Playa de la Malvarrosa

La Malva Rosa, or Platja La Malvarrosa in Catalan, is one of the most popular beaches in Valencia due to its close proximity to the city and accessibility. Los Poblados´s maritime port is close and visible from the beach, where the ferries to Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza and San Antonio sail from. La Malva Rosa isn´t one of the largest beaches in Spain, however, it´s known for being the port which connects Valencia to many other Spanish islands and also to some African ports.

One of the first things we wanted to do when we arrived in Valencia was go to the beach, however from October onwards it tends to get cloudier and this is usually accompanied by heavy showers. A friend of mine who lives in Valencia told me that the Valencians are afraid of the rain, since it only has to start spitting and people refuse to set foot outside - I guess this is the reason why there was almost nobody around when we arrived at the beach, just like there was hardly anyone about in the city in general. If you´re planning on visiting Valencia for the beach then, I would definitely recommend going in the summertime, or at least before October. August and September are still good times to pay a visit.

Since we weren´t sure how best to get around the city, this being our first time there, we decided to get the tram to the beach and I think this was a good idea. It´s quite difficult really to work out which station to get off at, since though we got off the tram when we saw the beach, we didn´t know if one particular tram line would be better than the others or whether there was a charge for crossing into another zone. Thankfully, this wasn´t the case, and just getting off at any station when the beach comes into view works fine.

Malvarrosa neighbourhood is located right next to the beach, and to be honest, its design and architecture are quite individual. One thing which is noticeable about this neighbourhood is that there aren´t any hotels, since most of these are congregated in Las Arenas. This makes this area one very accessible for reaching the beach. In my country, it´s usually pretty clear when you´ve reached the beach since the train and other kinds of public transport stop quite far away and the only thing you can see ahead of you is one or two kilometres of walkways lined with palm trees: in Valencia this is very different, since the tram stops less than five hundred metres away from the beach and the houses are equally as close to the sand. Something I really liked was the originality of the neighbourhood, its architecture and above all how the doors of the houses were decorated, since they tended to be painted bright vivid colours and had an original air about them.

When we arrived at the beach we were struck by the strange fact that it was almost entirely empty, and speaking later to the tram driver we were told (confirming what my Valencian friend had told me) that in this weather, people tend to stay at home and aren´t keen to go out. In the surrounding neighbourhood, there were lots of affordable restaurants with a wide range of dishes, among which was of course the famous Paella Valenciana.

Something I found really attractive about this beach was that it has a paved area where people come to play sports, run, walk, skate or ride their bikes (this last option seems to be the most popular). Just after this area ends is a paved walkway where you can also find several stalls selling everything from food, souvenirs, bracelets, necklaces, drinks, swimming costumes, clothes to inflatables to take in the sea. All this can be found along this little line of stalls, so if you forget anything or get hungry or thirsty, you can find all you need just two hundred metres away.

Further on past this section of the beach, an area exists which seems to be designed for runners and joggers who prefer to do so along the sand. This is an isolated path lined with palm trees opposite the cycle path and stalls. Every ten metres or so, there are also special exercise apparatus for doing press-ups and pull-ups.

When we first arrived at the beach, we noticed that it was in very good condition, perhaps due to the around thirty rubbish bins we saw at first glance - we never saw rubbish lying anywhere, and the beach was very clean. There is a wooden walkway leading from where the sand starts to a few metres away from the sea so that you don´t burn your feet when you visit on a very hot day. You can also rent sun loungers and parasols, however not on the day we visited, probably due to the unsuitable weather.

If like me you´re scared of swimming in the sea, you don´t have anything to worry about, since I was told that the tide is usually low and there are lifeguards watching all the time to check that everyone is safe. If weather or sea conditions are bad, there is a announcement requesting that people don´t enter the water. Really then, there is nothing to be concerned about: they take good care of their tourists.

If you´re too hungry to be satisfied by the snacks from the stalls, you can eat on the beach itself as there are a few reasonably-priced restaurants. As a dog lover, you´ll love it here - Playa de la Malvarrosa is a popular spot for dog-walkers, and you see lots of dogs carrying toys or balls in their mouths and enjoying themselves playing in the waves.

Don´t be afraid to try out the sporting activities on the beach - volleyball is very popular, as is renting surfboards since Malva Rosa´s low waves and shallow water make it a very safe place to practice. Yes, the water is a bit cold at first, but you stop noticing after a while!

One of the things I was most impressed by when I visited this beach was that we left our belongings alone for a short period of time while we went into the sea, and nothing was stolen. This gave me a good impression of the Valencians, although my Valencian friend told us that it´s not usually very safe to leave things lying around as there are lots of gypsies around public beaches such as this one. We personally though didn´t have any problems.

When you´re ready to leave, the beach has both body and foot showers which you can use free of charge.

How to get there

Valencia offers three different methods of transport: the metro (including the tram), the bus and the valenbisi (yes, spelt with an ´s`).

• The first time we visited the beach, we travelled by metro, and it´s worth knowing that if you buy a metro ticket you can change to the tram any time you like, as they are part of the same network. You can use línea 4 (L4) or línea 6 (L6) to get to the beach, as several stops on this line are nearby. If you travel on línea 4 it´s best to get off at the stop named Eugenia Viñés, and if you travel on línea 6, you can use either the Eugenia Viñés or Les Arenes stop.
• The second time we went to the beach, we used the city bikes. This is a unique experience which allows you to get around quickly while at the same time getting to know the city better. If you decide to go by bike, it´s worth knowing that you´ll have to pay a fee if you don´t return your bike to a station within thirty minutes, so if your journey is going to take forty, return your bike to a station in the street and take another one out to carry on. There´s a valenbisi station map which shows you were all the stations can be found around Valencia, and we used this to get to the beach. There´s a very good cycle path on the Av. dels Tarongers which you can follow all the way to the beach - there´s also a bike station at the end of it. Don´t be afraid of biking around Valencia, since it´s a very eco-friendly city which keeps its cycle paths in good shape. The city bikes also have lights and safety signs on them.

• The buses also stop at Playa de la Malvarrosa. If you want to travel by bus to the beach or catch the bus back to your hotel, wait at the stop on the same path as the tram. It can be hard to know where to find the stop, although the bus actually drives down the path designated for the tram. Look for the línea 32 bus.

Top tips:

• Don´t take lots of valuables with you - you´ll need to take care of them like you would on any beach.