Cycling through the Túria Gardens in Valencia, en route to sample paella at the beach, I catch myself wondering what would we do in Ireland if the decision was taken to divert one of our cities’ main rivers. Would we give acres and acres of new “prime development” land over to a vast park? The nine-kilometres-long Túria Gardens are glorious. They came about after the Túria river had burst its banks, leading to a devastating flood in the 1950s. And while some voices had called for luxury apartments, shopping destinations and even for a main road, instead the Valencianos chose to do something truly lovely.
It all took a while; the gardens were eventually inaugurated in 1986. Now there are boating ponds, playgrounds, skate parks, football pitches, rose gardens, palm trees, orange trees and lawns. With only a gentle incline to the sea, it is ideal for cycling, and on your way to the beaches, cafes and restaurants of Malvarossa and Platja de Cabanyal, you pass through the Cuidad de las Artes y de las Ciencias (City of Arts and Sciences) a fabulously futuristic hub designed by local starchitect Santiago Calatrava. Gleaming white, with turquoise blue pools and vine-garlanded shade spots, it is an astonishing playground for architecture nerds and Instagrammers alike, and that’s before you get into the buildings themselves, which include a planetarium, science museum, aquarium, opera house and arts centre.
But, as forward-thinking as Valencia is, it is also satisfyingly steeped in history. There are layers of Moorish culture, not least in the orange trees that line the streets. The name itself comes from the Romans: “Valentia”, meaning to “be brave”, as centurions set up camp here on their way home from doing almost certainly ghastly things to the newly colonised somewhere else. A thriving port city, Valencia had once been at the heart of international silk trading. La Llotja de la Seda (in Valènciano, which is a different dialect to Castilian Spanish), the old Silk Exchange, was built in the 1400s. Traders had called for a building to match their sense of status, and the early Renaissance architects delivered in spades with its gorgeous stone carving and colonnaded spaces.
While none of the original Moorish buildings remain, the influence is present in Valencia’s silk, oranges and rice. The last of these is still grown at the Albufera national park, and Valencian rice is the crucial ingredient in a true paella, which was invented here. The Moors also introduced an irrigation system, and to this day, the Water Tribunal takes place each Thursday at noon at the steps of the Cathedral of Valencia. It was established by Jaime I in the 1200s and brings together eight farm workers, dressed in traditional black shirts, to settle disputes on sharing this vital natural resource.
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The cathedral provides another stellar draw as, alongside its two paintings by Goya, it is home to the Holy Grail. Indiana Jones could have spared himself the fuss, as anyone can go and see it for €10. While there are hundreds of goblets around the world purporting to be the cup that did the honours at the Last Supper, this one is endorsed by popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis. The small agate chalice, set on a later, blingier stand, is in a side chapel, and if you time your viewing between the shuffling tour groups, you can have it (almost) to yourself. There are plans to move the Grail to a new dedicated museum in 2027, so go now while it’s still all atmospherically holy. On the subject of popes, Valencia was the birthplace of two, both sons of the notorious Borgia family. Today their former palace is the seat of the Valencian parliament.
A truly charming little church, San Nicolás, is a little harder to find. The entrance is down a narrow pass off Calle Caballeros in the old part of town. Here, a side door opens to what locals like to call their version of the Sistine Chapel. The baroque frescoes cover every surface, and a just-launched video mapping project adds sound and light to the older wonders (admission charges apply). The Old City is easily walkable, with lots of spots for sips and snacks, and the bus, tram and metro systems are also excellent. Valencia is flat, so cycling is a joy, and besides the Túria Gardens, there are large swathes of pedestrianised areas and cycleways. A local city bike pass costs €3.99 a day at valenbisi.es, with the first 30 minutes of each trip free.
So what’s not to love? Bullfighting is still held three times a year, at Plaza de Toros, also used for concerts. And while the city itself wasn’t affected by the floods of October 2024, there is still local anger at how the aftermath was handled at government level. This is testament to the incredibly strong community spirit that is part of what makes the place so remarkable. Locals organised food distribution, and helped with the searches and the clean-up. But such communities are still fragile. Speaking to city residents, they say that international buyers are now driving up prices and rents. So do visit this astonishing city, but don’t decide to “buy a little place”, unless you intend to live there full time and make it your home (which is a tempting prospect).
Gemma Tipton was a guest of Visit Valencia
Getting there
Ryanair has flights to Valencia from Dublin and Cork, year round. There is a direct airport Metro link to the city centre, journey time about 25 minutes, €5.80 including refillable metro card). Order a Valencia Tourist Card, €15 for 24 hours, for pick-up at an airport kiosk, and get your metro and tram transport free, plus free admission to some museums, and discounts at others, visitvalencia.com. We stayed at the very nice Hotel Dimar, centrally located on the Gran Vía Marqués del Turia, from €120 per room off peak.
Food and drink
Alongside paella, must-tries are the local Perelló tomatoes. Grown in sand, they are luscious. Horchata is a sweet and refreshing drink made from tiger nuts, and in the alcoholic arena, Agua de Valencia is a cocktail made with cava, vodka, orange juice and gin. And if that sounds like too much of a mouthful, a glass of orange vermouth on ice goes down easy. Every area has its own fresh food market, while the restored Colón Market has bars and restaurants, including MiClub, which does gorgeous things with tomatoes and tuna. Head to the Ruzafa area for tapas bars, or get your feed of paella at LaLola, on a quiet bougainvillea festooned lane beside the cathedral. Ideal for a post Holy Grail quest lunch.
When to go
March, September and October are best for cooler sunshine, but Valencia has a full calendar of festivals and events. It’s not quite a festival, but go at the end of January and early February to see if you can catch the orange tree shaking. The bitter orange trees lining the city streets have ripened, and rather than have them plopping on to people’s heads, City Council workers go around with special tree-shakers. It’s quite a sight.
The Fallas is the big one. Running March 1st-19th, it’s a wild and loud daily explosion of gunpowder, bonfires, processions, fireworks, flowers, costume and carousing. Each area creates its own monumental, and often satirical sculptures, which are ritually burned, with only the best being saved for display.
Corpus Christi dates from 1263 in Valencia and is celebrated two months after Easter. The long weekend of events is marked by large historic wooden ship-shaped floats, pulled by horses in the Paso de las Rocas. Things hot up (or cool down) on the Saturday with La Poalà, with buckets of water being flung at the passing parade, followed by Mystery Plays in Plaza de la Virgen. Dancing and more solemn processions complete the fun.
World Paella Day is September 20th. The dish was invented in Valencia and is eaten at lunchtime (never in the evening). A genuine Valencian paella has lima beans, green beans, rabbit, snails and chicken, rather than seafood: “They only mix them in Madrid”. Watch the cooking competitions and sample the stuff at La Marina in the Pérgola district.
La Tomatina is about 40km/an hour or so away from Valencia by train in Buñol. It takes place on the last Wednesday of August each year, as thousands of people pelt one another with ripe tomatoes. It has got so popular that, since 2013, participation is limited to 20,000 by ticket. But if oceans of red goo and goo-covered people is your idea of fun, don’t miss out.
