Valencia Sightseeing Reviews ( 22 reviews )
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The place was nice. Spread out and plenty to see. Dont go on a very hot day |
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Valencia's 'City of Arts and Sciences', Europe’s largest urban park, is where you will find some of the world's most aesthetically pleasing buildings. The 'city' actually incorporates four attractions - Palau de les Artes (the city’s auditorium), L’Hemisferic (a planetarium and IMAX theatre), Museu de las Ciences (Science Museum) and L’Oceanográfic (marine park). |
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This city has everything - and the beach was the highlight for me. Busses from most parts of the city to the beach. We were staying by the Arts and Sciences buildings and the bus (19 or 20) only took about 10 mins. The beach stretches for miles, fine sand, no rocks in the water and clean. You can hire a lounger and umbrella for about 7 euro for the day. There are loads of bars and restaurants along the promenade too. Great places to try the famous valencia paella here too. Weekends are really crowded though so get there early enough, during the week is perfect! |
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The Turia River once passed through the city, now the river has been detoured and the dried-out river bed running through the heart of the city has been converted into the main central park of the city. |
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The city hall and the central post office are located in Valencia’s main square. In the reception area of this City Hall you can view a beautiful marble stairway and outside the domes decorated with tiles and the balcony covering the main part of the first floor. Across is the beautiful Post Office (Correos). |
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The main Market Place of the city with stands of all type. A must for fresh vegetables, fruits, fish and meat. |
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Considered to be the largest and most important marine park in Europe, with the sea fauna of the most important ecosystems of the planet. |
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One of the best in Spain, it can hold over 20000 people. |
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Valencia has excellent waterfront facilites and services. Las Arenas and La Malvarrosa beaches are just minutes from the city center and easily reached by bus, metro, car or on foot. They are equipped with sports and play areas. On summer nights the beaches are popular among those enjoying the Mediterranean weather and the Valencia night life. Very close to Las Arenas you will find many restaurants. Enjoy paella, arros a banda and arros al forn. |
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The view from the top of this famous bell tower is great. |
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If you are in Valencia from the 15th to the 19th March, you will be able to take part in this big festival with parades, fireworks, food, etc. |
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In Bunol, 40 Km west of Valencia. At the end of August every year you can experience this famous tomato battle/festival. |
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Las Anadas de Espana Very close to Plaza de Toros and to Estacion del Norte. Great shop for cheese, cold meats, local products, desserts and cakes. It’s in Calle Xativa, 3. |
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It’s the ancient part of the city, very busy, full of tourists and locals wandering around the small alleys and enjoying bars, restaurants and clubs. |
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One of the best aspects of the Museu de les Ciencies Principe Felipe is its architecture. It covers an area of about 40,000 square meters and is part of a complex of buildings which are very impressive examples of modern architecture. Inside, the exhibits were less impressive. Displays devoted to Nobel Prize winners, for example, were about as interesting as a hastily prepared school project … in Spanish! The lack of English information on exhibits makes them less than engaging to the average non-Spanish speaking visitor. There was a worthwhile exhibit covering the Amazon on the top floor. It included a video and specimens of insects and other items from the Amazon rainforest. This, and a few other science exhibits, just about justified the museum admission price of 7 Euro. |
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l'Oceanografic is an impressive marine park in Valencia designed to exhibit hundreds of marine species in areas that replicate the main marine habitats around the world. Sharks, beluga whales, manta-rays and sea-lions are some of the attractions that inhabit the specially designed pools. The dolphinarium is also the largest in Europe. You can walk through clear underwater tunnels to see many different species of fish. Beware though; wherever there is low light, tourists and distractions, there are also pickpockets! (I learned this to my cost when one of the Spanish-speaking groups behind me helped themselves to a couple of items from my backpack).
Overall, l’Oceanografic is worth the approx. 20-25 Euro admission cost. It is a little far from the city centre (although, I did walk to it). You should plan to spend most of a day there, as there is a lot to see and it is close to a few other attractions. |
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Originally built as part of the city’s fortifications around the 15th century, the towers also served as a jail for women. The effects of past conflicts can be clearly seen on the battle damaged façade. The building is deemed to be a good example of late Gothic military construction. Apart from that, there is little else to do or see there. |
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I had not intended to visit the Jardi Botanic (Botanical Garden) in Valencia, but just happened to pass by after straying from my original route. For just a 60 cents admission price, it was worth a look. I was pleasantly surprised. It contains thousands of species of trees or plants and provides a nice relaxing, shaded environment away from the hot city streets. The garden was originally founded in 1567 for the study of medicinal plants and was installed at its current location in 1802. |
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The Museo Nacional de Ceramica Gonzalez Marti is the type of building you cannot pass without wanting to take a look inside. The architecture is ornate with an amazing alabaster entrance. The building is a 15th Century palace that was refurbished in 1740. Inside, the ornate rooms are as magnificent as the exhibits themselves. It contains 18th Century carriages, medieval ceramics and tiles made in the Royal Ceramics Factory in Alcora.
There were very few visitors when I was there, so the (bored?) security personnel busied themselves by walking about 2 meters behind me. I know from a previous visit to Valencia that the locals are not too fond of speaking English. So, after asking the nearest security guard a few questions in English (about a ceramic plate on display), they all scampered off to another room and left me alone. |
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The Mercado Central is notable for both its modernist architecture, which was designed in 1914, and its size. It covers over 8000 square meters consisting of more than 1000 stalls selling fresh fruit, vegetables, fish, meat, wine, pastries and other food items. I would highly recommend it to anyone staying in the city on a self-catering/apartment break. You should go there in the morning, as the market closes in the early afternoon. |
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The Miguelete is one of the most recognizable symbols of Valencia. The octagonal tower is situated beside the Cathedral at Plaza de la Reina. You can get a spectacular view of Valencia from the top of the tower; however, in the busy tourist season you may have to wait some time before getting to climb the 207 steps to the top. |
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This is a square at the center of the city’s historic district. Built on the site of a Roman forum, it serves as a centre for some of the activities associated with the festival of Las Fallas. On the east side of the square is the Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados, while on the opposite side is the Gothic Palau de la Generalitat. The fountain in the square is dedicated to the River Turia and its important role in irrigation in past centuries. There are some cafés around the square, where you can sample some local food while sitting out in the sun. While full of tourists during the summer, the Plaza de la Virgin is definitely worth a visit for its impressive and historic buildings. However, if you manage to take photos of most of these without an industrial crane, lorry, ambulance, or police car obscuring the ornate doorways, you will have been a luckier than me! |
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