Valencia is a beautiful Mediterranean city with an enviable location, climate and colourful cultural life. Valencia’s history and cultural diversity is reflected in its different neighbourhoods. Here is a quick guide to the three main areas of the city to hopefully help you choose which one you would most like to stay in on your trip to Valencia.

If you are travelling to this part of Spain in search of sun and fun or you are with small children, the beach area is probably the best bet for you. You will find the coastline on the eastern side of the city and they all have attractive seafront promenades lines with bars, cafes and shops. The main beaches in Valencia are Malvarrosa Beach – which is famous for its nightlife, Alboraya Beach and Las Arenas Beach.

Another popular choice with tourists when choosing their accommodation in Valencia is obviously the historic city centre, known as El Barrio del Carmen. This is where you will find the city’s charming cobbled streets, narrow lanes and historic buildings. This is, in my opinion, the most attractive part of the city for just wandering and enjoying a tasty coffee on one of the cafe terraces and watching the world go by. This neighbourhood runs from the Central Market to the dried out Turia River bed which has been converted into an attractive park. The Carmen neighbourhood is home to some of the city’s best nightlife as well as its best museums and most important historical monuments.

If shopping is your thing, head to the Casanovas area which has Calle de Colon in the middle of it – a long avenue dotted with great shops and cafes as well as some excellent restaurants. This is the ideal place to discover the more modern, more commercial side to this old Spanish city and take in some of the glamour as well as the history.

If you only have a few days to spend in Valencia, it is worth choosing the location of your accommodation carefully bearing in mind what you want to get out of the city. Having said that, Valencia is not a sprawling European city like London or Paris and is fairly easy to navigate using the efficient local transport if you do want to see all of the neighbourhoods and get a more balanced idea of what Valencia is all about.

Valencia is an ideal destination for families with children of all ages thanks to its extensive selection of stimulating indoor and outdoor activities not to mention the delicious local cuisine and mild climate. Whether your kids prefer the beach, museums, theme parks or wildlife – Valencia will keep them (and you) happy. Read on for some of my personal favourites….

The Bioparc is a place where you can observe animals in their “natural” habitat. It is located in the dried up bed of the Turia River and covers over 100,000 m2. Animals from the Savanna, Madagascar and Equatorial Africa roam around and this alternative zoo gives you a chance to see them up close. The rest of the Turia Gardens are also nice to wander around, play sports or have a picnic.

Malvarosa Beach and Playa de las Arenas are just 15 minutes away from the city centre by tram and offer a beautiful, clean place for you to soak up that glorious Mediterranean sun and for your children to play with the sand and splash around in the clean, shallow waters. There are also some playgrounds dotted along the sea front if they get bored with the sand.

If you have a little money to spend and want to treat the kids to something really special (or its raining), you can always head to the L’oceanografic, Europe’s largest aquarium, or to the City of Arts and Sciences where you can easily spend the whole day and enjoy entertainment for all members of the family.

In the old centre of town you can hop on a sightseeing bus and treat the kids to a delicious Horchata (a sweet milky drink, often served with sweet buns called fartons) or chocolate and churros (hot chocolate and doughnuts) on one of the pleasant café terraces.

If the children are not frightened of a lot of noise and commotion, bring them to Valencia during Las Fallas, the local firework night; it is out of this world and will turn your trip into one they will always remember.

Valencia is a beautiful Mediterranean city which is often overlooked by tourists but that is fast becoming a popular holiday destination thanks to the money and energy that has been invested in the city over recent years. Much of the city’s face lift is thanks to the America’s Cup, the world’s most prestigious yacht race which was held in Valencia in 2007. You can still visit the America’s Cup port and installations in Valencia if you are a fan. The Formula 1 street circuit brings flocks of racing fans to the city on a regular basis that, naturally, bring money with them. The City of Arts and Sciences is another major tourist attraction, as much for its contents as for its space age architecture.

But it is not only the modern improvements which make Valencia a great place for a weekend getaway, it is those improvements combined with Valencia’s natural and historical attributes. The historical town centre, a neighbourhood known as El Carmen, is a charming little network of old streets with cafes, pretty public squares and monuments where you can see the legacy left behind by many different cultures. Fiesta is a word you will hear regularly when in Valencia, whether it is referring to the lively nightlife you will find in the city’s many bars and nightclubs or to the colourful traditional celebrations that seem to take place in the street nearly every week.

The friendly, unpretentious people make Valencia a relaxed, safe place to be and the gorgeous Mediterranean climate makes it a delight to stroll around, especially in spring and autumn. There is no shortage of fresh local produce to make delicious Mediterranean dishes with here either and kicking back with a glass of red wine, a plate of Paella is (for me at least) one of the highlights of a trip to Valencia.

For a more independent stay, there are plenty of B&B’s in Valencia where you can enjoy the convenience of a hotel with the homely feel of a smaller establishment. Apartments in Valencia are a great alternative for longer stays and if you really want to experience “living” like a local.

Wherever you stay, and whether you are interested in food, history, sport or simply sunbathing on the beach, this little Mediterranean city has a lot to offer and is sure to surprise you.

Valencia, the third largest city in Spain, often goes overlooked by tourists but actually has a lot to offer the traveller on a budget. With so much to do and see for free, not to mention the ideal Mediterranean climate that you can make the most of in the city’s parks, a getaway here doesn’t have to break the bank. Here are some ideas for making the most of Valencia on as little as possible:
Cheap hotels in Valencia, are fairly easy to come by so accommodation needn’t be too much of a drain on your funds, and if you are really strapped for cash, there are plenty of even cheaper hostels in Valencia to choose from. Eating out on a budget is also a breeze in Valencia, with plenty of little, local restaurants offering a really cheap Menu del Dia (set lunch time menu) and the Mercado Central where you can buy delicious fresh produce to make a Mediterranean picnic to die for. And if you are saving enough on accommodation, venture down to the seafront for a Paella, as no trip to Valencia is complete without one.
As far as things to see and do are concerned, the City of Arts and Sciences is a fantastic museum complex which attracts thousands of visits to the city every month; it is very pricey though, so if you don’t think you can afford the entry fee, check out the Museo De Bellas Artes which houses many beautiful works of art and is free to get into. Even if you do decide to give the City of Arts and Sciences a miss, the nearby Turia Gardens, nestled in the dry river bed are very picturesque and ideal for escaping the bustle of the city centre or having a picnic in a shady spot under a tree. La Lonja, the 15th century silk exchange building, is another beautiful monument which is free and well worth a visit for its history, architectural beauty and its typical courtyard adorned with orange trees.
Las Fallas is Valencia’s biggest and most famous celebration; the whole city comes alive and is all about partying and having fun. Whether this is your idea of heaven or hell, you should bare this event in mind when planning a visit to the city as it effects hotel rates enormously.
With cheap accommodation, cheap eats, free entertainment and plenty of sunshine, Valencia could be the ideal place for an inexpensive trip!