48 hours in. . . Valencia, an insider guide to the city of paella, playas and pyrotechnics

Big city buzz meets Mediterranean lifestyle

Two decades of bold development have given Spain’s third largest city some of the most striking architecture in the country, adding to the wealth of elegant Art Nouveau buildings that line the streets, as well as Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance monuments.

Being right by the sea and surrounded by vast market gardens makes Valencia one of the top places in Spain for eating out, with a flourishing restaurant scene and gastronomic events all year round.

 In March, huge figures appear on street corners all over town for the Fallas festival, before being ceremoniously burned down, one of the biggest celebrations in Spain.

Although the city has some of the best museums in the country, you rarely have to stand in a queue to get in as tourist levels are much lower than in Madrid or Barcelona.

Mild temperatures for most of the year mean you can make the most of the miles of urban beaches, whether strolling or cycling along the promenade or enjoying long outdoor lunches. With a lively nightlife scene for all ages and great shops – did I mention the shoes and bags? – Valencia is bursting with Mediterranean exuberance.

Day one

MORNING

Start with a freshly squeezed orange juice outside the Art Nouveau Central Market (Plaza del Mercado; 00 34 963 829100), where the fabulous local produce glitters in all its voluptuous glory under domes adorned with stained glass and mosaics. Pick up some ibérico ham or olive oil as gifts, then find a spare stool at the Central Bar (stalls 105-131), run by Michelin-starred chef Ricard Camarena and order one of the baguettes – the Canalla with morcilla sausage and scrambled egg or the Veggie with gooey cheese, peppers and romesco sauce.

Cross the square to La Lonja (Calle de La Lonja 2; 00 34 962 084153), the astounding 15th-century silk exchange, which is one of the best examples of Gothic civil architecture in Europe and has World Heritage status.

AFTERNOON

Wander through the lanes behind La Lonja to reach the Cathedral (Plaza de la Reina; 00 34 963 918127) and try to get your head around the mix of Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque architecture. Inside, see paintings by artists including Goya and a chalice purported to be the actual Holy Grail. It is worth climbing the Micalet belltower for panoramic views across the city to the sea and countryside.

Right by the cathedral, pop into Colmado LaLola (Calle Bordadores 10; 00 34 961 047178) for tapas (maybe some Valencian oysters or shrimp from Santa Pola) and a LaLola beer or a glass of wine. Fully restored, do some shopping as you saunter to the Plaza del Ayuntamiento and along Calle Ruzafa to Calle Colón, looking up at the beautiful buildings. 

Stop at the Art Nouveau Colón Market (Jorge Juan 19; 00 34 963 371101), which now houses cafés, restaurants and shops. Have a coffee or a traditional horchata (a chilled drink made from crushed tiger nuts) at Casa de l’Orxata, where they use organic tiger nuts and don’t add loads of sugar (unless you want it).

LATE

Book ahead for diner at Llisa Negra (Calle Pascual y Genís 10; 00 34 699 183770), the latest restaurant opened by Quique Dacosta, who has four Michelin stars (so far) at his other establishments. Smart with a bit of a buzz, Llisa Negra serves a Mediterranean menu of elegant dishes such as grilled tuna from Denia with herb pesto and baby squid from Moraira.

Stroll along to Café Madrid (Calle L’Abadia de Sant Martí 10; 00 34 960 660507)  for a nightcap, perhaps an expertly mixed gin and tonic or a cocktail, either inside or on the roof terrace.

LATE

Book ahead for diner at Llisa Negra (Calle Pascual y Genís 10; 00 34 699 183770), the latest restaurant opened by Quique Dacosta, who has four Michelin stars (so far) at his other establishments. Smart with a bit of a buzz, Llisa Negra serves a Mediterranean menu of elegant dishes such as grilled tuna from Denia with herb pesto and baby squid from Moraira.

Stroll along to Café Madrid (Calle L’Abadia de Sant Martí 10; 00 34 960 660507)  for a nightcap, perhaps an expertly mixed gin and tonic or a cocktail, either inside or on the roof terrace.

• The best restaurants in Valencia

Day two

MORNING

Walk or cycle through the Turia Gardens, the park that curves around the city, following the course of the river that was diverted following flooding in the 1950s. You can hire bicycles from Valencia Bikes (Calle Tapinería 14 or Passeig de la Petxina 32; 00 34 650 621436).

Head for the spectacular City of Arts and Sciences (Avenida del Profesor López Piñero; 00 34 961 974686), a vast sculptural white complex designed by Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela. While you’ll want to take lots of photographs of the opera house, planetarium and science museum, allocate most of your time to the Oceanogràfic marine park, where you will be mesmerised by the belugas, sharks and walruses.

AFTERNOON

Take a bus or a taxi down to Malvarrosa beach for a long, leisurely lunch at Casa Carmela (Calle Isabel de Villena 155; 00 34 963 710073), a pretty and popular restaurant where they cook excellent paellas and other Valencian specialities, such as seafood fideuà, made with pasta rather than rice (book in advance). 

Afterwards, walk it all off by heading back along the promenade towards La Fábrica de Hielo (Calle Pavía 37; 00 34 963 682619), a vast industrial space that is now a bar and arts’ venue, for a coffee or a cold beer, then turn into Cabanyal-Canyamelar, the old fishermen’s district with a grid of narrow streets lined with tiny houses with colourful tiled façades. Your Instagram feed won’t know what’s hit it.

LATE

It’s quite likely you’ll still be meandering around Cabanyal-Canyamelar when you start thinking about dinner. Fortunately one of the best tapas bars in Spain, Casa Montaña (Calle José Benlliure 69; 00 34 963 672314), is hidden away in the depths of the neighbourhood. With its Art Nouveau décor, wine vats and marble bar, it couldn’t look more traditional, but the food is prepared with great care using superb produce and the wine list is pretty interesting too. Order the patatas bravas, the cod brandade, the mussels, the cuttlefish, the chopped steak – everything is good. 

If you would rather eat back in the centre, Ruzafa is a good nightlife area with lots of restaurants and bars. Book ahead at Ricard Camarena’s fun Canalla Bistro (Calle Mestre Josep Serrano 5; 00 34 963 740509), where the menu includes Galician Blond beef tartare and seabass ceviche. Have your last drink in the kitsch surroundings of La Bella de Cádiz, a bar that feels a bit like an antique shop (Calle Cádiz 54; 00 34 663 314607).

• The best nightlife in Valencia

Luxury Living 

Hospes Palau de La Mar, set within a grand nobleman’s mansion, retains the charm of a little Valencian palace with large arched doorways and historic features such as the original marble staircase. The flower-scented garden (where the horses used to live) and the soothing spa create a relaxing air of contentment, and each of the 66 rooms are modern, light and spacious with warm colours and sumptuous Egyptian cotton bed sheets.

Doubles from €150 (£132). Avenida Navarro Reverter 14-16; 00 34 963 162884

Boutique Beauty

These seven impossibly stylish apartments are owned by the same family that runs the city’s revered Casa Montaña restaurant and staying at Barracart avails guests to priority booking, wine tasting or an Iberian ham workshop at the sensational tapas spot. The apartments themselves are effortlessly stylish, with tall French windows (leading to a street-side balcony) set in exposed brickwork, wooden floors and warm lighting. 

Double rooms from €80 (£71). Carrer de la Barraca, 79; 00 34 667 85 68 01

Budget Bolthole

The welcoming One Shot Mercat 09 in Valencia’s historic centre lures those looking for a hip base with its rooftop pool, spacious contemporary rooms and inventive dining. The hotel blends original features (wrought-iron juliet balconies, creamy exposed walls and wooden beams) with streamlined contemporary décor to brilliant effect. In some rooms, illuminated fresco-effect ceilings add to the historic references.

Doubles from €99 (£88). Carrer del Músic Peydró 9; 00 34 963 11 00 11

• A complete guide to the best hotels in Valencia 

Delve into Simple (Calle Palau 5), near the cathedral, which is a treasure trove of Spanish artisan products, including pretty ceramics, shawls, hats, baskets, soaps, notebooks and toys. 

Handmade fans are a great tradition in Valencia. There is a wonderful selection, both plain and fancy, at Abanicos Carbonell (Calle Castellón 21) behind the bullring, a family-run business that has been going since the 19th century.

It doesn’t usually get too cold in winter in Valencia, and you can often sit outside during the day even in January and February. Spring and autumn are the liveliest seasons for cultural events and you are almost guaranteed warm temperatures and sunshine. At the height of summer it can get uncomfortably hot, but there are at least plenty of beaches right on the doorstep.

Local laws and etiquette

• You must carry your passport with you by law – and you sometimes have to show your passport when paying by debit or credit card. Get a couple of photocopies of your passport and your EHIC European Healthcard, as you will need both for any medical treatment.

• If driving, you must have two warning triangles, two reflective bibs, a spare tyre and spare headlamp bulbs. Note that children under 12 are only allowed in the front seat with approved safety belts.

• Anyone you are introduced to by friends will want to kiss you on both cheeks, but this does not apply to hotel staff etc.

• Lunch happens from 2pm, dinner from 9pm at the very earliest, though 10pm is the norm. You can eat earlier at tapas bars and all day at cafés. It is not usual to share tables, even in fastfood joints.

• It is a bit cheaper to have drinks or tapas at the bar rather than sitting at a table, and sitting outside will usually cost approximately an extra 20p or so per item.

• Locals usually leave very small tips – just odd change for drinks, snacks and taxis, and often nothing at all. A 10 per cent tip for a meal is really generous and five per cent is more the norm.

• Most bars won’t mind if you go in just to use the toilet – “los servicios”. 

• Tap water is perfectly safe to drink.

• If breakfast is not included in your hotel rate, it is usually much cheaper and more fun to go to a bar.

• Never ever leave your bag on the back of your chair, or on the floor. Don’t keep valuables in outside pockets of your daypack.

Essential information

British Consulate: Valencia is covered by the consulate in Alicante, with a consular representative in Valencia; Edificio Espacio, Rambla Méndez Núñez 28-32, 6a planta, 03002 Alicante; 00 34 965 216022; gov.uk/world/organisations/british-consulate-alicante

Emergency services: dial 112

Tourist Office (00 34 963 153 931; visitvalencia.com), Plaza de la Reina 19

The basics

Currency: Euro

Telephone code: from the UK, dial 00 34 for Spain

Time difference: +1 hour

Flight time: Valencia is approximately two-and-a-half hours from UK airports

Author Bio 

Annie Bennett has been a regular visitor to Valencia for more than 20 years and is on a permanent quest to track down the best paellas in town. She loves the tapas bars and tiled houses in the Cabanyal-Canyamelar area by the beach too.

Telegraph Travel’s best hotels, tours and holidays in Valencia, tried, tested and recommended by our Valencia experts.