Valencia's beaches - Where to go and what to do

Arriving in Valencia

I first arrived in Valencia mid July. I had the perfect chance to enjoy the summer weather and activities, as well as topping up my tan, before embarking on my intense six month internship. Of course, I had previously been to Spain on holiday as a younger child, so I already knew how amazing the beaches were here and couldn’t wait to get on it again.

On my first day of arriving, I had the stress and panic of finding my flat from the airport. I had finally moved to my home country, yet needed to find my way around and make myself at home.

I unpacked my belongings, and finally made my room how I needed it to be, and now my first thought that came to my head was ‘Where is the beach’, ‘I have to visit the beach now’. Bear in mind it must have been around 30 degrees when I first arrived, which was something that I was definitely not used to, but something I didn’t want to complain about.

The stress of finding my flat and unpacking all of my belongings inevitably made me break a sweat, so I was ready to relax on the beach and top up my tan, and embrace the fact I had just moved to Valencia, and this was going to be my home for 6 months.

How to find the best route to the beach

Of course, moving here alone, I had no idea how to get to the beach. I would search on Google Maps and I could see, in Benimaclet where I was staying, the coast really didn’t seem too far away! This triggered my excitement even further.

It can be really difficult to find transport links in Valencia; especially if your Spanish skills are not higher than beginners level. After doing some research, I found a really useful app that gives in depth detail on how to reach certain destinations. The app is called Moovit, it’s free and I really recommend it for anyone who is abroad and wants to know the quickest and best routes to reach your desired destination. This app was the perfect way for me to find my best route to the beach. I didn’t want to waste much time, I just wanted to put my bikini and flip flops on, and head there right away. So I did.

From Benimaclet, I learnt from the useful moovit app that I simply had to take the number four or number six over ground tram to Eugenia Viñes. With the beach being easily accessible by foot, bike or tram you have the chance to save money and to enjoy the beach in between any cultural activities or trips out in the city. I found the moovit app really useful when trying to locate the beach as it even states how many stops and how many minutes (approximately) it will take until you arrive. So off I went.

The trams are really easy to understand. The moovit app tells you in which direction to get the tram so you can ensure you are not going the wrong way. The tram stop in Benimaclet, and in fact the whole of Valencia are really easy to navigate and understand. The app informed me that I needed to take the direction to either Dr. Lluch or Marítim - Serrería. It didn’t take long to figure this out.

Purchasing tram tickets

Of course, no tram journey will be free. Each stop in Valencia comes with a ticket machine in which has the language option you require so you never have the difficulty of not knowing how to purchase your tickets. With the beach still being in part A of Valencia, it meant the price of the ticket was going to be the cheapest. I wanted to buy a single ticket which only costs 1. 50€ which is ridiculously cheap compared to journeys in England; especially with the time duration from Benimaclet to the beach being around 12 minutes. I thought this was reasonably priced. I was planning to buy my return ticket from the tram stop on the way back to Benimaclet as I usually prefer buying single tickets instead of return tickets.

The most popular beach

The most popular beach in Valencia that attracts the most visitors is the one that is nearest to the city, La Malvarrosa. This luckily was the beach I was heading to. It is really popular with locals as well as beach volleyball lovers and Erasmus students.

The tram stop for the beach is Eugenia Viñes. After my short 12 minute tram ride I noticed I had arrived already! I could already see the sea in the distance and started noticing local shops selling beach towels and bucket and spades. The beach is a short walking distance from this tram stop. In about a two minute walk you will already be on the promenade.

The first thing I noticed was how clutter-free and clean the beach was! You will never fall short on finding some local corn being sold along the promenade and can even grab yourself some horchata at really cheap prices. Of course, not to mention the palm trees that line the beach. It really does pose for the perfect picture moment. The sea in the background and sun shining on the palm trees, what more could you ask for?

What to do on the beach

Along the promenade, there is a large variety of bars, serving excellent local dishes like Paella or Fideuá. You can even find a Pans and Company in case you wanted to refuel yourself with a quick drink and sandwich.

Further along the promenade you will find some wonderful market stalls which acts as a great walk way as you never miss the chance to catch a bargain or to buy some gifts for the family along the way. These are independently own by local Valencians and so it’s a great way to support the local businesses. In these stalls you will find a lot of accessories and bags and even fridge magnets.

The beach itself is full of locals sunbathing on their beach towels. If you have the extra money to spend, you are able to rent out a sun bed. I think these come at a price of around 10€. If your aim at the beach is to take a break under some shade, and bathe with comfort, I would recommend investing in these sunbeds.

The most popular aspect of this beach, especially for sports lovers is the great beach volleyball opportunity. On the beach they have a net ready to play and even a beach volleyball bar called Beach Bol. Here you can buy incredible baguettes, salads and smoothies. However they are relatively over priced. But it’s great for a quick snack as you can always take this back to your sunbathing spot and so never miss the opportunity to refuel whilst sunbathing.

It’s also a really great way to pass the time whilst sunbathing on the beach as you have the chance to watch people play beach volleyball competitively or even for fun. If you still have the energy after sunbathing and absorbing the sun, you have the chance to play yourself! Just grab yourself a team and go!

Is there anything else to do at the beach?

Of course! I know some people get a little tired and bored at just sunbathing on the sand for hours and hours. That's why this beach is tailored to all! You even have the chance to walk further along the coast and see all the bars and restaurants along the way.

There are so many, all serving different types of cuisines. So if you’re hungry, I’d make sure you know what type of food you want first as I can guarantee you will be spoilt for choice for sure.

On my second visit to the beach, I got a little tired of sunbathing and so wanted to walk a little further and explore more instead of just lying down on the sand. So I did. I began walking along the promenade. I began walking and in around 24 minutes I reached a lot of interesting buildings. Not only this, I could hear very loud music. It was then when I realised I may have just discovered something else fun to do!

Marina Beach Club

The loud music was coming from Marina Beach Club. From the outside, it looks very similar to a restaurant. This is because they also have a restaurant on sight also. After continuing to walk a little more, I saw an entrance. At first, it appears as if you have to pay entry to enter here as it looks very upper class.

I took my chance and tried to enter - and to my surprise it was free! It was amazing! I was informed by a member of staff that the sunbeds were reserved for people who had paid and so I was only able to sit along the sides that were furthest from the pool.

The first thing I noticed was the incredible Infinity dip pool and incredible view overlooking the sea. When you rent one of the sunbeds at Marina Beach Club you can enjoy their various menus which include great dishes such as burgers and sandwiches, as well as a great selection of drinks and shishas.

The infinity pool is the main attraction in Marina Beach Club, and is perfect for pictures. You could be anywhere in the world at this beach club. It’s such a chilled out vibe to enjoy with friends and to take a break from the heat if spending all day at the beach.

Best time to visit the Beach Club

I would say the best time to visit the beach club is throughout the summer. This is when I had visited and can’t imagine it being very special when the sun isn’t shining. They also have great ways to enjoy those long summer evenings as they have an incredible atmosphere with great music and cocktails.

Even in the day time, they do not fall short with providing great music as they have an all day DJ. It really is the place where everyone wants to be on a summer's day.

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