Experience in Valencia

Why Valencia?

Valencia is a beautiful Spanish city that's not too far from the more popular Barcelona.

I decided to stay in this city for a while as the Spanish city I was in beforehand had too many people for my liking, and I wanted to be in a smaller city, one that was more friendly.

I found the weather quite hot, but not overly so that it wasn't bearable, although the nearest beach was 30 minutes away by car.

Central Market

The first thing we visited was the central market of Valencia where you can find many stalls selling only traditional Spanish products: ham (the famous salami), tapas (little snacks), but also fruit, vegetables, smoothies, street food and many other things. There were so many fresh fruit and veg stalls, so to find the cheapest all you'd have to do is not stop at those immediately at the market entrance.

It's impossible to leave there without buying something. It's ideal for a quick lunch or buying something to take away. If you've been to Barcelona or Madrid, you could definitely compare it to the San Miguel or Boqueria markets.

Miguelet Tower

Another of Valencia's must-visit spots is the Miguelet Tower, from where you can admire the magnificent city of Valencia for only €2. The staircase is a bit steep and climbing it can be tiring, but it's definitely worth it. I advise bringing a bottle of water with you if you go on a sunny day, as they don't sell any at the top of the tower (obviously).

The descent can be slightly problematic, as the steps on the last flight of stairs become narrower and two people can't easily walk down at the same time, in fact at the top there's a CCTV camera with a speaker that tells you when it's possible to descend, only not everyone pays attention to this and are totally oblivious so PAY ATTENTION!

Calatrava

Another very important part of Valencia which makes it famous worldwide is the architecture designed by Calatrava. To go see them you can take a bus directly from Town Hall Square or Plaza del Ayuntamiento which will take you there in 20 minutes.

Inside Calatrava's works you can find the very famous oceanarium and the Museum of Science. I thought the museum, despite the negative reviews on the Internet, was quite a lot of fun. It has small pavilions where you can reproduce some very simple experiments, for example: measure the height of your jump, move a ball with your mind challenging an opponent, learn the land forms of Spain, find out the plants of typical Spanish vegetation etc.

It's rather long to walk around it all, but probably no more than 2 hours. Below is a glimpse of the structure.

In addition to this...

The oceanarium is not much more than a big acquarium divided in sections with various species of animals. It was particularly interesting to see that there are so many different kinds of jellyfish, some of which are huge.

The penguin and seals area was definitely the most popular as it was particularly cold, and in the summer it provides much need relief from the heat.

You can also see a dolphin show at certain times. I wasn't able to, but if you have the time it's surely worth seeing.

Another important structure is L'Umbracle, a summer garden. Nearby there's also a small club, which is only open on some days.

There's also a big shopping centre nearby where you can stop for a bite to eat between visits.

As for the beaches, the most popular Playa della Malvarrosa isn't far from the city centre, but the sea there is nothing compared to the further away Playa de la Garrofera, which is less crowded and the sea is much clearer.

For restaurants that serve the best Valencian paella, I suggest El Rall (as a person who doesn't particularly like this dish, they really know how to cook it well). Another restaurant for delicious food is Vinofinto, a little far away from that previously mentioned where they serve the best salmorejo in the world.