Valencia
Valencia is situated in Western Spain with one of its borders edging the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of Spain’s major business centres and has a vibrant, creative energy and a cosmopolitan flavour. Valencia has a very temperate climate, beautiful beaches and plentiful cultural venues and events, making it a prime destination for tourists to Spain who wish to soak up the local flavour.
Transport: Valencia is easy to navigate due to its smoothly running transport system, the Valencia Metro.
Fun: For an experience like no other visit Bunol, a village on the outskirts of Valencia, in August. La Tomatina, the yearly tomato fight is staged, and locals and visitors pelt each other with hundreds of ripe tomatoes.
Sports: Valencia C.F. is an internationally successful football club, which is well known and supported locally too. Valencia is also known for being the venue of the Formula One European Grand Prix, avidly watched by motor car racing enthusiasts worldwide. The event occurs in August every year, which brings many visitors to the city.
Valencia has a humming nightlife. The Carmen area offers an experience slightly different from the mainstream bars of Cánovas. Students tend to populate the area of Benimaclet in the evenings which can be quite raucous.
Food
Valencia is renowned for its amazing local fare. Paella is a pan cooked rice dish that may include seafood, vegetables or meat. It is particularly worth sampling while you are in Valencia; as though it can be eaten all over Spain, Valencia is particularly known for it. In March every year there is even a festival, Las Fallas, which celebrates Paella.
Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències Centre (the City of Arts and Sciences) was the brainchild of Santiago Calatrava, an architect who was born and bred in Valencia. It includes several different structures, specifically built to house projects to enrich cultural and intellectual experience. One of its major attractions is the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, an enormous structure containing 4 concert halls for the performance of opera and other musical performances.
L’Oceanogràfic is the largest aquarium to be found in the whole of Europe with tanks that showcase different aquatic environments and contain fish, dolphins, seals, penguins, squid, crustaceans and small life forms like coral, shellfish and sea urchins.
El Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe is a noted Science Museum that resembles the bone structure of a giant whale. There is also a Planetarium, a Botanic Garden, a Sculpture Garden and a covered arena for sports and performance events.
Valencia, uniquely equipped to add culture, fun and entertainment to your trip is well worth a visit.
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