Are you thinking of taking a weekend getaway to Valencia and don't know where to start? Follow our guide to visit Valencia in three days where we tell you our must-see in the capital. In addition to its fine sandy beaches, in Valencia and its surroundings we can find a great cultural offer. You can not miss the City of Arts and Sciences The historic center, the Turia garden or the magnificent sunsets in the Albufera.
Join us, too, in a gastronomic tour Valencia, which has become a national foodie reference. During our trip, we visited well-known restaurants such as Casa Carmela, Canalla Bistro or the horchatería Doctor Collado. Below we tell you something, but if you want all the detail do not hesitate to visit our post with the best restaurants to eat in Valencia.
This time we bring you a little express trip around Valencia that could even be summarized in a weekend. If you want to spend more days in the area we recommend you to extend your stay visiting Alicante and surroundings.
Day 1: Historic center of Valencia and Malvarrosa beach
For our stay in Valencia we decided to stay in a central location as we were only going to be there for three days and did not want to take the car. Finally we decided to stay at the hotel Venecia Plaza Centro located right on the town hall square and less than 10 minutes walking distance from downtown points of interest.
1. What to see in the historic center of Valencia
When we visit a city on the first day, we usually try to make a free tour to take a quick walk around the downtown area and begin to soak up the culture of the place and, while we're at it, why not, discover which are the best places to visit. best places to eat and which sites are worth visiting to make the most of our trip.
Here is a list of the most emblematic sites in the area:
- Plaza de la Virgen. Where the wreath is placed in the fallas.
- Serrano towers. Ancient gates of the walled city of Valencia.
- Miguelete. Cathedral tower.
- Silk Exchange. Historic building where silk was traded at the time.
- Central Market. Huge market where you can find typical products of the land.
- Tasquita la estrecha. It was the narrowest facade in Spain.
In the free tour that we did in Valencia, and that we recommend, we were given tips to recognize the good horchaterias (which we'll tell you more about below), they told us some interesting facts about the failures and the life of the fallera mayor, and they gave us a masterclass about the true Valencian paella and the best places to try it in Valencia.
2. Visiting the Malvarrosa Beach
Valencia's beach par excellence, it is enormously long, very wide and surrounded by spectacular restaurants such as Carmela House of which we will tell you a little later. The only drawback is that as in any beach in summer, it is very difficult to park in the area despite the fact that there are many parking areas.
Parking at Malvarrosa Beach
Our recommendation is to go there in a electric motorcycle for rent by the minute. We used Cooltra and we had no problem to find a space on the beach, plus it takes no time to get from the center and you get rid of all the traffic jams you could find.
3. Best place to eat near the beach in Valencia
Carmela House is the classic Valencian restaurant, with paella in the center and wooden spoon. They know how to take care of the traditions and this translates directly into the taste of their cuisine, visible through a glass when entering the place where you can see all the paellas put on the fire.
Our choice for lunch was as follows:
- Senyoret" wood-fired rice with peeled seafood (18€ pp). We enjoyed this dish very much, we followed the waiter's recommendation to eat directly from the thin layer of rice of the smoked flavored paella without serving it to the plate and it was quite a gastronomic experience.
- Peeled field tomato with bonito trunk (13,5€). Good choice as a starter. Nothing to do with the supermarket tomatoes to which we are sadly accustomed.
- Homemade anchovies (3,2€ pp). As an accompaniment to the starter. Price somewhat high.
- If you are brewers they have Águila and Águila unfiltered on tap. A hit.
If you go in high season you will have to book a few days in advance, and if you are planning to try the valencian paella you have to order it. This one has green beans, white beans, rabbit and chicken.
4. Where to drink the best horchata in Valencia
To finish the day on our way back to the center of Valencia, we decided to try the fartons and the horchata. Not everything was going to be paella, as these elements are also part of the Valencian gastronomic culture and you can't leave without trying them! The fartón is a sweet that is usually taken dipped in the horchata itself and both make a very good combination for a sweet snack. Among the best horchaterias we find:
- Dr. Collado
- Santa Catalina
- Horchatería Daniel in Alboraya
If you want it to be homemade, make sure that when they serve you the horchata they do it from a refrigerator drawer with a metal spoon and not from a vending machine.
Day 2: Oceanogràfic and Turia Garden
On our second day in Valencia we went to visit the most famous modern area of the city. Both the City of Arts and Sciences as the Turia Garden or, as the Valencians call it, the river of Valencia, are located in this area and are two places not to be missed.
City of Arts and Sciences
In the City of Arts and Sciences of Valencia can be visited on Oceanogràfic (33,7€/adult), the Science Museum (8,7€/adult) and the Hemisfèric (8,7€/adult). There are also joint tickets with different combinations of these centers. These packs, like the ones below, are cheaper than buying them separately and allow you to spread the visit over several days.
If you have a single day ticket, keep in mind that you can not leave the Oceanogràfic to eat. Inside the enclosure there are several restaurants but from our point of view they are not worth it. It is better to enjoy the Valencian gastronomy in one of the places, which are near the City of Arts and Sciences and that we recommend you later.
Which is more worthwhile, the Oceanogràfic or the Science Museum?
When we went to buy the tickets for the City of Arts and Sciences, we were wondering if it was worth visiting the whole complex or just the Oceanogràfic. We asked some Valencian friends and their answer was that for them it was essential to visit the Oceanogràfic, one of the best aquariums in Spain and the largest in Europe. The Science Museum, according to what they told us, is a very good option if you are traveling with children.
Inside the Oceanogràfic they offer some complementary experiences to the visit itself as a 4D cinema. We paid for it and the truth is that it is not worth it if you have already been in others, the film is very short and we did not get the best experience.
Places to eat near the Oceanográfic
Around the City of Arts and Sciences there are a lot of restaurants, but we recommend you to visit the following ones La Alqueria del Pou A rice restaurant located in a cottage with an incredible terrace and covered outdoor area. We tried the Senyoret rice and it was delicious, so much so that we forgot to take a picture of it.
If you are looking for something more economical there are also many fast food chains in the surroundings, but we don't usually recommend them because when we travel we always like to try the local gastronomy.
Where to park near the Oceanográfic
Free parking near the Oceanogràfic in high season is usually a difficult task so we recommend you to go early in the morning. We arrived around 10:15 am and we didn't have much trouble parking on Av. del Profesor López Piñero, right in front of the Hemisfèric. If you arrive later and you can't park your car on the street, you can always use the Oceanogràfic's paid parking which costs 7€/day.
2. Turia Garden or river of Valencia
The Turia Garden The park, better known among Valencians as the river of Valencia, is undoubtedly the greenest area in the center of the city. It is a park that is in the old Turia riverbed that was diverted 60 years ago away from the city.
It is currently one of the best areas for sports, walking or cycling in the capital. In fact, there are a multitude of BIKE RENTAL that work in the area. You can also use the service Valenbisi which allows you to rent a bike by the minute and then drop it off at one of the stations scattered throughout the city.
3. The best restaurant for dinner in Valencia
After spending the day visiting the Oceanogràfic and the river of Valencia we went for dinner at the famous restaurant of the chef Ricard Camarena. The restaurant in Canalla Bistro stands out for its fusion cuisine that allows you to make a gastronomic journey through its dishes without leaving Valencia. You can order from the menu and there are also tasting menu options. We chose dishes from the menu since the menu did not have some dishes that had already caught our attention when we saw them.
- Cannelloni of avocado, marinated bonito and "pico de gallo" (18,5€). A twist on the traditional tartar with a very neat presentation.
- Burrata Straciatella with shrimp-chili-garlic and pan cristal (15,8€). Slightly spicy shrimp contrasted with the mild flavor of the burrata. The most original dish we tried and the one we liked the most. Very tasty.
- Beef meatballs in Korean black garlic, Chinese chard and jasmine rice (15,5€). The sauce on the dumplings was very tasty and potent.
- Crunchy sandwich of lamb shoulder "kebab" style (17,5€). The crunchy bread and spicy meat make a spectacular combination.
The place is very cool and is decorated with pigs' heads in different colors on the walls. It looks small when you enter, but we were at the back and it looks like a labyrinth!
Day 3: El Palmar, the Albufera and its gastronomy
Only half an hour away from Valencia, you can find the town of Palmar and the Albufera Natural Park A protected natural space formed by a large freshwater lagoon surrounded by vegetation. A perfect place to disconnect and get in tune with nature, where you can see many species of birds.
From Valencia you can get there quite quickly by car, but if you don't have one or don't feel like taking it there are also multitude of excursions that lead you to see both in one day.
1. What to see in El Palmar
The ideal plan is to visit the town of Palmar Take the opportunity to have lunch there and finish the day watching the sunset at the Albufera. The best way to start is to make a free tour to show you in a couple of hours the most beautiful places in the area and then take the opportunity to explore this beautiful town at your own pace. We leave you the most important points in case you can not hire the free tour:
- Tocaio Threshing Machine. Old building where the rice farmers used to go to separate the rice grains from the straw. Nowadays it is a house museum that can be visited free of charge.
- Barraca dels Arandes. Typical 19th century Valencian house where the old fishermen and farmers of the area lived, usually built with mud and reeds. This is the oldest hut in the whole Palmar.
- Church of the Child Jesus of the Garden. Church from which the image of the pilgrimage of the Cristo de la Salud is carried to the lake of the Albufera to bless its waters. It has become an event that attracts more tourists every August 4th.
- Sequiota Square. Typical square in the center of town with bars and restaurants to relax and have a drink.
Where to eat in El Palmar
In any of the three main streets there are plenty of restaurants worth trying. In addition to the typical Valencian paella, we leave you the essential dishes of the gastronomy of the area:
- Esgarrat de Llisa. Warm salad of cod and peppers.
- Espardenyà. Stew whose name is due to the mixture of ingredients that compose it, among which are eel, chicken, rabbit and potatoes.
- All i Pebre. Traditional stew from the Albufera area composed of garlic, paprika and typically eel.
- Rice with fesols. Rice with beans and turnips.
2. What to do in the Albufera
La Albufera is an incredible natural reserve where you can do a multitude of outdoor activities. The star activity is to take a boat ride for its large lagoon, and if you get time to do it at sunset much better. These tours usually last about 1 hour, and leave from the pier of Palmar or Saler. We were not able to do it this time, but we still wanted to try it.
Another very good option for touring the Albufera is rent a bike and do some of the trails that are indicated. It is a quick and comfortable way to see all the points of interest of the park, such as the Devesa forest, the viewpoint of the Albufera lake or the famous rice fields so typical of the area.
In this natural park, you can also visit one of the few Valencian barracas that are left in the community. This is an old fisherman's house and is a typical construction of the Valencian landscape.
3. Where to drink the best water in Valencia
If you like cocktails, during your visit to the city you can't leave without trying the water from Valencia. It is a cocktail prepared with cava, orange juice, vodka and gin. It has a very sweet taste in which the alcohol is hardly distinguishable so we recommend you to take the pitchers calmly.
There are many places to drink good water from Valencia, but the most typical ones that were recommended to us on the free tour and where Valencians usually go are:
- Coffee of the hours
- Café Madrid
- Plaza del negrito area
If you want to read other articles ideal for your trip that complement What to see in Valencia in 3 days you can visit our posts about Valencia.
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