Day 2

AM

Valencia’s Centralal Market is a buzzy shopping precinct crammed with locals. Join the crowd and stock up on cheese and ham, then head over to one of the standingroom-only cafes for a traditional Valencian snack – horchata and fartons. Horchata is a cold, sweet milky drink prepared using ground tiger nuts, while fartons are delectable sugar-dusted sponge cake biscuits.

PM

Valencia is a coastal city, so it’s worth checking out one of the many nearby beaches. La Malvarrosa beach is a huge sandy stretch popular with city-slickers because of its proximity to the city. El Saler beach is a bit further r south and usually less crowded. Even further south but worth the half-hour drive is Sagunto beach, beside the Sagunto ancient Roman settlement, where you can explore ancient ruins before heading in for a dip.

Evening

A flamenco concert is a must-see! Its origins can be traced back to Andalusia in southern Spain but is now seen all over the country. For a casual dinner before the show, find a hole-in-the-wall bar teeming with locals and order tapas and wine. Then, head to Cafe del Duende (cafedelduende.com, $15 entry) where you can watch flamenco performers up close in the small and intimate space. The shows are held Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 11pm and Sundays at 8pm.