Valencia is situated on the Spanish Mediterranean coastline. It is a thriving city, resplendent with glorious architecture from earlier eras.
1. Las Fallas is the most famous festival in Valencia and presents tourists an opportunity to see Valencia at its best. It reflects the locals love for all things explosive with an awe inspiring pyrotechnics demonstration. The local architects, artists and designers plan it for months.
2. The City of Arts and Sciences houses the biggest aquarium in Europe, a science museum, a planetarium and music venues. It is the second most popular tourist destination in Spain. Spread over 350, 000 square metres, it lies in the Turia river bed.
3. Reflecting the entire gamut of Spanish architecture, Valencia is home to some of the most fascinating buildings in Spain. The variety of architecture spans ornate baroque palaces, castle-like Gothic silk exchanges, Visigoth crypts, and magnificent Modernista markets.
4. Some wonderful monuments worth visiting are the Catedral de San Pedro y Santa Maria and El Miguelete.
5. The nightlife in Valencia is vibrant and continues all night long. Night spots include grunge bars, elegant cocktail bars, fancy clubs, sophisticated lounges and comfortable Bohemian lifestyle outlets in El Carmen. Loud music and the tinkling of glasses epitomize the fun loving locals.
6. Although Paella normally is associated with Spain, Valencia likes to take the credit for turning out the best Paella. With the availability of the best fresh produce and their culinary skills in over 200 rice dishes, the locals pride themselves on the quality of their Paella.
7. Valencia has a tradition where excellence in sports is concerned and is a good vacation destination for football fans. It has two football teams playing in Spain’s leading division, La Liga. The two teams, Valencia CF and Levante UD inspire the locals to devote themselves totally to game nights over copious amounts of beer.
8. Valencia also has much to offer golf lovers with its two large golf courses, the El Saler Golf Course and the Club de Golf Escorpion, thus making for an ideal golfing holiday.
9. Valencia has a wide range of accommodation options available including luxury beach resorts, hotels and hostels; this range encompasses all budgets and tastes. Those who are looking for budget accommodation can opt for the hostels, the cheapest option being an albergue which offers group discounts. Most of these are along the beaches or near the railway station. Small modern hotels cater to the business traveller while the luxury resorts such as Ayre Astoria Palace, Zenit Valencia and Eurostars Gran Valencia are geared for the up market tourist traffic.
10. Transportation in Valencia is convenient. Visitors can use taxis, buses, the underground and hired cars to get around easily.