17- Best Things To Do In Valencia Spain

Valencia a port city lies on Spain’s southeastern coast, where the Turia River meets the Mediterranean Recognized by its futuristic structures, City of Arts and Sciences, including a planetarium, an oceanarium, and an interactive museum. Valencia provides you with an opportunity to celebrate several beaches, including some within nearby Albufera Park, a wetlands reserve with a lake and walking trails.

Internationally gained popularity for the Falles (Les Falles), a local festival held in March is as well as for paella Valenciana, craftsmanship in traditional dress, traditional Valencian ceramics, and City of Arts and Sciences, designed by Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela is known for its architecture. This portland is worth visiting for at least 2 nights. One day you can see the City of Arts and Sciences, and the other day you can see the sights such as the Cathedral. Read Best Sights of Valencia in TA. Valencia’s major three beaches feature spectacular views and soft golden sand of the Mediterranean. You can enjoy exploring outdoors can spend their days strolling dozens of parks, gardens and plazas located within the city or hiking the trails of the nearby La Albufera National Park. If you are a food lover you can relish the real taste of Valencia should sample some fresh produce from the Central Market.

With architecturally notable palaces and churches to lure history buffs here is the list of things-to-do Valencia, so grab your beach blanket and sunglasses to enjoy your Valencia time:

Turia Gardens -Jardi del Turia

One of the country’s largest urban parks, Jardí del Túria was built after a fatal 1957 flood of the Turia river, which was then diverted throughout the mid-to-late 1960s. One of the largest urban parks in Spain The Turia Garden runs through the city along nine kilometers of green space boasting footpaths, leisure, and sports area, and romantic spots where you can unwind. From Cabecera Park to the City of Arts and Sciences, the Turia Garden is the perfect place for runners, cyclists, families and nature enthusiasts. Crossed by 18 bridges full of history, the former riverbed passes by the city’s main museums and monuments on either bank.

The vast gardens are built on the former riverbed of the Turia, whose course was altered to prevent constant flooding in the city. After a devastating flood on 14 October 1957, the Turia’s course was diverted south of the city, leaving a huge tract of land that crosses the city from West to East, bordering the historical center. Plenty of landscapists and urban planners designed different sections of the park, recreating the former river scenery. They created a unique itinerary of palm trees and orange trees, fountains and pine woods, aromatic plants and ponds, sports facilities and rose beds.

Now the garden has been sheltered with orange and palm trees and rose bushes among the extended variety of flora. The park provides you with the lots of facilities which include football (i.e., soccer) fields, cafes, children’s play areas, rugby pitches, fountains, baseball diamonds, running tracks, skate parks, and miniature golf courses. Predictably, the park is especially popular with runners and cyclists. It is also ideal for families with children. The green space is highly appreciated by recent visitors for the range of activities on offer as well as the peaceful atmosphere.

• Famous For: Parks and Gardens, Recreation, Sightseeing, Sports
• Time to spend: 2 hours to Half Day
• Entry Fee: Free
• Visiting hours: Flexible

 Arts and Science City -Ciutat de les Arts y les Ciencies

Art and Science city is a cultural and architectural obsession in the city of Valencia, Spain. Highly important as a modern tourist destination in the city of Valencia and one of the 12 Treasures of Spain. The Ciutat de Les Arts y las Ciències is a traveler favorite. Established on the old riverbed of the Turia River, the museum stree contemporary architecture (by Santiago Calatrava) shelters the Hemisfèric (a planetarium and IMAX theater), the Museu de les Ciències (a science museum), the Oceanogràfic – the largest aquarium in Europe – and the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía (a performing arts venue), among other attractions.

• Famous For: Entertainment and Nightlife, Museums, Zoos and Aquariums
• Time to spend: Half Day to Full Day
• Entry Fee: Vary by tour
• Visiting hours: Flexible

Oceanografic Valencia -L’Oceanografic

L’Oceanogràfic the largest aquarium in Europe and also boasts the longest underwater tunnel on the continent, which facilitates a close-up view of sharks and the only family of beluga whales in Europe. This is an oceanarium situated in the east of the city of Valencia, Spain, where different marine habitats are represented. Was finely designed by the architect Félix Candela and the architectural engineers Alberto Domingo and Carlos Lázaro. Though part of the Ciutat de Les Arts y les Ciències, Oceanogràfic Valencia stands as one of the top things to do all on its ownThe aquarium reproduces multiple habitats, including the Arctic, Antarctic, temperate and tropical as well as, appropriately enough, Mediterranean. Diverse dolphinarium, which features bottlenose dolphins, seats more than 1,500 people and is (you guessed it) the largest in Europe. The attraction also shelters a sizeable crocodile preserve.

• Famous For: Zoos and Aquariums
• Time to spend: Half Day to Full Day
• Entry Fee: Vary by tour
• Visiting hours: Sunday to Friday: 10 am to 6 pm, Saturday: 10 am to 8 pm

Central Market -Mercado Central

Mercat Central is a public market also called Mercado Central settled across from the Llotja de la Seda and the church of the Juanes Valencia, Spain. It is counted as one the important work  of the Valencian Art Nouveau. This is where local Valencians gather to do their shopping, though you’ll find the atmosphere a bit different than your local supermarket. One of the oldest food markets in Europe, Mercado Central is adorned with Valencian-style mosaics and filled with residents purchasing local foods from trusted vendors selling everything from meat and vegetables to pastries and takeaway items. You will be overwhelmed by the expansive range of food and beverages on offer here, representing the market as a “foodie paradise.

• Famous For: Shopping
• Time to spend: 1 to 2 hours
• Entry Fee: Free
• Visiting hours: Open Monday through Saturday, the Mercado Central operates from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is free of to peruse, but you may want to have some euros on hand in case anything appeases your taste buds.

City’s Church of St. Nicolas -Parroquia de San Nicolás de Bari y San Pedro Mártir

San Pedro Mártir and San Nicolás de Bari are Valencian Gothic style, Roman Catholic parish church placed in Valencia. Containing more than 20,000 square feet of elaborate frescos adorning its interiors, the Parroquia de San Nicolás de Bari y San Pedro Mártir has been called the Sistine Chapel of Valencia. Originally constructed in 1242, the church was remodeled and restored several times, perhaps most famously between 1690 and 1693 when the interiors were decorated with fresco paintings of scenes depicting San Nicolás de Bari (Saint Nicholas) and San Pedro Mártir (Saint Peter Martyr). Renting the audio guide is highly recommended as it provides important commentary for understanding all of the beautiful frescoes.

• Famous For: Churches/Religious Sites
• Time to spend: 1 to 2 hours
• Entry Fee: Tickets cost approximately 7 euros (or close to $8). Audio guides in multiple languages, including English, are including in your admission fee. Guided tours start at 8 euros (approximately $9).
• Visiting hours: Pestañas. Tuesday to Friday: 10:30 to 19:30. Saturdays: 10:30 to 18:30. From July to September it closes at 21:00, except Saturdays when it closes at 19:30.

Plaza Ayuntamiento

This city square contains the ayuntamiento (town hall). Here you’ll get the main tourist office within the town hall, which offers a variety of tourist information (including ticket sales) in various languages. Plaza Ayuntamiento is a great place to begin any sightseeing, as the square is filled with decadent buildings constructed during Valencia’s golden age. In the square’s center is a fountain, which is surrounded by fragrant flower stalls. And if you’re in a shopping frame of mind, simply turn off one of the square’s side streets: Many of the city’s best shops line the adjoining streets. Multiple restaurants and cafes are also nearby.

• Famous For: Sightseeing, Free, Neighborhood/Area
• Time to spend: 1 to 2 hours
• Entry Fee: Free
• Visiting hours: Flexible

Plaza de la Virgen

Plaza de la Virgen is a lively square, home of the Turia Fountain, lined with iconic historic buildings & outdoor cafes. Adjoining to the Valencia Cathedral, the Plaza de la Virgen is an ideal spot to appreciate some of the city’s architecture – and to people-watch. Many gourmet restaurants and shops surround the square, which frequently sees a variety of street performers. The popular plaza is, of course, always open, and you will find it especially attractive at night.

• Famous For: Sightseeing, Free, Neighborhood/Area
• Time to spend: Less than 1 hour
• Entry Fee: Free
• Visiting hours: Flexible

Plaza de la Reina

Situated in the golden heart of the old town area of Valencia is Plaza de la Reina. This is a pretty square, with flowers in the middle, and cafes, restaurants and grand buildings around the edge.  Like Plaza de la Virgen this is also a lively square bordered by cafes, bars, shops & historic buildings, with a fountain & shaded benches. Multiple options for food and drinks flank the square. It provides places both to soak in the sun or to find relief in the shade.

• Famous For: Sightseeing, Free, Neighborhood/Area
• Time to spend: Less than 1 hour
• Entry Fee: Free
• Visiting hours: Flexible

Bioparc Valencia

10-hectare zoo park in Valencia the Bioparc Valencia is a captivating zoo in Spain. Self-owned by the City Council of Valencia and designed and managed by Rainforest. It has a large collection of African fauna. A 25-acre Bioparc Valencia, situated in the northwest area of the city. The park aims to recreate the African continent, with animals like zebras, Nile crocodiles, giraffes, and elephants spread across four main habitats. But this isn’t just any kind of zoo – it’s an immersion zoo, which means it removes or hides many of the barriers most zoos put in place between different species, including humans. Species which are natural (and safe) reside together in the wild are placed together, while other gentle species, like lemurs and many more, for instance, are free to meet humans face to face. Other barricades are simply hidden to give visitors the feeling of being out in the wild. Remember the Bioparc’s rules concerning the animals: They shouldn’t be touched or fed, nor should they be disrupted by yelling or flash photography. Due to humanity, it’s your responsibility to treat the species well and do not disturb or annoy them

•  Famous For: Zoos and Aquariums
• Time to spend: Half Day to Full Day
• Entry Fee: Admission to the zoo costs about 24 euros (around $25) for adults and 18 euros (approximately $19.50) for children 4 to 12. Admission is free for kids 3 and younger. There are several eateries on-site, as well as a playground.
• Visiting hours: Bioparc Valencia is generally open every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; during the summer months it welcomes visitors until 9 p.m. To reach the zoo, you can walk along the Turia riverbed in the direction of Parque de Cabecera or take the metro lines 3, 5 or 9, jumping off at the Nou de Octubre stop. Bus Nos. 73, 95, 98 and 99 will also take you to the Bioparc.

 Institut Valencia d’Art Modern (IVAM)

The Institut Valencià d’Art Modern, gained popularity by the acronym IVAM, was the first center of modern art created in Spain, opened in 1989 in the city of Valencia. The Institut Valencià d’Art Modern is an essential center for modern as well as contemporary art in Spain and Europe. Its permanent collection, which boasts more than 10,000 pieces, centers on the 20th century and features important works by Julio González and Ignacio Pinazo, among others. If you’re a fan of modern art this museum is worth visiting.

• Famous For: Museums
• Time to spend: 2 hours to Half Day
• Entry Fee: Vary by tour, Free guided tours are available on weekends. You’ll discover IVAM in the west of the city and accessible by bus route No. 5 or by metro via line 1 to the Turia stop.
• Visiting hours: Closed on Mondays, the IVAM welcomes visitors from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday. It stays open until 9 p.m. on Friday. Tickets cost 6 euros (or around $6.50) for adults; children 9 and younger enter for free. To enjoy free admission, time your visit for Friday from 7 to 9 p.m., Saturday from 3 to 7 p.m. or anytime Sunday.

  Marques de Dos Aguas Palace -Palacio del Marques de Dos Aguas

Marquis of Dos Aguas palace or Palacio del Marqués de Dos Agüas, Valencian: Palau del Marqués de Dosaigüe is a Rococo nobility palace, historically important in the city, is positioned in one of the most central locations in the city of Valencia, a stately mansion that was of the Marqueses of Dos Aguas, currently owned by the Spanish State, being housed as the González Martí National Museum of Ceramics and Decorative Arts. When first constructed in the 15th century, it was a Gothic building; it was reworked in the Baroque style in the 18th century when the ornate entryway was added. Some major rooms retain the unique Gothic look. Since 1949, when the Ministry of Education bought the building, it has housed the González Martí National Museum of Ceramics. The museum boasts the largest collection of ceramics in the country and features pieces from the 18th century to the present, including work by Pablo Picasso.

• Famous For: Castles/Palaces, Museums
• Time to spend: 1 to 2 hours
• Entry Fee: Admission costs 3 euros for adults (or approximately $3.30) and 1.50 euros (around $1.65) for anyone younger than 18 or 16 and older. It’s free on Saturday evenings starting at 4 p.m. and on Sundays. During July and August, it’s open until midnight. The palace can be reached through bus routes Nos. 70 and 71 and by metro lines 3 and 5.
• Visiting hours: The palace and museum are open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and again from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Hours on Sundays and public holidays are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Museu Faller de València

If you’re not in Valencia in time for Las Fallas – a raucous annual celebration of spring and Saint Joseph’s Day – then be sure to check out the Museu Faller. The distinctly Valencian museum displays ninots, individual figures of the gigantic paper-mache figures collectively called falles that are paraded through the city and then burned in bonfires during their yearly namesake festival. Only the ninots deemed to be the best are spared and then preserved here. The museum contains various other historic items from past festivals, including posters. You will invariably found the Museu Faller fascinating, and exhibits are deemed to offer insights into the city’s culture and folklore.

• Famous For: Museums
• Time to spend: 1 to 2 hours
• Entry Fee: The price of admission is 2 euros (or roughly $2.20).
• Visiting Hours: The museum operates from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day except Sunday, when it closes at 2 p.m.

Fine Art Museum of Valencia- Museu de Belles Arts de Valencia

If you’re a fan of Spanish artists, such as Velázquez, Goya and El Greco, you won’t want to miss the free Museu de Belles Arts, which also houses a sizeable collection of medieval paintings. The Museu de Belles Arts de València is an art gallery in Valencia, Spain, founded in 1913. It is a house of some 2,000 works, most dating from the 14th–17th centuries, including a Self-portrait of Diego Velázquez, a St. John the Baptist by El Greco, Goya’s Playing Children, Gonzalo Pérez’s Altarpiece of Sts. The building itself is also quite interesting. It was once the home of the Seminary College of Saint Pius V, which dates back to the 17th century.

• Famous For: Museums
• Time to spend: 2 hours to Half Day
• Entry Fee: Free
• Visiting hours: Alameda and Pont de Fusta are the nearest metro stations. The museum generally opens Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Entrance is free.

Valencia Beaches

Beach holiday Valencia. Valencia is an absolutely enchanting city and should be high on the hit list of European metropolises. But that is perhaps also the great happiness of this Mediterranean port city – most city travelers are drawn to Barcelona, Madrid or Malaga. Valencia is an ideal blend of culture and beach. Valencia’s two most popular shorelines, Las Arenas Beach and Malvarrosa, are positioned just minutes from the city center and can be reached via bus routes Nos. 92, 19,32 and 95 and metro lines 4, 6 and 8. There are plenty of facilities within reach of these beaches, including restrooms and hotels. But to bring your towel and beach book, and layout on the khaki-colored sand.

• Famous For: Beaches
• Time to spend: 2 hours to Half Day
• Entry Fee: Free
• Visiting hours: Flexible

Albufera Nature Park -Parc Natural de la Albufera

The Albufera, or L’Albufera de València, is a freshwater lagoon and estuary on the Gulf of Valencia coast of the Valencian Community in eastern Spain. It is the main portion of the Parc Natural de l’Albufera de València, with a surface area of 21,120 hectares. Feel astonished with 250 bird species and miles of walking and biking trails – visit the Albufera Nature Park, a large freshwater lagoon. The park is surrounded by the rice fields that helped prompt the invention of paella. Certainly, there are several beaneries nearby in the towns of El Palmar and El Saler, and many travelers find the food alone a reason for visiting the area.

• Famous For: Natural Wonders, Parks and Gardens, Recreation, Sightseeing,
• Time to spend: Half Day to Full Day
• Entry Fee: Located about 15 miles south of Valencia, the park can be reached from the city center using the No. 25 bus. Fares cost 1.50 euros (about $1.65) each way. There are organized tours that depart from the city center and include a variety of add-ons, including boat rides on the lake, but past visitors said it’s just as easy to take the No. 25 bus and explore on your own. According to reviewers, it’s free to access the park, though you’ll have to pay if you want to take a boat ride.
• Visiting hours: Flexible

Valencia Cathedral

the Assumption of the lady of Valencia-The Metropolitan Cathedral–Basilica, alternatively known as Saint Mary’s Cathedral or Valencia Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic parish church in Valencia, Spain. Situated on the Plaza de la Reina, the Valencia Cathedral is probably most famous for its claim of owning the Holy Grail. Valencia Cathedral most traces were built between the 13th century and the 15th century, and this style was mainly Gothic. However, its construction went on for centuries. Suffering from the consequence, a mixture of artistic style is formed, ranging from the early Romanesque, Valencian Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical. Dated back in 1262, the cathedral was raised on the site of a former mosque and displays a number including Romanesque, architectural styles Baroque and Gothic.

• Famous For: Churches/Religious Sites, Sightseeing
• Time to spend: 1 to 2 hours
• Entry Fee: The cathedral is free to visit. Entry to the on-site Museo Catedral de Valencia, an art museum which features a variety of artworks and events, costs around 8 euros (or roughly $8.67) and access to the Gothic Miguelete tower, offers remarkable views of the city which will cost you around 2 euros (about $2.17).
• Visiting hours: The cathedral is open daily, except November to March, when it is closed on Sundays. Time vary by season, but the cathedral usually opens at 10 a.m. and remains open until 5:30 or 6:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. When it’s open on Sundays, it welcomes visitors beginning at 2 p.m.

La Lonja de la Seda -Silk Exchange

Established within 1482 and 1548, la Lonja is composed of three parts (plus the Orange Garden – a walled court-yard). The main hall, Sala de Contratacion which is The contract Hall is a large extravagantly decorated space supported by impressive twisted columns. This was the financial center of La Lonja, where the merchants work out contracts. The Lonja de la Seda (Silk Exchange) was established between 1482 and 1533 and is considered a great example of the late Valencian Gothic style architecture. Today, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, partly because of this style, but also because that style was applied to a secular building rather than a religious one, as was the norm at that time. Try to assemble the keen information to the gargoyles that crouch throughout the Silk Exchange: Their expressions range from funny to naughty.

• Famous For: Sightseeing, Tours
• Time to spend: Less than 1 hour
• Entry Fee: Admission costs 2 euros (or a little more than $2). Time your visit for a Sunday to enjoy free admission
• Visiting Hours: You’ll find the Silk Exchange within walking distance of the Central Market. The building is open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.

Conclusion

Valencia is a place with a golden heart and larger than life vacation opportunities. From Turia Gardens -Jardi del Turia to Valencia Cathedral, from Las Fallas to Parque Gulliver this place is a tourist paradise. Valencia is also right on the Mediterranean, so you can stretch your legs on broad sandy beaches and tuck into delectable cuisine that draws on the sea. Also an effective home of paella, surely the most famous Spanish dish of all. So if you are planning your amazing vacation to Valencia and wondering what will you be doing there, this article gives you a great plan to follow. Comment below and let us know what are the things included in your to-do list?