Europe,  Spain,  Valencia

Valencia

If you follow me on Instagram you know that recently I was traveling along the Valencian coast in Spain. As expected, Valencia welcomed us with the sun shining every day 🙂 The trip was amazing, Valencia’s cuisine is delicious (Valencia is the home of Paella), the city is full of attractions and the architecture is to impress!

Wedding celebration in Valencia
Historic Centre

Valencia is the third largest city in Spain and there are several reasons to visit this beautiful city: modernist architecture, culture, lively nightlife, incredible traditional food, miles of soft sandy beaches, among many other things. The blend of traditional with modern and futuristic buildings makes the city of Valencia a unique and must-see city to visit and fall in love with.

Plaza de La Virgen
Pont Del Regne

Useful Information:
Population: 809,267
Location: Costa del Azahar
Time zone: CET (GMT +1)
Currency: Euro

Climate: With a Mediterranean climate, the humidity can be quite high and can certainly be felt during the summer. The warmest month in the region is August, and the coldest month is January. The annual average temperature is 17ºC and during the autumn and early spring you may experience light rains.

Best Time to Visit: For those looking for a vibrant and hot season, summer is definitely the best time to visit. However, if you are looking for cultural events and mild weather, spring and fall are better options. During the winter, you can still enjoy the city, it is certainly much calmer than in summer and the temperature is pleasant as it is not too cold. Even during winter, the sun will shine on most days.

Getting there: The easiest way to get to the city centre from the airport is by metro. The airport is situated 8 km west of the city, and there are also frequent buses and taxi services.
Subway: there are two subway lines that connect the airport with the city centre and the port: line 3 (Rafelbunyol-Aeroport) and line 5 (Marítim Serrería – Torrent Av / Aeroport.). The station is on the ground floor of the regional flight terminal. The journey from the airport to the centre takes about 25 minutes. Tickets: € 4.90 (€ 3.90 + € 1 for the card that can be recharged) or € 4.40 if you buy the single ticket on the machines located in the subway stations. For more information about the metro timetables and lines of Valencia visit www.metrovalencia.es

Bus: There is a daily bus service that leaves the airport and goes directly to the city centre. Buses run from 6 am until 22 pm, departures every 20 minutes and the ride costs €2.50. You can also use the bus line 150 Valencia – Airport but this bus has more stops and it will take longer to get to the city. Bus 150 runs from 5:25 am to 11:55 pm and costs €1.05. For more information, visit www.fernanbus.es

Taxis: Taxis are located in front of the airport and the trip to the city center costs €14.

Valencia’s Historic Centre


Services
Internet Code: ES
Postal Code: 46.000-46.080
Area code(s): +34 96
Emergency Number: 091 for Police
Emergency Health: 061
Public Transport: Considering it is a relatively small city, Valencia has a good public transport system. Although it is possible to walk to the main attractions and beaches, if you want to save time or energy, you will have options of using the subway, buses or trams to travel around the city. If you plan to use public transport every day, it is best to buy one of Valencia’s combined ticket options that cover buses, subway and trams.

We had this amazing view from our room!

Safety: Just like any other city, taking normal precautions and using common sense will help avoid unnecessary inconveniences while traveling. In general, Valencia is a quiet, safe city and violence is rare.

Where to stay: Hotel Zenit Valencia ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – We stayed at the Zenit hotel in the centre of Valencia. We chose to stay closer to the centre instead of the beach because the neighbourhoods around the beaches are more residential and far from the centre. I prefer to have more dining options and attractions close to the hotel, especially at night. The Zenit hotel is located in a modern and renovated building in the centre of Valencia with 67 rooms. The hotel is very clean and well managed and the breakfast offers a small but good selection of food. The hotel is located in front of the central train station and has good transport links throughout the city. You can walk to the main attractions and also have several choices of restaurants around. The hotel also offers late check-out for those who want to check out in the afternoon and private garage (ask the hotel at the time of the booking if these services will be available during your stay). To make reservations Click Here. To check other hotels in Valencia Click Here.

La Catedral and La Plaza de la Virgen Address: Pl. Almoina, s / n. -46.003 Valencia. Phone: +34 96 391 81 27
Situated on the site that was once the Roman Forum, this impressive cathedral dates back to the 13th century. The three main doors were designed with different architectural styles, the Irons Gate with baroque style, the gate of the palace with Romanesque style and the Apostles Gate with Gothic style. For breathtaking views of the city and the sea, visit the Miguelete Tower situated next to the main entrance.

Plaza del Mercado: Lonja, Mercado Central e Iglesia de Los Santos Juanes

In the Plaza del Mercado you will find three of the most important buildings in the city. La Lonja, La Iglesia de Los Santos Juanes (Church) and the Mercado Central (Central Market). Make sure that you will have enough time to visit all of them because they are truly a must-see!

Mercado Central (Central Market): Plaza Ciudad de Brujas, s / n, 46001, phone: +34 963 82 91 00
Being one of the oldest European markets still running, Valencia’s Mercado central covers 8,160 square meters divided into two areas and brings together almost 400 small traders. Inside the market you will find a huge variety of fresh food and traditional Spanish dishes. If you want to avoid the crowd it is advised to visit the in the morning.

Mercado Central
Inside the Central Market

La Lonja (The Exchange Silk): Calle de la Lonja, 2, 46001 Valencia, phone: +34 926 08 41 53. Opening hours: Tuesday – Saturday from 10am to 2pm and 4:30pm to 8:30pm. Sunday and holidays, from 10am to 3pm. Free admission on Sundays.
Built between 1482 and 1548, this civil building in Gothic style is one of the main tourist attractions in Valencia. The monument was declared National Historical and Artistic Monument in July 1931 and in December 1996 La Lonja was made a World Heritage Site by Unesco. La Lonja was built for trade and was the only building in Valencia dedicated to business transactions.

La Lonja

Iglesia de Los Santos Juanes (Church): Pl. Mercado, s / n, 46001 Valencia. Phone: +34 963 91 63 54.
This Gothic-style church was built in the 14th century and is one of the oldest sites in Valencia. The interior of the church was completely renovated due to a terrible fire in 1552.

Iglesia de Los Santos Juanes

Torre de Serranos Address: Plaça dels Furs, s / n, 46003 Valencia. Phone: +34 963 91 90 70
Built in the 14th century in1392 by Pere Balaguer, the Torres de Serranos is considered the largest Gothic portal in Europe and is one of the city’s best preserved monuments. The towers were built with a defensive function and it was the main entrance of the city. It was also used as a prison for nobles during 1586-1887.

Torres de Serranos

Iglesia de San Juan Del Hospital (Church)
Address: Calle del Trinquete de Caballeros, 5, 46003 Valencia. Phone: +34 963 92 22 96.
Built during the Gothic period in 1261, the area where the church is built was donated by King James I during the conquest of the Order of St. John of Hospital and Malta. This church is one of the oldest churches in the city.

Museo de Bellas Artes San Pio V
Valencia, Spain Address: C / San Pío V, 9, 46010 Valencia. Phone: +34 963 87 03 00. Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
This impressive building, founded in 1913, is located in the St. Pius V Palace, built in the 17th-18th centuries and has a collection of about 2,000 works. The renowned art collection includes works by El Greco, Velázquez, Murillo, Goya, Pinturicchio among others.

Museo de Bellas Artes San Pio V

Museo Nacional de Ceramica Gonzalez Marti
Address: Calle del Poeta Querol, 2, 46002. Telephone: +34 963 51 63 92.
Opening hours: Tuesday – Saturday 10am to 2pm and 4pm to 8pm. Sunday and holidays from 10am to 14pm. Closed on Mondays.
Set in a palace dating from the 15th century, this museum houses an important collection of ceramics, Roman, Greek and Arab prehistoric items as well as contemporary art such as Picasso. In 1740 the building was refurbished in rococo style.

Museo Nacional de Ceramica Gonzalez Marti

Monasterio de San Miguel de Los Reyes
Address: Avenida de la Constitución, 284, 46019. Phone: +34 963 87 40 00. Hours: 9am – 8pm.
The monastery was founded in the 16th century by the Duke of Calabria and was built on the former monastery of the Cistercian Order in the 14th century. The site also houses an 11th-century Muslim farm and a 19th century prison. The building, which is a great work of Renaissance style, also houses the Valencian Library (Library of Valencia).

La Ciudad de Las Artes y las Ciencias (Opera House, Hemisferic, Príncipe Felipe Museu da Ciência, Oceanografic, Agora)
Address: Avenida del Profesor López Piñero, 7, 46013. Phone: +34 902 10 00 31. This spectacular and futuristic complex houses five modern buildings. The Opera House (Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia) was designed by the Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava and is dedicated to the arts. A splendid building measuring more than 70 meters high that was designed to accommodate more than 1,800 people. The Hemisferic is a splendid Laserium, Planetarium and Imax cinema with an impressive screen, over 900 meters. The Museo de las Ciencias where the architecture project resembles a whale skeleton, is a science museum, where, unlike most museums, it can touch everything inside the museum. Oceanographic is a giant aquarium where you will see over 45,000 different examples of 500 marine species. The Agora is a multifunctional space that was created to host a variety of events. I advise to visit the complex, even if it is just to walk around and contemplate the view.

La Ciudad de Las Artes y las Ciencias
Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia
Opera House

Palau de La Musica
Address: Paseo de la Alameda, 30, 46023 Valencia. Phone: +34 963 37 50 20
Built in 1987, the Opera House is situated in the immediate vicinity of the Turia Gardens. The Opera House was created to promote culture and educational activities. The building was designed with glass walls that will allow the public to enjoy the concert and at the same time admire the garden and fountains that were designed to “dance” according to the beat of the music heard from the building. A spectacular experience to listen to and watch.

L’Àgora
Oceanografic

Jardin del Turia
Address: Avenida Manuel de Falla, s / n, 46018. Phone: +34 963 59 99 67.
One of my favourite sites in Valencia, the Turia Garden is located on the old bed of the River Turia. Since 1957, the river has been diverted from the city centre due to a catastrophic flood. Walk some (or all if you are inspired 🙂 of the 9km stretch that runs through the city centre almost to the sea, the Turia garden is a relaxing place for a walk and picnic.

Jardin del Turia

El Puerto de Valencia (Port of Valencia)
Address: Doctor J. J. Domine, Valencia 46011.
The port of Valencia is the largest port in Spain and the fifth busiest port in Europe. From there, more than 500,000 people depart each year towards the Canary Islands, Genoa and the Balearic Islands. There are also several sea tours departing from the port daily. It is worth checking!

Beaches (Las Arenas, Playa La Malvarrosa, El Cabañal and El Saler)
Valencia is an amazing city because it offers everything. Not only an impressive historic center, but also beautiful clean beaches in the Mediterranean Sea. Located only 15 minutes from the centre are the main beaches of the city: Las Arenas, Malvarrosa and El Cabañal. These blue flag beaches were recognised with certificate Q of tourist quality. All beaches also have a good choice of bars, clubs and restaurants in its surroundings. During the summer most establishments on the outskirts of the beaches are super busy for most of the day. The sun chair costs around €4.50 as well as the sun umbrella.
If you have access to a car or do not mind traveling, you can find more natural beaches located just 10 km away from the city. The beach of El Saler is very popular with locals and offers dense vegetation and a natural sand area of ​​almost 6 km in length. The beach is located within the Albufera National Park, where you will find the Parador De El Saler, one of the best golf courses in Europe.

Bioparc
Address: Av Pio Baroja, 3, 46015 Valencia. Phone: +34 902 25 03 40.
The Valencia Zoo offers a naturalistic habitat for animals and has a large variety of African wildlife. This innovative zoo is designed for animals to feel freer because fences are virtually invisible. Situated in the Cabecera Park, in an area covering 100,000 square meters, the animals live side by side in an incredibly planned natural habitat.

Tourist information: Tourist Info Valencia-Reina, Plaza de la Reina, 19/46002 – Valencia.
www.turisvalencia.es, Email – infoturistica@turisvalencia.es, Phone +34 963 153 931, Fax +34 963 153 920. Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 9am – 7pm Sundays and holidays, 10am – 14pm Closed on days 1 January – 6 January – 25 December.

Where to shop: El Corte Inglés and Centro Comercial Aqua

Find the perfect hotel in Valencia in the map bellow!

Booking.com

Photos: Carla De Marchi

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