Top 6 things to do in Valencia

Looking for a beautiful European city with a great historic centre, amazing food and lots of things to do?

Valencia, Spain

Valencia in Spain’s southeast would have to be one of the most underrated destinations in the country. It should be a must-visit destination on anyone’s Spanish holiday itinerary!

We used Valencia as a base to go to La Tomatina (the famous tomato throwing festival) in the nearby town of Buñol, but it’s so much more than a launching pad for the world’s biggest food fight.

We were delighted by what we discovered in Valencia and regretted that we’d only planned for 2 nights, with one full day at the La Tomatina festival.

Here are 6 things to do in Valencia that you simply can’t miss.

1. Eat Paella

It would be a HUGE disappointment to miss out on eating paella in the place where the famous (and delicious) Spanish rice dish of carby-goodness was first created. As with everything food related, we wanted to try the absolute best on offer, so we asked our local AirBnB host for recommendations. We ended up at an atmospheric family owned establishment, Casa Roberto Restaurante located about a 15 minute walk from the old town. The waiters were run off their feet, frantically ferrying seafood & rabbit paella to hungry locals and tourists alike. Watching the staff run around the kitchen with orders & yell at each other passionately in Spanish was half of the fun! It was around a 25 minute wait for paella (and even longer to get a table) but it was worth every second to not only experience the delicious seafood paella, but to admire the old world atmosphere of the restaurant and the absolute professionalism of the waiters. This is just one of the many restaurants where you can order the local delicacy – so if you have time, ask the locals and try out a few (and follow it up with a Crema Catalana). But we do highly recommend this restaurant.

2. Plaza de la Virgen

Plaza de la Virgen is one of the oldest and most charming squares in Valencia. We found it to be the perfect place to eat helado (ice cream – boring old Chocolate for Rosie and exotic turrón  flavour for Aaron, he’s favourite), while dancing to talented local street musicians. This is where you’ll feel part of the heartbeat of Valencia. The plaza is home to the Cathedral and La Fuente del Turia, the scenic fountain depicting Neptune and the River Turia (which flooded many years ago). The square is best visited at night when it’s lit up in all its glory and locals hang out by the fountain. But, make sure that you don’t get too caught up in settling for one of the touristy restaurants in the square as some of the best the city has to offer are down the cobbled side streets or a bit further afield.

3. City of Arts and Sciences

Thankfully, we stumbled upon this absolute modern architectural masterpiece while attempting to walk off our paella, Crema Catalana and a bottle or two of Tempranillo (there’s really no stopping us on holiday). The architecture here is ah-mazing, and in summer the building that resembles a giant eye surrounded by temperate pools turns into a great outdoor recreation area. You can dip your feet in the water, or try your luck at water-biking, kayaking or rolling around in one of those gigantic plastic balls (we opted for water-biking – great fun!). This place has so much to offer, so don’t miss out if you’re in Valencia (there’s an aquarium and all!)

4. Jardin del Turia

This is one impressive and beautiful park and it’s the biggest in Spain. Back in the day it used to be the River Turia, which was diverted further away and has now been transformed into a recreational wonderland. At one end of the garden is the City of Arts and Sciences and throughout the rest of the park there are sports grounds, plenty of trees to escape the heat of the sun and little nooks ideal for chilling out and living the laid-back European lifestyle.

5. Eat a Valencian Orange

When in Rome! Don’t miss out on eating a juicy Valencian orange right where they were first plucked from the tree. You won’t have to look far to find them either, they’ll be overflowing crates at tiendas all around the city. Load up your bag!

6. Wander around the city

We’re firm believers that walking is the absolute best way to explore any city, whether you have little or ample time. Valencia is a joy to walk around, with its quaint back streets that open into colourful squares and beautiful park areas. We found some fantastic little eateries specialising in Spanish delicacies in the back streets. Look for where the locals are (that’s usually where the best food and drink are at!)

We’d love to get back to Valencia to explore more of this beautiful and underrated destination – do you have any recommendations for us?

Rosie & Aaron