Activities in Valencia

1. What to do

**The old town.** The Cathedral, built over several centuries, and its bell tower, the Miguelete, stand over the centre. Opposite the Central Market, modernist and in daily use, stands the Lonja de la Seda, a 15th-century civil Gothic building and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Serranos Towers and the Quart Towers are two gates left from the old city wall. Between them, the Carmen district keeps narrow streets, small squares and murals on its walls. The Plaza del Ayuntamiento, with the city hall building, is the civic centre of the city, and the Nord station, opened in 1917, is worth a visit for its modernist building even without catching a train. The Water Tribunal, a historic institution that settles irrigation disputes, still meets by the Cathedral door.

**The Turia Garden and the City of Arts and Sciences.** After the 1957 flood, the Turia river was diverted and its former riverbed became a park crossing the city from the Cabecera Park to the City of Arts and Sciences. The park is walked or cycled, with play areas for children, including the Gulliver park. At the end of the riverbed stands the City of Arts and Sciences, a group of white buildings by Santiago Calatrava: the Hemisfèric, the Science Museum, the Oceanogràfic, the Palau de les Arts and the Àgora. Even without entering any building, walking among them and their pools is worthwhile. Beside the Cabecera Park is the Bioparc animal park.

**Beaches, Cabanyal and markets.** Malvarrosa and Las Arenas beaches lie east of the city, with a long seafront promenade for walking. Behind the beach, Cabanyal is a former fishing district, with low houses and tiled facades. In the Ensanche district, the Colón Market, also modernist, is another historic city market, now with shops and cafés.

**The Albufera and paella.** South of the city lies the Albufera Natural Park, a lagoon surrounded by rice fields. Boats leave from its jetties and cross the lagoon, and sunset over the water is one of the park's most sought-after moments. El Palmar, a village by the lagoon, is a good place to eat paella valenciana, the dish born in these fields. In the city, horchata, a tiger-nut drink, is served in the horchaterías of the centre and the nearby fields.

2. Seasonal notes

Fallas, in March, is the city's great festival: cardboard and wood monuments raised in streets and squares, daily mascletà firecracker displays in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, and the Cremà, the burning of the monuments, on Saint Joseph's day. That week many central streets close and the city fills up, so check each year's official programme and travel by public transport.

In summer, the beaches are the main plan, and the midday heat calls for shade or museum interiors. The Turia Garden, the museums and the Albufera are enjoyed all year round, and sunsets over the lagoon do not depend on the season. In winter, the centre and the museums are walked with fewer people around.

3. Practical notes

• **No times or prices are given on this page.** Museum, aquarium and show times and prices change: check each place's official website before going.
• **Book ahead for the most visited places.** The City of Arts and Sciences and the Oceanogràfic draw large crowds at weekends and in holidays; checking entry before going avoids queues.
• **The centre is done on foot, in comfortable shoes.** The old town has stone streets and stretches without shade; cycling fits better in the Turia Garden and along the seafront promenade.
• **At the beach and the Albufera, take care with the water.** The Mediterranean can have strong waves and the lagoon is a protected natural area: follow each place's guidance.
• **During Fallas, follow the official programme.** Events and street closures change every year; the programme of the Junta Central Fallera and the city council is the reference.