Skip to content
List your business

Best Things to do in Valencia (2026)

Some of the best experiences in Valencia cost little or nothing. Start with the Mercado Central, the Modernista market opposite La Lonja, ideally in the morning when the stalls are at their busiest; it is open from Monday to Saturday and closed on Sundays. From there, walk through the Barrio del Carmen, with its small squares, street art and the medieval gates at either end, and continue into the Turia Garden, the park in the old riverbed that links much of the city.

The Turia is best explored by bike, following the cycle path from Bioparc to the City of Arts and Sciences. For a beach afternoon, head to the Malvarrosa, which has a long promenade, rice restaurants and good access for visitors with reduced mobility; metro and bus lines run from the centre. Allow half a day or more for the Albufera Natural Park south of the city, where you can take a boat out on the lagoon, watch birds and eat paella in the village of El Palmar. City bus 25 runs there, and sunset is the classic time for a boat trip. In summer, keep outdoor walks for the morning and evening.

5 places · Updated November 12, 2026

Our top 3 things to do in Valencia

  1. Mercado Central de Valencia Historic food market, Ciutat Vella (El Mercat)Valencia's Modernista food market, completed in 1928 opposite La Lonja, where hundreds of stalls sell fish, meat, fruit, vegetables and local specialities.
  2. Turia Garden Urban park, Former Turia riverbed (citywide)A nine-kilometre park laid out in the old bed of the Turia river after the 1957 flood, linking Bioparc, the old town and the City of Arts and Sciences.
  3. Albufera Natural Park Lagoon and nature reserve, L'Albufera (El Palmar)A freshwater lagoon and wetland about half an hour south of the city, surrounded by rice fields, with boat trips, birdwatching and the paella village of El Palmar.

Thing to do

2. Turia Garden

Urban parkFormer Turia riverbed (citywide)

A nine-kilometre park laid out in the old bed of the Turia river after the 1957 flood, linking Bioparc, the old town and the City of Arts and Sciences.

View details — Turia Garden

Thing to do

4. Malvarrosa Beach

City beachPoblats Marítims (Malvarrosa)

Valencia's best-known city beach, running north from the Las Arenas hotel, with a long promenade, rice restaurants and good access for visitors with reduced mobility.

View details — Malvarrosa Beach

Thing to do

5. Barrio del Carmen

Historic neighbourhood walkCiutat Vella (El Carmen)

The old town's most characterful quarter, between the medieval gates of Serranos and Quart, known for street art, small squares, museums and nightlife.

View details — Barrio del Carmen