Local beaches and Marina Real: Valencia has a privileged location right by the side of the Mediterranean sea. This provides nice weather throughout the entire year, with lovely summers for bathing and enjoying the beach, and very mild winters. Despite the fact that October is not bathing season, the mild temperatures still provide the chance to enjoy a very nice walk next to the beach promenades. In the last few years, the city has economically invested in making both the local beaches, the port, and the surrounding areas more attractive to leisure activities. This includes clean and enjoyable promenades, bars, hotels, and social activities. Our port and maritime area was host of America’s Cup 2007, one of the most important yachting competitions.
Gastronomy: One of Valencia’s strongest attractives is gastronomy. Valencia is the home for the traditional and authentic Paella, one of the most renowned dishes in Spanish cuisine. Not only the dish was created in Valencia, but it is very well-known that years of tradition make Valencia the best place to eat Paella. Apart from Paella, Valencia is also home to other traditional dishes such as Fideua, whis is similar to Paella, but based on shellfish and special noodles. Rice-based dishes are the specialty of Valencia, and one may find many traditions of such dishes in restaurants such as Arroz al Horno, Arros Negre, Arroz del Senyoret, and so forth. Apart from the strong appeal of Valencia’s main dishes, Valencia also has a traditional recreational non-alcoholic drink named as Horchata. Horchata is typically served between lunch and dinner in the warmest months, although one can find this sweet drink all around the year.
Sport events: Valencia is home for Valencia CF and Valencia Basket. The two teams compete at the highest level both at national and international competitions. The Spanish La Liga is one of the strongest football leagues in the world, and Valencia CF, founded in 1919, usually places high at the league tables. The basketball team is relatively young (1986), but we have witnessed a meteoric rise in the team’s quality and competitiveness, always qualifying for the Spanish finals and even winning some of the european competitions. Spending some days in Valencia may be a good opportunity to witness sport events at the highest level.
Shopping: Valencia has a wide variety of shops and shopping malls that make it a good destination for shopping enthusiasts. There are two major shopping areas in the city: one in the city center, and another one next to Valencia’s most emblematic landmark, Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències. The city center is filled with many shops from the top spanish brands, but it also has several large retailers like El Corte Ingles. The shopping activity around Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències is also supported by large retailers like el Corte Ingles, but also by two shopping malls composed by a variety of shops (El Saler, and Aqua). For more traditional shopping, the city center is house for Mercat Central, a typical market that offers local foods and products.
Night-life: Valencia also has a vibrant and modern night-life. There are hundreds of different bars, restaurants, pubs, and discos. The major areas for having dinner and going out may be found around the city center (Ruzafa, El Carmen), the university areas, the area surrounding Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències, and the port area.
Biking: Valencia is a flat city, with no slopes. This makes it ideal for some leisure biking around the city. In the last few years, there have been strong local initiatives to make biking a feasible transportation method. Now, Valencia has one of the longest bike lane infrastructures in Spain. There are more than 140km of bike lane, having a longer infrastructure than larger cities such as Madrid and Barcelona. Many of these bike routes allow individuals to have a nice and relaxing stroll around some emblematic areas in the city like Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències, the sea port, and many city center areas and parks. ValenBisi offers a one week ticket for 13.30€ that allows visitors to use its bike sharing system. There are hundreds of ValenBisi stations spread across the city.
