vivers
Jardins del Real is a park recommended by my friend. It’s truly a delightful place. There was a small artificial pond where I sat and read for a while. When I finally got up to explore, I realized just how big the park is.
As I wandered, a cat appeared out of nowhere. Was I hallucinating? Or was this real? One of the Argentinians I met on my first day here said, “What’s in Istanbul that’s not here?” I now wish I didn’t say, “Cats!” It’s as if this cat appeared just to remind me that they were in Valencia too. I tried to chat with the cat, but it either did not understand my language or wasn’t used to human interaction, just stared back at me in confusion. Anyway, I was glad to have met it and hoped I was not sunstruck, and that it was indeed a real cat. There’s also a science museum and a cafe where people can sit, but I left without visiting either—just wandering the park was enough.
Shopping in Valencia
All the well-known brands have stores on Carrer de Colon. I went in and out of them one by one, but there was nothing new, and the prices were not so different here. Empty-handed and craving some cool air in the heat, I decided to walk to the Centre Commercial Saler. It’s quite a long walk from the city center, located right across from the Ciutat de les Arts i Ciències. There are different brands here, including a large Carrefour where you can find things that might not be available at Consum stores.
Patacona Beach
This is one of the beaches close to the center. However, since we visited in the evening, the sea was rough, and the air wascool. You can rent hammocks on the beach. Since it’s not the kind of weather for sunbathing, we decided to grab a drink at one of the little beach huts known as chiringuitos.
Saler Beach
In the evening, we head to Saler Beach to watch the meteor shower. As we move away from the city lights, the stars shine even brighter. The beach is so dark that you can’t see the person next to you, though some have brought their own lights. The wind cuts through our skin like a knife, something we hadn’t anticipated. The rough sound of the sea, though, calms me inside.
In that moment, I am both there and not there. We make wishes on one or two shooting stars, or perhaps meteors. One part of me is there, watching the stars with my friend, while another part of me is chasing a dream. The best viewing time was said to be around 3–4 AM, but my friend was already sick, we couldn’t stay for long.
You might also want to check out my posts on “Day Trips from Valencia“, “Best Restaurants in Valencia“, “Night Life in Valencia” and “Best Cafes in Valencia“.
