The winter months in the UK, on the whole, are pretty miserable. Sure, we get the odd day of beautiful low sunshine, you want to don your winter-wear and head for a crisp stroll along the coast or through the park. Let’s be honest, those days are rare, and much of the time we are left longing for warmer climes.
That’s how Gina (my fiancée) and I felt a few weeks ago. January though, is a bit of a skint month after the expense of Christmas. We wanted warm and cheap, for that you can’t do better than Spain! Thanks to an episode of C4’s Travel Man, and some clever frugal planning, we set off for 3 nights in Spain’s third largest city, Valencia.
Before I expand on our adventure, I shall explain the frugality of the trip.
We flew Ryanair out of Stansted, without hold luggage (This was before the new carry-on rules in force from 15th January 18, which I am mostly behind to be honest.) I chose the cheapest flights in the month, 10th 7am departure, and 13th 9:55pm return. I also selected priority booking, to avoid the risk of our bag going in the hold… I didn’t want to wait for it on the other end! With mid-stay car parking, the cost of flights was around £115.
The hotel was paid for via Hotels.com utilising Tesco Clubcard vouchers and their x3 value. I then found VLCdo a pretty good deal on travel and attractions. They currently offer a Winter Pack, which is a 72hr travel card, with entry to the Aquarium, Science Museum, Hemisfèric (immersive IMAX cinema,) various local historic attractions and the zoo for about £65. Saving approx. 13%. We then purchased a single metro ticket each for the first day, to get us from the airport to the city, at around £4 each.
Excluding food & drink, 3 nights / 4 days in Valencia cost a total of £188, or £94 each. Pretty cheap, now for the fun stuff!
Day 1 - Wednesday
We landed at Valencia Airport around 20 minutes ahead of schedule, whizzed through border control, collected or Valencia Tourist Cards, and found ourselves jumping off the Metro at Xàtiva station in little over 30mins, amazingly simple, amazingly fast! Our hotel, Casual Valencia Vintage, was just a short walk along Avenue del Marqués de Sotelo. The hotel is very relaxed with wonderfully helpful staff, even though we arrived three hours before the check in time, they stowed our luggage, checked us in, and gave us useful advice for getting around town.
We headed off for lunch, and it had to be Paella. We found ourselves in Restaurante Bri De Safrà, which despite its’ 1.6-star rating on Google, we found to be rather pleasant. 3 courses for €12. The salad starter was crisp and flavoursome, the chicken paella was far from the worse I have had in Spain, the fruit salad, whilst on the small side, again was fresh and full of flavour! Good, simple food, perfect for our tired persons.
Casual Valencia Vintage’s beds are amazing, the room was spacious and nicely decorated. We did not have a view to match the room though, because we chose the cheapest option. If I go back, I would definitely opt for a pricier room for the view of the street below. Still, we were hardly there to take advantage of any views, so much to see!
After siesta, we went across the road to Foster’s Hollywood, an American style restaurant, for dinner. Gina really liked the ribs on offer. The burger meat was pretty juicy and tasty too!
Day 2 - Thursday
After a little lie in, it was a long day yesterday after all, we took a slow walk along the Garden of the Turia, a beautiful multipurpose park transformed from the Rio Turia, created after severe flooding in the late 50s, to the City of Arts and Sciences. This large complex contains L’Hemisfèric, an IMAX & planetarium; Museum of Sciences; L’Umbracle, a landscaped walk with outdoor art gallery; L’Oceangràfic, the largest aquarium in Europe; Reina Sofia Palace of the Arts, an opera hall; and L’Ágora, a sports and concert plaza. As I said, a large complex, even without going inside any buildings, there are so much to see.
We started off at the furthest point, The Oceangraphic, with 42 million litres of water, 45,000 animals, and some 500 different species. There is plenty to see here across its’ 10 areas, including many animals I have never seen before. Naturally, I found these new creatures most fascinating, and spent plenty of time watching and learning. I didn’t think I liked dolphins, but after watching them train with their keepers (we missed the daily show) I certainly do. Vastly intelligent and interesting creatures. I also enjoyed the belugas, it was serenely peaceful sitting there watching them float through the water.
Next along the site was the science museum, or Museu de les Ciències Principe Felipe, to give it its’ full name. This large metal and glass piece of art is light, airy and stunning, Three floors here allow for a large selection of exhibitions. Everything from dinosaurs, space to the technological revolution is featured here, with many interactive displays. As a music lover, I found the feature mapping the brain’s response to music very interesting, take some time and really focus on the music! My only complaint here is The Legacy of Science display on the second floor seemed to lack much English translation, I managed to get the gist of what was being said by using Google Translate.
We then went for a rest in L’Hemisfèric. This large dome building is designed to look like an eye, because of this, it is known as the eye of knowledge. The name fits well, we went back to the ocean and watched Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Secret Ocean on L’Hemisfèric’s 900 metre square domed IMAX screen. This 50 minute show, whilst covering a lot of territory, was vastly educational and interesting. The translator headsets we were given were a brilliant idea. All the music and sound effects came from the main sound system, with narration in a selection of Valencian, Spanish, French or English. The headsets are designed as such so not to dampen the main sound. The slightly reclined seats are seriously comfortable, and relaxing. After a long day, one may be at risk of having a nap… Try not to snore!
Thursday evening, we went for dinner in a wonderful little Italian called Marinetta Mia. The pizzas here are absolutely to die for. Gina had the Vera (margherita,) and I had the Chiara (cheeses), which I ended up pronouncing horribly! Whilst I cannot remember the desserts we chose, they were also delicious. The two ladies working here were wonderfully friendly, helpful, and even taught me a little more Spanish. ‘La cuenta, por favor’, which is ‘the check, please.’ I had been using the international sign for that - the hand scribbling like a pen into the other hand. No idea how that asks for the check, but it works most of the time!
Day 3 – Friday
Today we went to Bioparc Valencia. Having been to its’ smaller sister site in Fuengirola in the past, we knew what to expect, natural looking habitats, minimal caging and clever use of space. Bioparc Valencia did not disappoint.
This ‘zooimersion’ experience really makes you feel as though you are getting closer to all the animals. You can tell Bioparc has the interest of the animals as its’ main priority, over spectacle and profit. Lunch was a ham and cheese ciabatta, it was cold in the centre, but edible, the view over the ‘African Savannah’ from the café made up for it though! A particular highlight for me was the aviary in the Savannah zone, with a small selection of species, including my favourite bird, the Superb Starling with their bright eyes and striking plumage.
In the evening, we were pretty tired from the days walking, so we simply went back to Foster’s Hollywood, the food is good, and the price is reasonable, best of all, it is across the road from Vintage Valencia! After, we went to a cocktail bar (again, across the road) Gin & Bar Nibble. I had to try Agua De Valencia, a cava based drink with orange juice, gin and vodka, it has a fruity kick to it, and you cannot leave Valencia without trying it! Gina, playing safe as usual, went and had Sex On The Beach! In reflection, it is a handily located bar, but I cannot really recommend it, having just one bar staff made service quite poor, and I felt a bit rushed. Almost the moment we finished, he popped up to take payment.
Day 4 – Saturday
Our last day. Today we decided to mosey around the old city, taking in the sights, and taking advantage of the Tourist Card that permits free entry into about 18 historical sites/museums across the city. Heading straight to Museu de Ciències Naturals de València (Valencian natural science museum,) just North East of the old city. This is a short walk and a hop over the Garden of the Turia. Our slower pace as we strolled few the narrow ancient streets allowed me to notice my new favourite thing. Shutter door art! In the morning, before the cafés and shops open, a lot of the owners have had artwork painted onto the shutter doors, beautifying the streets. Far more fun than a sea of shutters! Keep your eyes peeled.
Museu de Ciències Naturals is a small modern looking museum, divided into about four sections. My only minor issue with this museum is a lack of English texts on some of the displays, but it is certainly worth a visit for archeological marvels like the mighty Megateri, and to learn about Valencia’s ecosystem. As it is a small museum, you should only spend an hour here, but do walk through the colourful Jardins del Reial after.
After strolling west from the museum, we ended up at the base of Torres de serranos, a pair of 14th century towers and a gate house. It’s an imposing structure, and it is a good idea to take a breather before climbing up to the battlements. The decorative ceilings are exactly what one would expect from a grand building used to welcoming foreign kings & dignitaries. It is still used for ceremonies to this day. From the top of the towers, you get breathtaking 360° views across the old city to the south, and the modern city to the north, stretching out to the mountains in the distance. Perfect selfie or panoramic photo moment!
After meandering further through the maze of narrow streets we went for lunch at Berny’s Burger (Hey, I like burgers!). A restaurant offering amazingly succulent burgers, craft beers, and a dubious picture of Freddie Mercury sporting one of their t-shirts… Berny’s has a range of reasonably priced options, mostly named after celebrities. I opted for the Mercury, laced in beautiful bacon, and Gina had the Jackson, covered in moreish mushrooms. If you are not after Spanish food like tapas or paella, I would definitely recommend this restaurant!
We then carried our full bellies down the high walled streets towards the huge Central Market of Valencia. Completed in 1928, the beautiful domes, constructed of iron, glass & ceramic, blend wonderfully with the rest of the Valencian skyline. We only whizzed through to say we had been there, but the bustle, sights, colours and smells are incredible. If I was staying longer, I’d be picking my fresh fruit up here.
We walked lunch off a while taking in the sights, and finding more shutter art, before going to sample a couple more delicacies. For this, we took advice from our hotel’s receptionist, ending up in Horchateria Santa Catalina. I’m glad I asked! From the outside the hochateria looks small, but as you step inside, it expands into a large room. Decorated inside and out, like so many Valencian buildings, with beautifully painted tiles depicting many different scenes, it is a joy just to look at the walls. Gina had churros with a warm chocolate sauce, which is a fried-dough pastry, popular across the Iberian Peninsula, as well as Central and South America, where Spanish and Portuguese migration has carried the wonderful snack. I opted for horchata and fartons. Whilst horchata is found across Latin America as well, made from various ingredients, it’s home is Valencia. Made from tigernuts, originating from the Moorish presence in the city from the 8th to 13th century. A truly historical, tasty and refreshing beverage. Fartons, whilst not nearly as old, having been developed in the 60s, compliment the drink perfectly. They have a sweet taste, and a spongy texture, great for dunking in the horchata, their shape reaches the bottom of the glass too. Very Handy!
Overview
Valencia is a wonderful, quirky city blending history, innovation and modernism in a way I have not seen before, I mean, how many other cities divert the forces of nature and create something so universally useful from it? 72hrs is the minimum time required here for a debut visit, one day each for the Bioparc, City of Arts and Sciences, and the historical city. In a warmer month, it would probably be worth a visit to the coast too, but January’s average temperature of 17° is a little low to tempt me there! Book a hotel as close to the centre of the old city as you can, the afternoons and evenings come alive, meaning you will never be more than a 10-minute walk from somewhere bewitching to eat or be entertained. A shop Gina and I love is Ale-Hop. A Spanish chain of shops selling wacky gadgets, toys and accessories. Akin to Flying Tiger Copenhagen or Ikea, they are easily recognizable by the cow poking her head out of the door… Pay it a visit, there are plenty in Valencia! All said and done, an interesting four days exploring and sampling. The perfect winter getaway on a budget!
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**This was previously posted on my Tumblr**
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