48 Hours in Valencia

Valencia is a beautiful, modern city, lying right in the middle of Spains Mediterranean Coast with direct flights from Cork and Dublin. Valencia is best known for Paella, the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences, urban beaches and vibrant nightlife. I spent two nights in Valencia with my 3 and a half year old son as part of a larger itinerary. (Check out my Trains in Spain Blog) and I’m ready to report back! Where to stay: We stayed at the Sercotel Sorolla Palace which was just across the road from the Melia Valencia, while we weren’t super central, we were about a 10 minute taxi from the old town or 30 minutes on public transport to the old town. They had a lovely rooftop pool and a kids club on site were there were actively getting the kids involved in movie nights in the evenings which I loved. For a more 5 star experience I would also recommend the SH Valencia Palace which is right in Turia Gardens.

How to get around: We loved the public transport system. With the help of the “CityMapper” app we were able to conquer the buses and metro fairly easily, paying about €1.50 for a bus ride and about €4 for the metro it was a fun way to travel. Taxis were readily available, as were bicycles.

What to do: Our hotel was so nice that the day we arrived we went for a swim and got some food in a nearby restaurant and settled in with a movie night in the hotel. It’s worth noting, especially when travelling with children, a lot of the restaurants don’t open until 8pm for dinner. We visited Gullivers Park, which is a huge playground shaped like Gulliver himself. This was the biggest playground I have ever been to and it was a huge hit. We went to Oceanogràfic which is a fantastic aquarium, where we saw seals, turtles, clown fish and crabs. This may have been the highlight of our trip. We kayaked around the City of Arts and Sciences. Which is of the largest scientific and cultural complexes in Europe. It is made up of impressive buildings such as the Hemisfèric and Oceanogràfic, and stands out because of its avant-garde architecture. For us this was more than enough for the time we were there. I was hoping to take a boat tour of the Caves of San Jose, but it was booked up in advance. Other things I would consider doing on my next visit would be hiring bicycles and cycling around Turia Gardens. Turia Gardens is a huge park which runs through the city like a river, spreading over 9 kilometres. I would visit the Bioparc and spend more time in the City of Arts and Sciences at the museums and art venues.

All in all we had a great time, Valencia has so much to offer, for us it was an amazing family friendly sunny city break. For others it has thriving nightlife. With a year round schedule from Cork and Dublin, it seems nearly criminal not to pay Valencia a visit. Get in touch to hear more about how I can tailor-make a city break for you, or connect it to part of a larger itinerary!