Valencia

With its Mediterranean climate and beautiful location on the Mediterranean Sea, the autonomous region of Valencia attracts many tourists every year. The area has 632 kilometres of coast, including the famous ‘Costa Blanca’.

In addition to idyllic beaches and large seaside resorts, Valencia also offers beautiful Mediterranean landscapes, important mountain areas, small fishing villages and uninhabited islands. Moreover, the region with its five million inhabitants has a rich history, ancient culture and countless parties.

Valencia is divided into three provinces: Alicante, Castellón and Valencia. Below we discuss the must-see’s and must-do’s of each province, whether you come for the beach, nature or culture.

Alicante

Alicante is the perfect province for beachgoers and culture lovers. Along the entire coast is the Costa Blanca, where the beaches alternate with a mountainous landscape. Here you will find several interesting coastal towns. First of all Alicante itself, a beautiful old port city, located at the foot of the mountain on which the Castillo de Santa Bárbara stands. Another well-known coastal town is Benidorm, where you will find many accommodations for a beach holiday. If you like old white towns, Altea and Alcoy are recommended, the latter particularly known for its many bridges. Many Moorish and Christian festivals are celebrated here in the summer. Across the entire province, you will find archaeological excavations that are now under UNESCO.

Castellón

Castellón is the northernmost province of Valencia. Although you will also find coastal towns and spas by the sea here, this province is particularly popular with nature lovers. It is one of the most mountainous provinces in all of Spain and dotted with nature reserves. Castellón is located on the Costa Azahar, the ‘orange blossom coast’, named after the many orange trees growing here. Off the coast is the volcanic archipelago of Islas Columbretes, a protected natural area where several endangered species live. The Sierra Calderona Mountains are also located in Castellón. The park surrounding this mountain is over 17,000 hectares in size and extends into the province of Valencia. This is the ideal place for bird watching. In addition, wild cats, wild boars, deer and badgers live here. In terms of places, the capital Castellón de la Plana and fishing town of Vinaròs are recommended. The cosy Peñíscola is a must-go for beach lovers.

Valencia

The province of Valencia is located on both the Costa Blanca and the Costa Azahar. The main coastal city is capital Valencia itself, a city that is known on the one hand as a city with a rich history in, among other things, the silk trade, and on the other as a modern city of arts and science. Here you will find an ancient centre, but also avant-garde buildings. It is a very lively city, where you want to be especially during midsummer when the spectacular fireworks are lit. There are some beautiful tourist spots in the area, such as the medieval town of Bocairent or the castle town of Xativa. Montanejos is a lovely place with natural hot springs for swimming. In addition, Valencia has two nature parks, including Albufera Park. Here the rice for the paella is grown. Here you will also find the largest Spanish freshwater lake, where many special migratory birds and flamingos can be spotted in winter.

What to visit in Valencia:

City of the Arts and Sciences

It can be difficult to cover your head around the City of the Arts and also Sciences. The attraction is a staggering ensemble of ultra-modern structures that are provided with an angelic high quality by the reflecting swimming pools that surround them.

The entire thing was started in the mid-90s as well as the completing touches were made in 2005. Within these gargantuan buildings are cultural venues and excellent family tourist attractions like L’Hemisfèric, a planetarium and IMAX Cinema, or the spectacular L’Umbracle, an herb collection of plant species native to Valencia. Reserve in advance to stay clear of queues.

Oceanogràfic

The celebrity of the City of the Arts and also Sciences is this advanced oceanarium that opened in 2003. With 45,000 private pets from 500 different varieties, you will not discover an additional destination on this scale in Europe.

The aquarium is organised by ten areas, each synthesizing a unique setting, as well as utilizing actual seawater pumped from Valencia’s waterside. So at the Arctic container, you’ll get to see beluga whales swimming in a large and attentively developed tank.

In other places, you can detect sand tiger sharks, penguins, walruses, dolphins and also sea lions. All of it amounts to a day out grownups and also little guys will not soon forget.

La Lonja de la Seda

This majestic late-15th-century building is a UNESCO website as well as held as the work of art of Valencian Gothic style. When the city was one of Europe’s main centres for trade and also culture, La Lonja de la Seda is the finest a monument to Valencia’s golden age.

The name means “Silk Exchange”, where investors from remote rubs of the Mediterranean would meet as well as make bargains. Inside you can admire the dainty turning columns of the major hall (sala de contratación) and search for at the amazing information of the vaulted ceilings. Its tough-looking crenellated rundown rests right before the city’s central market.

Within these gigantic buildings are social locations as well as first-class family members tourist attractions like L’Hemisfèric, a planetarium as well as IMAX Movie theatre, or the breathtaking L’Umbracle, an herb collection of plant varieties indigenous to Valencia. Inside you can marvel at the pretty turning columns of the main hall (sala de contratación) as well as look up at the extraordinary information of the vaulted ceilings. Its tough-looking crenellated summary rests right in front of the city’s main market.