Deciding on our European summer vacation was quite a challenge for hubby and I. We both had different ideas of what we wanted to see and do. Once we decided on the South of Spain, our search began on the best way to get from Calgary (YYC) to Spain. Since we had already visited to Barcelona and Madrid we didn’t want to make those our first stops. This is when we decided Valencia (VLC) would be our first stop and I’m so glad we did.

VALENCIA, a port city, lies on Spain’s southeastern coast and is known as the City of Arts and Sciences and I couldn’t agree more. There are also some beautiful beaches that I hope to visit next time around.

 

T H I N G S T O D O

Valencia Bioparc

My hubby is a huge fan of zoos so we try and visit a zoo at least once every few years. This 10 acre zoo in Valencia is not like any other that I’ve seen except for the night safari in Singapore. The animals are so close with barely any fencing but large cats/animals are enclosed. The highlight for me was seeing a gorilla up close.

City of Arts and Sciences

Known as one of the 12 treasures of Spain, we spent an entire day exploring this entertainment and architectural complex. The buildings were truly like no others that we’ve seen.  We had purchased tickets to L’Oceanografic which included a visit to the El Museu de les Ciencies Principe Felipe. The museum was three floors and very interactive. What we enjoyed the most was the dinosaur exhibit.

L’Oceanografic

If you love aquariums, you must visit this one. We thoroughly enjoyed our time and saw so many different species of fishes including sharks, whales and dolphins.  The highlight was the glass walk through enclosure.

Mercado Central, Valencia

A  MUST see when in Valencia or Spain. The market is located across from Llotja de la Seda and the church of Juanes in central Valencia.  We absolutely love the fresh fruit and zumos (juices) these markets have to offer. Lots of meats, fishes, cheese, etc can be found.

Torres de Quart

I found there wasn’t a lot of old architecture to see in Valencia but these gothic towers built-in the 1400s, a part of Valencia’s city wall, should not be missed.

Portal de la Valldigna

Funny store, I was actually googling IG walls in Valencia and saw a post about this wall with this beautiful archway. Later that evening, we went on a walking tour of the Old Quarter and low and behold I see this wall! Had to stop and take the customary photo!

Urban Art

Valencia has some amazing street art around town. We actually took a free walking tour with Free Tour Valencia at 6pm showcasing Street Art which included a visit to the ‘El Carmen” quarter.  I didn’t realize there were so many talented artists. This tour is a must see if you’re visiting Valencia.

Other highlights include:

Cathedral of Valencia

Silk Exchange

Serranos Gate

Turia fountain

Plaza de la Virgen

E A T S

Valencian Paella – Restaurante Flor de Valencia

When in Valencia, one must try their famous Paella, a rice dish. The Valencian paella is made with beans seafood, sausage and chicken/rabbit and the must have saffron.  After much researching, we tried the vegetarian paella at Restaurant Flor de Valencia. To me it was very similar to an East Indian dish, vegetable pilau. Would I eat it again, probably not but I’m glad I tried it. Hubby on the other hand loved it.

Tapas – Cinnamon

This restaurant was great too. All the food was prepared fresh and right in front of us. We actually tried OX for the first time.  It was bit gamy but I’m glad that I can say that I tried it. The desert though was probably the best we’ve ever had. A MUST DO!

Tapas – Maui Russafa

We absolutely loved this cute restaurant. It’s owned by a very sweet lady and everything is made fresh. If you visit make sure to try the home-style potatoes and chicken fingers. Very very good!

Italian – La Pappardella

Make reservations in advance if you’d like to visit this restaurant. The food was very good and reasonably priced. We enjoyed our Caprese salad along with our pastas. This was the one night we didn’t do sangrias as they had a great selection of wines.  

Gelato

Hubby and I are huge fans of gelato. We will stop at least a couple of times a day to have some trying all the various flavors. Our favorite gelato in Valencia was from Gelateria La Romana.  This place was busy at all hours of the day with line ups out the door. I usually stick to vanilla but I discovered stracciatella which I didn’t know what chocolate chip ice cream. That became my new favorite flavor for the rest of the trip.

 

A C C O M O D A T I O N

When booking hotels this time around, I thought it was probably better to stay in old town/new town.  We usually stay 15-25 minutes away from the touristy attractions. We booked the Hotel One Shot Palacio Reina Victoria 04. This hotel is ideal when visiting Valencia.  Shopping was less than 5 minutes away, the cathedral a 10 minute walk with lots of restaurants nearby. We like more of a modern décor in our hotel room and this had just that. The amenities in the hotel were great too. All in all, we would recommend this hotel.

Our city break to Valencia was perfect. We spent 3.5 full days/4 nights and thought it was ideal to see all the major sites. Have you been to Valencia? Would love to know what you thought….