Valencia

When considering a sunshine vacation on the Costa Blanca, many people do not realise that the city of Valencia lies at the very north of this beautiful stretch of sandy coast. What better way to keep all members of your group happy, than to mix some time on the some of the best beaches in Spain, with time spent in sightseeing and taking in the culture of this rapidly emerging city?

Valencia is Spain’s third city (after Madrid and Barcelona), and has a wealth of attractions to delight the visitor, whether it is as a city break destination, or as part of a longer vacation on the costas. Home to Valencia Football Club, the European Formula 1 Grand Prix street circuit, and the Moto GP circuit at nearby Cheste, Valencia also has a renovated port area that has twice hosted the Americas Cup.

It is now becoming even easier to reach Valencia, with the inauguration of the high speed train service (AVE) between Madrid and Valencia due to take place on Dec 19th 2010. Air travel to Valencia is also easy and convenient – not only is the airport (VLC) well served by the major European budget airlines, but getting into the city from the airport is simplicity itself, involving a 20 minute metro ride costing less than €2! If you are coming by car, Valencia is on the A3 motorway from Madrid, and also lies on the A7 motorway which runs right down the Mediterranean coast of the country.

Steeped in a very varied history, Valencia is a delightful city for the visitor, and also an easy one to appreciate – most of the sights are within walking distance of one another in the historical centre. Visitors usually choose to go on foot between the churches, monuments and landmarks, stopping off for refreshments at a bar or café along the way. And there is no shortage of places to visit, examples being the cathedral (which rewards the intrepid climber with a fabulous view from the top of its tower, as well as being home to the Holy Grail), the silk exchange, the central market and the bull ring. As you go from one building to another, you will walk through wide boulevards and elegant squares, or of course you may prefer to take the open top touristic bus in order to familiarise yourself with the landmarks to begin with. A particularly attractive feature of Valencia is the public gardens that snake through the centre of the whole city. The Turia Gardens are in fact the path that the River Turia originally took through the city, before being diverted in the early 60’s, following a devastating flood in 1957. Now, it is home to lush gardens, cafés, fountains, playgrounds, sports areas and walkways, and runs through the very heart of the city, making a welcome retreat from the heat and bustle of Valencia itself.

At the far end of the Turia Gardens – and only a 30 minute walk from Valencia’s historic centre – you can visit the City of Arts and Sciences (Ciudad de las Artes y de las Ciencias), an architecturally stunning collection of buildings nestling in the old river bed. Designed by the renowned architect Santiago Calatrava and containing the largest aquarium in Europe, a highly interactive science museum, an Imax cinema and a concert and opera venue, this is certainly yet another landmark not to be missed, and is one of the top attractions in the whole of Spain. Even if you don’t go inside to enjoy what this venue has to offer, it is worth seeing from the outside for its modern and unique architecture alone.

Another exceptional outdoor attraction is the Bioparc, a huge zoological area that enables the visitor to see animals in their natural habitats. Concentrating on the wildlife of Africa at present, visitors get the feeling of being in amongst the animals, with barriers being kept as unobtrusive as possible.
Like most Spanish cities, Valencia has no shortage of nightlife, with a huge array of bars, restaurants and clubs to entertain you. The Carmen area of the city in the historic part is home to most of the bars and clubs, but be warned – they only really come to life in the small hours of the morning! Just wandering around this area of the city at night is a pleasure though, and you will stumble upon friendly little bars and venues down almost every street.

And if all the sightseeing and nightlife is too much – or if you just fancy a day of rest – Valencia even has its own beautiful, sandy beach, which proves a major attraction for visitors and locals alike. So, whether you decide to visit Valencia for a day or two as part of a longer sunshine vacation on the Costa Blanca, or whether it is your chosen destination for a city break, you will find plenty to surprise and delight you.