Valencia City holidays

Valencia city practically perches on the coast, putting a trio of beaches within arm’s reach from the heart of the city. Your nearest spot is only a 20-minute walk away, and it’s joined by another pair of beaches which practically melt into one another.

La Malvarrosa Beach is the biggest of the three city-side beaches. You’ve got plenty of space for stretching out on this swathe – it’s fitted with a wide belt of sand which runs along the coast for more than two kilometres.

Patacona Beach sees a lot less footfall than Valencia’s two other city beaches. It’s half the size of La Malvarrosa Beach, but the sands along here are just as wide, providing plenty of space for peaceful beach days.

A collection of vintage shops provide on-trend buys without big price tags in El Carmen. This neighbourhood’s narrow streets come lined with shops and cosy bars, and it’s only a stone’s throw from the centre.

Colon Street’s the place to pick out for high-street shopping. It’s lined with shops on both sides, and the streets leading off from it are well stocked with stores, too.

Poeta Querol heads up the city’s designer shopping scene – both Boss and Louis Vuitton have a residency along this place. It’s less than a five-minute walk from the high-street names on Colon Street.

Laidback nights and seaside strolls are a top partnership in our books. Meander through the city’s buzzing streets down to the coastline, where beachside restaurants sort sweeping sea views and seafood dishes.

El Carmen lays claim to the title of the city’s trendiest neighbourhood, and it’s got a reputation for its nightlife, too. Comfy dancing shoes are a requirement for nights out around here – the bars and clubs around this part of town don’t rest up until sunrise.

Valencia’s one of Spain’s top producers of oranges, so it should come as no surprise that orange ice-cream’s well-stocked at all of its ice-cream parlours.

Valencia’s version of paella contains a lot more meat than most other regional varieties. This dish traditionally uses chicken and rabbit meat, with saffron and smoked paprika covering the seasoning side of things.

This drink’s made using tiger nuts – they’re the roots of a wetland plant called a sedge which grow throughout Valencia’s countryside. It’s served cold, so it’s super refreshing during the hot and sticky summer months.

This dish features a mix of pork ribs, potatoes, black pudding, chickpeas and rice. At first glance it could be mistaken for paella, but there’s a big difference – it’s cooked in the oven, rather than on a stove.

This beverage makes for a great option when a caffeine kick’s required. It’s made with rum, lemon rind, coffee beans, sugar and cinnamon sticks which are all heated together before they’re poured over an espresso.