During our family holidays to the Costa Blanca in Spain every few years or so, we often split from the fam and take a day trip to Valencia. Famous for Orange’s and the birthplace of Paella, intriguing city and its top attractions can easily be seen in a day. Alternatively, if you have a bit more time you could spend a couple of days here and take it easier at a slower pace.
We’d set off as early as possible for the hour-long train ride from Xativa and arrive in Valencia mid to late morning. As you exit the train station don’t forget to look up and admire the beautiful mosaic ceiling before stepping out into the bright sunshine and bustling city centre. It’s hard not to just stand here for a moment to take it all in, it’s quite a contrast to the sleepy town of Orba we had been staying in. Choose to go left for a much quieter route that heads around the old town and to the north side of the dried-up river bed – now a park, Jardin del Turia. Choose right and you’re in the upmarket shopping district packed with stores, bars and restaurants. Or go straight ahead into the quaint old town.
On our last visit we arrived just before lunch, we exited the train station and turned left through a couple of small parks and cosy backstreets and headed towards the almost 100 year old Central Market for some fuel for the day ahead. Trust me this place is well worth a visit even if you’re not hungry. Spanish food is one of my favourite cuisines and this is an excellent place for a foodie. This huge market hall is set in a stunning building and all the local produce is presented beautifully. Big rows of brightly coloured fruits and vegetables, huge hunks of Spanish hams hanging over other cured meats, an incredible array of seafood, cheeses, nuts, sweets, spices and literally anything you could imagine. We picked up a delicious bruschetta style baguette for one euro and some fresh fruit and we were on our way.
Next stop on our jam packed day was the nearby old town, a few minutes walk away from the market hall. The cathedral here claims to possess the Holy grail and for around €12 you can take a tour. Also make sure to ascend the steep spiral staircase of the nearby Torre del Micalat for some stunning views of the city. For only €2 it’s well worth it as the views stretch over the terracotta rooftops to the harbour and coast, you even get a great view of the river bed park snaking its way through the city.
From the old town we then head east towards what for me is the highlight of the city. Jardin del Turia is the name of the beautiful park which runs along the old Turia River bed. In 1957 Valencia experienced a massive flood which spanned across 3 quarters of the city with around 60 people losing their lives. To avoid this disaster again the city came up with a plan and by 1969 they had managed to completely divert the river around the city and into the sea.
An astonishing feat which has since solved the problem ever happening again. The city was then left with an empty river bed resembling a scar through the city. Today that scar has been turned into a stunning park with 450 acres full of greenery, gardens, fountains, a skate park, a couple of bars and a stunning museum complex at the harbour end that looks like it’s been cut and paste from a futuristic space city.
If you’re here for a few days you could easily take a day here just relaxing and wandering around the museums. You could also follow the park to the sea and check out the harbour and nearby beaches. There’s also a couple of decent shopping malls on either side before you reach the sea.
After an hour or so of meandering through the park and admiring the incredible architecture of the museums and surrounding area. We headed back to the city to do some shopping. For me valencia has always been an incredible place to shop, there’s a great variety of shops for all tastes and budgets and you’re bound to find some hidden gems. There’s some great department stores and shopping malls here so make sure you do a bit of research on where to shop if you’re only here for a day.
As the sun starts to set there’s just one last must do before you catch the train home and that’s dinner. There’s only one option here if you’re on a day trip and that’s paella. Valencia is the birthplace of this national dish and it would be rude not to indulge. Literally every single restaurant in valencia serves paella, I think it’s the law here! You’re not short of options so wherever you are in the city just find a nearby restaurant and try the famous Valencian paella.
In summary Valencia is one of my favourite cities to visit and if you are here for a few more days there is plenty more to see and do. Nearby you have beaches, water parks and more museums and shopping centres. It’s definitely up there with Madrid and Barcelona as one of the top must visit cities in spain.
