Romantic Getaway in Valencia

Happy Valentines day! The weather is finally starting to warm up in Valencia making Valentine’s weekend the perfect time to explore the romantic side of Valencia. Here are some fun activities you can do.

Take a stroll through the old town:
Starting at the Plaza de la Reina you can take a romantic horse and carriage ride through the old quarter. There you can enjoy the quietness and beautiful architecture of this part of the city. When you finish stop for a sweet treat at Valor in the plaza de la Reina. There, you and your sweetie can share a cup of Spain’s famous Chocolate con churros.

Visit the Mercado Central:
Just off the Plaza del Ayuntamiento is the famous Mercado Central. You can walk through and see (and sample!) the best foods Valencia has to offer. Stop at one of the many Panaderias and buy a baguette to feed to the birds outside the market while you enjoy a coffee in the sun.

Walk in the Turia Gardens:
After all the food you enjoyed from the first two activities a nice walk in Valencia’s best park is just what you need. About a 15 minute walk from the Mercado Central is all you need to get to the gardens. Here you can walk around and watch all sorts of sports or take a blanket and enjoy a relaxing afternoon in the sun.

Have dinner in Carmen:
The Carmen neighborhood is not much to look at during the day, but at night it completely changes. It is full of cozy restaurants, bars and clubs. Here you can find some delicious and romantic restaurants to have your dinner. Many even offer special set price menus for Valentine’s Day. When you finish your meal you can see a Flamenco show at Cafe del Duende, one of Valencia’s most famous Flamenco clubs.

Hit the Beach:
While it might not be warm enough to swim just yet. You can still enjoy a day at Valencia’s beach. Take the Bus 32 from the Plaza del Ayuntamiento and you will arrive at the beach in about 20 minutes. There you can enjoy some drinks at one of the restaurants, or bring along a volleyball or paddleball and play in the sand.

Boat ride on La Albufera:
La Albufera is a freshwater lagoon just to the south of Valencia City. Catch a bus to the town El Palmar. You will notice on the way that you are surrounded by rice fields. That is because El Palmar is the birthplace of Valencia’s most famous dish, Paella. Here you can sample the best and most authentic paella in Spain before heading out for your romantic sunset cruise on the lagoon.

Whatever you decide to do on your Valentine’s weekend in Valencia, you are sure to discover the romantic side of this beautiful city.

Tourist in My Own City: Mercado Central

As many of you may know, one of my favorite things to do is go to the city food markets and window shop. Most Mondays and Wednesdays after my Arabic class, I will go to Valencia’s Mercado Central to wander around and get some inspiration for meals for the week.

This market is right in the center of the city, just a few minutes walk from the Plaza del Ayuntamiento. It is a huge building with a lot of space to walk around in. So, instead of fighting through huge crowds, like in Barcelona’s La Boqueria, you can actually take your time and enjoy looking at all the delicious food. The market is divided into two parts. The meat and vegetables are in the front and all the fish and seafood are in the back.

Right in the middle of the market is a big open space. Look up when you get here and you will see a beautifully painted dome which reaches up 30 meters. This open space is sometimes used for events. Even Spain’s first season of Master Chef has filmed here!

Top Chef

This market has a long history similar to La Boqueria. It began as an outdoor traveling market, in 1839 it became a permanent market called Mercado Nuevo (New Market). Some years later, it started to become too small for the expanding city. After seeing many architectural plans for a building the government decided on a design form architects Alejandro Soler March and Francisco Guardia Vial. Construction began in 1910 and finished in 1928. King Alfonso XIII was the leader at the ground breaking ceremony.

Both tourists and locals frequent this market every day. It is one of the highlights of a trip to Valencia! But, make sure you go in the morning. It is open Monday to Saturday from 8:00-2:30. But most of the stalls start packing up around 2.