I have just spent three lovely days in Valencia, the third largest city in Spain and the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia, located on the banks of the river Turia.
The city has a rich history, having been founded by Romans in 138 BC and occupied by Moroccan and Arab Moors for a little over 500 years from 714 to 1238 AD. In 1238, it was reconquered by the crown of Aragon. It had a brief stint as the capital of Spain on two occasions, in 1812 and between 1936 and 1937. The city was originally named as Valentia which meant "valor" or "strength".
The two main tourist attractions in Valencia are its magnificent Turia Gardens and its vast beaches.
The Turia Gardens
The Turia Gardens is home to the famed City of Arts and Sciences (see my post, "The spaceship has landed in Valencia" to learn more about that).
But it is much more than that! Being one of the largest urban parks in Spain, it runs through the city for nine kilometers and has long walking and bike paths, playgrounds, including park Gulliver, the Museum of Natural Sciences, fountains, cool bridges, large arenas for concerts and gorgeous sculptures among other things.
There are multiple entrances to the gardens throughout the city. It is easy to ride into and out of the park on a bike and there are several long biking paths that lead directly to it. There is even a metro station inside it. I rented a bike by the park Gulliver for 12 euros for the whole day and biked through the entire gardens. During my ride, I encountered a couple of people practicing a Chinese dragon dance, a man playing a bagpipe, a performance of some sort, lots of families with young children, many other bikers as well as rollerbladers and trees shaped like bottles.
Valencia Beaches
The two main beaches are Las Arenas and La Malvarrosa. Frankly, it is hard for me to know where one ends and another starts. You can take a long walk, bike or rollerblade on a path along the beach. There are also many restaurants and cafes nearby.
The first thing that struck me about Valencia beach is how vast it is.
Stretches of soft yellow sand kept going for some time before reaching the water.
The water is still warm and pleasant in the middle of October, and can be enjoyed from early morning till early evening. I felt some cold streams as I swam further from the beach. The nature is starting to accept the fact that it is fall.
A few entrepreneurial people made beautiful sand castles for display. What a creative way to make a living!
A little further from the beach, a long row of tall palms, planted in an orderly fashion, created a spacious corridor which is a nice place for a leisurely stroll.
There is a wonderful restaurant not far from the beach that had the best croquettes, rosé wine that tasted like honey and the most delicate sardines in olive oil with garlic.
On the way back, I saw beautiful private gardens and, most surprisingly, a wall painting of Laika, our most beloved Soviet space dog! I felt instant warmth for this city.
I am impressed by Valencia and would love to come back to explore more, especially the Turia Gardens and the beaches but also many other parts such as the Gothic Quarter.
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