City of surprises
Valencia may findf itselff overshadowed by Barcelona and Madrid but Valencia has plenty to offer those seeking a city break, says TAMLYN JONES
IT MUST be quite hard for Valencia not to feel like the poor relative of the Spanish cities.
Mention that you are going on a holiday to Spain to anyone and people assume it’s a city break in Madrid or Barcelona or a beach holiday on one of its famous Costas – Blanca, Brava or del Sol.
But here’s where British holidaymakers may be missing a trick. Valencia has plenty to offer, including a beach, vibrant nightlife and more culture than you could wave a guidebook at, yet it does so with an air of understated sophistication.
And a long weekend over there won’t break the bank either. Our whistle- stop tour of Spain’s third largest city was organised by Monarch Airlines, which has launched a summer programme of flights from Birmingham Airport.
One of the city’s most striking – and most famous – features is its city centre park, called the Garden of the Turia. It’s housed in a dried- up riverbed once part of the Turia river and was created after a devastating flood in 1957 caused the city’s authorities to split the river and send it on a new course.
The long, sweeping park covers around 300 acres and stretches almost seven miles from east to west through the heart of the city centre. It is split into 12 parts and has plants, wildlife, a zen garden, athletics track, football pitches and cafés, among other attractions, while traffic is diverted over the top of it via a series of bridges.
Chief among its draws is the City of Arts and Sciences which sits at the garden’s easternmost point. This staggering piece of architecture was designed by renowned local architect Santiago Calatrava, and took nine years to build.
As the name suggests, it packs in both culture and education with visitor attractions such as Oceanogràfic – claimed to be Europe’s biggest aquarium – the Hemisfèric 3D cinema and the Príncipe Felipe Science Museum where the philosophy of “Not touching is prohibited” gives a nod to its interactive credentials.
It has extensive exhibitions, activities and publications related to science and education, and will keep the kids amused for hours.
If you’re planning a longer stay in Valencia and can dial down the pace of your visit, then blank out at least a day, if not two, to explore fully this monolithic complex.
Tickets can be bought for each attraction, or save yourself some money and buy a combined ticket for the 3D cinema, aquarium and science museum for around £ 33.
Another destination worth a visit, at the opposite end of the Garden of the Turia, is Bioparc Valencia.
The zoo strives to offer a more interactive experience by having a walkway which gently guides visitors from one habitat to the next and enables you to get up really close to the animals without ever putting yourself in danger.
Due to its climate and fact the city is very flat, cycling is experiencing a real boom in Valencia at the moment. Over the past few years, miles of dedicated cycle lanes have been built in the city centre, making it safer to get around and a real alternative to the car.
As a consequence, cycle tours are very popular and, having taken one as part of the trip, it’s not hard to see why.
Our guides from Solution Bike took the group out at an incredibly leisurely pace and stopped off regularly to explain some of the city’s major sites.
We also spent a sizeable chunk of the bike tour in the aforementioned former river bed which caters very well for those on two wheels.
A tour with them lasts about three hours and costs £ 22.
This is again a very family- friendly activity and you will have no trouble finding an operator who does tours in English and is happy to take children along too.
And if you don’t fancy something as regimented as a guided tour, then Valencia also has a ‘ Boris Bike’ scheme like the one which has proved so popular in London.
Being in the south of Spain and on the Mediterranean coast, Valencia benefits from year- round sunshine so it is worth bearing this in mind when booking your trip. Our visit in June was blisteringly hot so if being cooked alive is not your thing, then avoid the peak summer months.
However, there is a perfect antidote to the warm weather in the form of a short catamaran trip into the sea.
Launching from the main port, scores of operators will whisk you out, drop anchor and allow you to cool off by having a quick dip in the water.
Our trip with Mundo Marino was around £ 16 for adults and £ 9.50 for children and there was even a bar on board.
After all the culture, science, walking and cycling, this might just be the perfect end to the perfect day.