Valencia is Spains third largest city with an urban population of around 800,000. The population grows to around 1.6 million if you include the surrounding area.
Whilst it is well known for its stunning modern Arts and Science Centre, the city was founded in 138 BC and has been an important city throughout its history. It is rich in traditions and things to see and do.
Valencia is a really great city for just walking around and taking in the sites and food. The city is very flat so is easy walking for nearly everyone. You can also hire a bike and ride around the city very easily.
The tourist centre of Valencia revolves around the Plaza de la Reina near the Cathedral and the Old Quarter. From here you can catch a tourist bus or simply stroll through the streets.
The back of the Cathedral is at one end of the Plaza and if you walk to the left of the Cathedral towards the front you will find yourself in Plaça de la Mare de Déu.
One place that is really worth a visit is Mercado Central which is about a 4 minute walk from Plaza de la Reina. This amazing market has endless stalls selling an amazing range of foods and spices. If you are staying in Valencia with facilities to prepare some of your own meals then this is the place to grab some amazing produce. As we stayed in Valencia for a month, we visited Mercado Central every couple of days and on every visit we discovered some new food to enjoy.
Valencia is the home of paella, one of Spain’s most iconic dishes. We did a paella cooking course which was loads of fun. It included a trip to the Mercado to buy the ingredients for our paella. It was really interesting to chat with the store holders about the ingredients and the markets. If you visit during the offseason, like us you may have the chef virtually to yourself. Eating our own paella with a glass of local wine afterwards was a very special treat.
Valencia has some amazingly long beaches and you can spend days strolling along them and stopping for something to eat or drink as you go.
There is a park outside the walls of the old city which used to be the river bed. It now provides another great place to walk or cycle or relax. Running off this park is Jardins del Real or Royal Gardens which adds even more opportunities for relaxing in beautiful surroundings.
“My tip for Valencia is to take your time. It’s an easy city to walk around and easy to enjoy.”
Valencias airport is understandably busy with regular services from most European capitals from a variety of airlines. Flying time from London is around 2 hours 30 minutes. Flights from Rome take just over 2 hours.
You can catch the high-speed rail from Madrid to Valencia with the trip taking just under 2 hours. Rail travel from Barcelona to Valencia takes about 3 hours.
Driving time from Madrid to Valencia takes around 4 hours. From Barcelona to Valencia is about a 3 hours 40 minute drive. From Murcia to Valencia takes about 2 hours and 25 minutes to drive.