Valencia, modernism and tradition hand in hand with the sea.
🌿 TYPE OF TRIP
Gastronomy, culture and relaxation
🤔 BEST TIME TO TRAVEL TO VALENCIA
MARCH: Without a doubt, spring is the best time to visit Valencia. During March, its biggest festival, Las Fallas, takes place. If you want to experience it in all its glory, the best time to go is between March 15th and 19th, the most intense days. Take advantage of the spring weather to visit the city's gardens bursting with color.
✔ WHAT TO DO IN VALENCIA
Valencia, Spain's third-largest city, is magnificent. It's a vibrant city, full of surprises and activities perfect for any type of traveler. It boasts a thriving cultural and gastronomic scene and a lively nightlife. It features fantastic contemporary architecture and some fabulous modernist buildings, excellent museums, and a charming old town. The region is famous for rice dishes, such as paella, but its cuisine offers so much more.
🌮 YOU CAN'T LEAVE VALENCIA WITHOUT TRYING IT
Valencian cuisine is based on dishes featuring fresh fish and seafood from its coasts and the renowned vegetables from its fertile plains. You can't leave without trying its traditional rice dishes and tasting authentic paella in the El Palmar area! For dessert, we recommend horchata de chufa (tiger nut milk) with fartons (sweet pastries), coca de llanda (a type of flatbread), toña (or panquemao) with hot chocolate, or Monjavina (traditionally a Carnival Thursday treat, now sold every Thursday in many bakeries).
👁🗨 CURIOSITIES OF VALENCIA
During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), a large number of works from the Prado Museum were moved to other locations for safekeeping, including Velázquez's Las Meninas. This painting was placed in the Serranos Towers. These imposing towers, which serve as the gateway to the city's historic center, acted as guardians of Las Meninas between 1936 and 1937. Afterward, it traveled to Barcelona and Switzerland before returning to its home at the Prado Museum in Madrid.
😎 MISS WOOD'S TIP
Go for tapas and drinks in the Russafa neighborhood. It's best to arrive early to check out a couple of vintage shops and have a drink at Ubik Café. Choose from one of the many tapas bars that line the streets and, finally, have a cocktail at La Fusteria.
5 MUST-SEE PLACES IN VALENCIA
1. CITY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES: An architectural marvel and a space that leaves no one indifferent. We recommend reaching the City of Arts and Sciences by taking a pleasant stroll through the Turia Gardens from the historic center. Walk along the banks of its artificial lakes and climb the Monteolivete Bridge for the best views.
2. THE LONJA: The Silk Exchange (La Lonja de la Seda) of Valencia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is another masterpiece of Valencian Gothic architecture and one of the must-see places in Valencia. Located just a few meters from the Central Market, another unmissable spot.
3. LA ALBUFERA: Located south of the city of Valencia, this natural park and its surrounding plains are synonymous with rice, agriculture, and fertile soil. Countless migratory birds, including grey herons, squacco herons, common terns, and marbled teal, rest here. It was the setting for the TV series "Cañas y Barro" (Reeds and Mud).
4. XÀTIVA: This large castle makes an interesting day trip from Valencia. It has a charming Mediterranean feel, with sun-kissed stone, olive trees, and pines on the rocky summit.
5. TURIA GARDEN: One of the largest urban nature parks in Spain. Ideal for runners, cyclists, families, and nature lovers. This immense garden is built on the former course of the Turia River, which was diverted to prevent the frequent flooding that plagued the city. If you're traveling with family, be sure to visit the quirky Gulliver Park, where they can slide, climb, and slide all over the character.
Plan and remember your adventures around the peninsula with the Woody Map Natural Spain .