Valencia often gets overshadowed by Spain’s bigger city break destinations like Barcelona and Madrid, but after spending five days here, I can honestly say it deserves far more attention. With its sunny climate, beautiful historic centre, futuristic architecture, delicious food scene, and relaxed Mediterranean atmosphere, Valencia offers the perfect mix of culture, nature, and city life – all without feeling quite as overwhelming as some of Spain’s larger cities.
My brother and I visited Valencia in February, escaping the cold Dutch winter for six days of sunshine and exploring. Unlike many of my other trips, this wasn’t a holiday where I was constantly thinking about creating content or ticking off every tourist attraction. We had recently lost a loved one, and this trip became exactly what we both needed: a chance to slow down, spend quality time together, and simply enjoy being away for a little while.
We still managed to see plenty of Valencia’s highlights, from the impressive Valencia Cathedral and the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences to Europe’s largest aquarium, peaceful botanical gardens, museums, markets, and some fantastic food along the way. So rather than a strict itinerary, think of this as a relaxed travel story following our six days in one of Spain’s most underrated cities.
If you’re planning your own trip to Valencia, I hope our experience gives you plenty of inspiration for what to see, where to eat, and why this sunny Spanish city deserves a spot on your travel bucket list.
Day 1: Getting to Know Valencia on Foot
After arriving in Valencia the day before and settling into our hotel, we decided to spend our first full day doing what I love most when visiting a new city: simply walking around and getting a feel for the place. There’s no better way to discover hidden streets, stumble upon unexpected gems, and slowly find your bearings.
Our first stop was Plaça de la Verge, one of Valencia’s most beautiful squares. Surrounded by historic buildings, fountains, and lively cafés, it immediately gave us that relaxed Mediterranean feeling we’d been hoping for. It’s also home to one of the city’s most famous landmarks: Valencia Cathedral.
Valencia Cathedral
For €12 per person, admission includes an extensive audio guide that honestly exceeded all my expectations. I figured we’d spend maybe half an hour inside, but we ended up staying well over an hour. The cathedral is enormous and much more impressive than it appears from the outside. As you wander through its chapels, artwork, and grand halls, the audio guide explains the history behind each section, making the visit feel really immersive rather than just another quick sightseeing stop.
The ticket also includes access to the cathedral’s museum, where you’ll find a collection of religious artwork and historical artifacts that are explained throughout the audio tour.
If you’re feeling energetic, you can also climb Miguelete, the cathedral’s famous bell tower, for an additional €3. We decided to skip it this time. Climbing hundreds of steps didn’t sound particularly appealing, especially knowing our hotel had a rooftop sky bar with panoramic views that we could enjoy later without breaking a sweat!
Overall, I thought the cathedral offered excellent value for money and is definitely one of Valencia’s must-see attractions.
Mercat Central de València
After leaving the cathedral, we continued wandering through Valencia’s charming streets until we reached Mercat Central de València, one of Europe’s largest and oldest covered food markets.
Even if you’re not planning to buy anything, it’s well worth stepping inside. The market is buzzing with both locals and tourists browsing stalls overflowing with fresh fruit and vegetables, seafood, meats, cheeses, spices, pastries, and every kind of Spanish delicacy you can imagine. Alongside traditional Valencian products, you’ll also find ready-made meals, international cuisine, and plenty of little food stalls if you’re looking for lunch or a quick snack.
It’s one of those places where you can happily spend half an hour just soaking up the atmosphere and admiring the beautiful modernist architecture overhead.
An Unexpected Cookie Stop at Juliet
One of my favourite moments of the day wasn’t actually something we’d planned.
While wandering through one of Valencia’s smaller side streets on our way back towards the hotel, the man walking in front of us suddenly disappeared into a little bakery. Naturally, I peeked through the window… and within seconds I was completely sold.
That bakery was Juliet, and it turned out to be one of my favourite food discoveries of the entire trip.
Apparently it’s become quite the local favourite, and after tasting one of their cookies, I completely understood why. I ordered the raspberry & white chocolate cookie, which was perfectly soft in the middle (exactly how I like my cookies), packed with flavour, and loaded with chunks of creamy white chocolate. Fair warning though: these cookies definitely lean towards the sweeter side and they’re a little more expensive than your average bakery cookie. But honestly? I thought it was worth every euro.
Besides cookies, they also sell a tempting selection of pastries that looked just as incredible.
Sometimes the best travel recommendations aren’t the ones you spend weeks researching, they’re the places you accidentally stumble across while simply exploring a city.
Ending the Day
On our walk back, we passed the impressive Torres de Serranos, one of Valencia’s ancient medieval city gates that once formed part of the city’s defensive walls. Even without going inside, it’s an impressive landmark and a reminder of Valencia’s rich history.
From there, we wandered through the Jardín del Turia, the enormous park that winds its way through the city where the Turia River once flowed. Stretching for almost nine kilometres, it’s one of Valencia’s greatest assets, filled with walking paths, cycling routes, gardens, playgrounds, sports facilities, and plenty of places to simply sit and enjoy the sunshine.
It turned out to be the perfect way to end our first day. No rushing between attractions, no strict schedule – just exploring at our own pace, enjoying the warmer February weather, and already falling a little bit in love with Valencia.
Day 2: Exploring Valencia’s City of Arts and Sciences
Our second day was dedicated to one of Valencia’s most famous landmarks: the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (City of Arts and Sciences). Since it’s located a little outside the historic city centre, we had to take two metro lines with a short walk during the transfer. Luckily, Valencia’s public transport is both affordable and easy to navigate, so getting there was no hassle at all.
Even before entering any of the attractions, the architecture alone makes the trip worthwhile. The futuristic white buildings, surrounded by turquoise pools and palm trees, almost make you feel like you’ve stepped into another world. It’s easily one of the most photogenic places in Valencia.
El Umbracle
Our first stop was L’Umbracle, a beautifully landscaped open-air garden and promenade that stretches above one of the city’s car parks. Designed with elegant white arches, Mediterranean plants, sculptures, and walking paths, it’s completely free to visit and offers fantastic views over the surrounding City of Arts and Sciences complex.
We spent quite a while wandering around here, taking photos from different angles. If you’ve seen pictures of the City of Arts and Sciences online, chances are many of them were taken from L’Umbracle. It really is one of the best viewpoints in the area.
Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe
Next up was the Science Museum, for which we had bought a combined ticket with the aquarium. The combo ticket cost around €35 per person, making it slightly cheaper than purchasing both attractions separately. If you only want to visit the museum, tickets start at around €7 for adults.
Unfortunately, this ended up being the biggest disappointment of our trip.
The building itself is absolutely stunning, but the museum inside was much smaller than we’d expected. More importantly, it was clearly designed with younger children in mind. Most exhibitions explained scientific concepts at a very basic level, and many of the interactive activities were aimed specifically at kids.
That’s entirely on us, we simply hadn’t done enough research beforehand. Families travelling with children will probably have a great time here, but if you’re visiting as adults looking for an in-depth science museum, I’d honestly skip it and spend your time elsewhere.
Oceanogràfic Valencia
Luckily, the Oceanogràfic more than made up for it.
Although it’s the more expensive attraction of the two, it was absolutely worth every euro in my opinion. When you first enter, it almost feels like there isn’t that much to see… but don’t let first impressions fool you. Much of the aquarium is located underground, and it just keeps going.
We spent hours exploring the different themed areas, each representing a different marine ecosystem. From colourful tropical fish and graceful rays to sharks, jellyfish, penguins, seals, sea turtles, and countless other sea creatures, there was an incredible amount to discover. The aquariums themselves are beautifully designed and some are truly breathtaking.
One unexpected highlight was the dolphin show, which is included with your admission ticket. I normally feel a bit hesitant about animal shows, but I was pleasantly surprised by how educational and animal-focused it felt. The trainers clearly put the dolphins’ wellbeing first, while still creating an enjoyable experience for visitors.
We actually stayed until closing time without even realizing how quickly the hours had passed. That’s always a good sign. Before leaving, I couldn’t resist picking up an adorable little stingray plush from the gift shop as a souvenir to remember the day.
If you’re wondering whether Oceanogràfic is worth the ticket price, my answer would be a definite yes. It ended up being one of my favourite attractions of the entire trip.
Dinner at Centro Comercial El Saler
After spending almost the entire day at the City of Arts and Sciences, we walked over to Centro Comercial El Saler, the large shopping centre just a few minutes away.
For dinner, we kept things simple and ate at Ginos, an Italian restaurant inside the mall. After such a full day of walking, sightseeing, and exploring, a comforting plate of pasta was exactly what we needed before making our way back to the hotel.
Looking back, Day 2 was definitely a day of highs and lows. While the Science Museum wasn’t quite what we expected, Oceanogràfic completely stole the show and easily became one of the highlights of our six days in Valencia.
Day 3: Botanical Gardens, Local Art & Churros
By our third day, we felt like we’d already seen many of Valencia’s biggest highlights, so we decided to slow things down a little and focus on some of the city’s quieter attractions.
Jardín Botánico de Valencia
Our morning started at the Jardín Botánico de Valencia, the botanical garden belonging to the University of Valencia. Located just outside the historic centre, this peaceful green oasis is home to thousands of plant species from around the world and is part of the Botanical Gardens Conservation International network.
If you know me, you probably know I’m incapable of visiting a city without checking whether it has a botanical garden. So naturally, this one had to make it onto our itinerary.
While it isn’t the biggest botanical garden I’ve visited, I thought it was absolutely lovely. Admission was only €4, making it one of the best-value attractions in Valencia. The beautiful historic glasshouses were definitely my favourite part, and there was an impressive collection of cacti and other desert plants that I happily wandered around photographing for far longer than my brother probably would’ve liked.
It’s not a must-see attraction if you’re only in Valencia for a day or two, but if you enjoy plants, gardens, or simply want a peaceful break from the busy city streets, I’d definitely recommend visiting.
La Lonja de la Seda
Afterwards, we walked back towards the historic centre to visit La Lonja de la Seda, Valencia’s famous Silk Exchange and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We’d actually walked past it earlier in the trip but forgotten to go inside, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity. Admission was only €2, so we figured why not?
To be completely honest… this was probably my least favourite attraction of the trip.
The building itself is undeniably beautiful and historically significant, dating back to the 15th century when Valencia was one of Europe’s most important trading cities. However, we found there wasn’t actually that much to do once inside. There are no extensive museum exhibitions or detailed information panels explaining the building’s history, so after walking through the different rooms and admiring the architecture, we’d pretty much seen everything within ten minutes.
If you’re really interested in medieval architecture or UNESCO sites, it’s probably worth the small entrance fee. But if you’re short on time, I’d personally skip it.
The Churro Adventure That Didn’t Go as Planned
After all that walking, we decided it was finally time to try one of Spain’s most iconic treats: churros con chocolate.
Our original plan was to visit Horchatería de Santa Catalina, one of Valencia’s oldest and most traditional cafés. It has fantastic reviews online, so we were really looking forward to it.
Unfortunately… things didn’t quite go to plan.
After we sat down, nobody came over with a menu. Eventually a waiter asked what we’d like to order, so I politely asked if we could see the menu first. Instead, I was told that the menu was outside near the entrance, or that I could simply look inside the display cabinet by the counter.
So I left my brother at the table and walked over to have a look. Since he couldn’t see what was available, I quickly took out my phone to snap a photo of the pastries so I could show him what they had.
Almost immediately, two members of staff rather sharply told me that I wasn’t allowed to take photos.
Normally, that wouldn’t necessarily bother me. But combined with the fact that there were no prices visible anywhere and the overall unfriendly atmosphere, it just didn’t sit right with me. I turned to my brother and said, “Let’s just leave.” It simply didn’t feel comfortable, and I’d much rather walk away than spend the rest of the meal wondering what the bill might look like.
Maybe we were just unlucky that day, and perhaps other visitors have had wonderful experiences there. If you’ve been yourself, I’d genuinely love to hear what your experience was. Maybe ours was simply an exception.
Churros at Chocolatería Valor
Luckily, Valencia has no shortage of places serving churros. Instead, we ended up at Chocolatería Valor, the café of the famous Spanish chocolate brand, and I’m actually really glad we did.
The service was friendly and efficient, the atmosphere felt much more welcoming, and before long we were tucking into a plate of freshly made churros con chocolate. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and paired with thick, rich hot chocolate for dipping. Exactly what we’d been craving!
Sometimes travel plans don’t work out exactly as expected, but they can still lead you somewhere just as enjoyable.
Museu de Belles Arts de València
That afternoon, we visited the Museu de Belles Arts de València, one of Spain’s most important fine art museums.
The best part? Admission is completely free.
Even if you’re not the biggest art lover, I’d still recommend stopping by. The building itself is beautiful, featuring a peaceful courtyard filled with greenery that made the perfect backdrop for a few photos before we even started exploring the galleries.
Inside, the museum houses an impressive collection of paintings spanning several centuries, with a particular focus on Valencian artists and works from the surrounding region. I actually found this far more interesting than museums that only showcase famous international masterpieces. It gave us a much better understanding of Valencia’s own artistic history and culture.
We ended up spending quite a while here, and for a free museum, I thought it was absolutely fantastic.
Jardín del Real
To round off the day, we headed to the nearby Jardín del Real, also known as the Viveros Gardens.
This beautiful city park felt like the perfect place to unwind after a day of sightseeing. We wandered along peaceful walking paths past duck ponds, colourful rose gardens, children’s playgrounds, and even large bird aviaries. It felt surprisingly spacious and calm considering how close it is to the city centre.
If you still have some energy left, you’ll also find the Natural Science Museum located within the park, making it easy to combine both into one relaxing afternoon.
Looking back, Day 3 ended up being one of my favourite days of the trip. It wasn’t packed with Valencia’s biggest tourist attractions, but it perfectly showed another side of the city – one filled with peaceful gardens, local culture, hidden gems, and, thankfully, some very good churros.
ay 4: Beach Walks & A Restaurant That Felt Like Bali
By our fourth day, we were more than ready to enjoy the sunshine. Compared to the freezing temperatures we’d left behind in the Netherlands, Valencia almost felt like spring. It wasn’t quite warm enough for a swim, but it was definitely perfect weather for spending a few hours by the sea.
Malvarrosa Beach
We started the day by taking the tram out to Malvarrosa Beach, Valencia’s most famous urban beach. The journey itself was easy and inexpensive, and before long we found ourselves trading city streets for golden sand and palm trees.
Although it was still February, the beach was surprisingly lively. People were walking their dogs, enjoying coffee on the beachfront terraces, going for runs along the promenade, or simply sitting in the sun. We joined them with a long stroll along the coastline, soaking up the warmth and appreciating just how different the weather was from home.
We never intended to swim, it definitely wasn’t that warm, but after days of sightseeing it was nice to slow down for a while. Sometimes you don’t need to tick another attraction off your list; simply enjoying the atmosphere can be just as memorable.
Lunch at Voltereta Bali
After our beach walk, we headed back towards the city centre for a late lunch at Voltereta Bali, a restaurant I’d already seen countless times on social media.
Voltereta is actually a small Spanish restaurant chain with several locations across cities like Valencia and Zaragoza, but every restaurant has its own completely different destination-inspired theme and menu. One location transports you to Manhattan with jazz club vibes, another feels Mediterranean, while the one we visited is entirely inspired by Bali and Southeast Asia.
From the moment we stepped inside, it genuinely felt like we’d left Valencia behind. There were tropical plants everywhere, waterfalls, warm atmospheric lighting and beautifully decorated dining rooms that made you feel as though you’d wandered into a luxury resort in Indonesia. Even the bathrooms were fully themed, which honestly made me laugh because the attention to detail was incredible.
We hadn’t made a reservation, but luckily we were seated straight away.
For lunch, I ordered the salmon, served with a fresh mango salad and an incredibly flavourful sauce on the side. The portion was perhaps a little smaller than I expected for the price, but the quality more than made up for it. Everything tasted incredibly fresh, the salmon was perfectly cooked, and the sweet mango balanced the rich flavours beautifully.
Of course, I couldn’t leave without ordering dessert. I went for a mango mochi, which was light, refreshing, and the perfect way to end the meal.
It’s not often that a restaurant you’ve seen all over social media actually lives up to the hype, but Voltereta Bali absolutely did. Between the stunning décor, friendly service and genuinely delicious food, it turned out to be one of my favourite restaurants of the entire trip. If you’re looking for somewhere a little different while visiting Valencia, I’d definitely recommend adding it to your list.
Day 5: A Relaxed Walk & An Afternoon at Bioparc Valencia
After several days filled with sightseeing, museums, and exploring different neighbourhoods, we decided to take things a little slower on our fifth day. Sometimes it’s nice to leave the packed itinerary behind and simply enjoy the city at a more relaxed pace.
Instead of taking public transport, we walked all the way through the Turia Gardens towards Bioparc Valencia. One of the things I loved most about Valencia is this enormous green park that winds its way through the city. Built in the former riverbed of the Turia River, it’s now filled with walking and cycling paths, gardens, playgrounds, sports facilities, and plenty of places to simply sit and enjoy the sunshine. Walking through it never felt like just getting from A to B, it became part of the experience itself.
Bioparc Valencia
Eventually we arrived at Bioparc Valencia, one of Europe’s most well-known zoos. Unlike traditional zoos, Bioparc is designed around the concept of immersive habitats, where barriers are cleverly hidden to make it feel as though you’re walking through the animals’ natural environments rather than looking into separate enclosures.
We enjoyed our visit, although I’ll admit it wasn’t quite what we’d expected. The zoo turned out to be a little smaller than we had imagined, meaning we made our way around much quicker than anticipated. Because we visited during winter, quite a few enclosures also appeared empty, presumably because some of the animals were staying indoors to keep warm.
One of the highlights was definitely watching the hippo feeding, which happened during our visit. Seeing such enormous animals up close while learning more about them from the keepers made for a really fun experience and was easily my favourite part of the afternoon.
Overall, I think Bioparc is a lovely zoo, especially if you’re visiting Valencia with children or you’re an animal lover. Personally, I probably wouldn’t rank it among the absolute must-see attractions of the city, but if you have a few extra days – as we did – it’s a nice way to spend a relaxed afternoon outside the busy historic centre.
Before we knew it, our five days in Valencia had come to an end. The next morning, we packed our bags, made our way back to the airport, and flew home feeling completely recharged.
Looking back, I think Valencia was exactly the trip we needed. We deliberately kept the pace slower than we normally would, taking our time to wander through parks, enjoy long lunches, and simply soak up the atmosphere instead of rushing from one attraction to the next. After everything that had happened before this trip, that slower style of travelling was honestly perfect.
What surprised me most about Valencia was how balanced it felt. It has the history and beautiful architecture you’d expect from a Spanish city, but it also offers modern attractions like the City of Arts and Sciences, kilometres of green space thanks to the Turia Gardens, lovely beaches, excellent museums, and a food scene that completely exceeded my expectations. Add the pleasant winter temperatures, affordable public transport, and relaxed atmosphere, and it’s easy to see why so many people fall in love with the city.
Would I return? Absolutely. There are still places I’d love to visit, restaurants I’d happily eat at again, and I’d love to experience Valencia during a different season to see how the city changes.
If you’re looking for a European city break that combines culture, great food, beautiful parks, and plenty of sunshine – even outside the peak summer months – I genuinely think Valencia deserves a spot on your travel list.
Xo Bug Girl
Instagram: @thebuggirladventures
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