In Valencia, a Good Time is a Foregone Conclusion Travel Tips - Packages/Deals & Travel Agents Near Me

Ah, Valencia, that sparkling region on Spain’s Mediterranean coast: home to fine food, exquisite wine, sparkling citrus orchards, beaches and bodegas. The distractions here are plentiful enough to keep the energetic traveler on the go 24/7. But to truly appreciate Valencia and to tap into and understand its ancient soul, there is one thing you simply must do: relax.  And that’s just what Valencians do each afternoon. Of course, siesta is to Spain what Starbucks is to America, a chance to re-energize and face the remains of the day.

There is so much to say about this special place, rich with history but also a modern center with numerous world-class attractions that have recently opened. As much as anything else, though, Valencia is a culinary adventure. Our trip began with a visit to one of Europe’s oldest-running food markets, Mercado Central, where we sampled Spanish hams and cheeses. Situated in a huge Art Nouveau cast-iron building, Mercado Central is still where Valencians shop for fresh seafood and produce.

We continued to Horchateria El Siglo, which serves up the “world’s best horchata,” according to our guide, Jose. Horchata, by the way, is nothing like what you may have experienced in Mexico. Valencian Horchata is made from tigernuts, water and sugar, and originating in the 8th to 13th century, it is one of Valencia’s oldest traditions. From the horchateria, we ventured 15 minutes outside the city (Valencia is both the city and the province) to the rice fields in Albufera. At Restaurante Le Matandeta, we attended a paella workshop. There are three widely known types of paella: Valencian paella, seafood paella, and mixed paella. The term paella was originally the pan that the dish was cooked in, but it became so popular that in 1840 a local Spanish paper first used the phrase paella valenciana to refer to the recipe rather than the pan. Valencians guard paella as their own cultural icon!

During our workshop, we prepared paella that consisted of a special “Bomba” rice, along with chicken, saffron, paprika, garlic, olive oil, butter beans, and tomato sauce. It all went down well with the Sangria, featuring wines produced by local vineyards. In fact, the cultivated fields around Valencia stand among the richest farming regions in the Mediterranean.

The old quarter offers more than a few landmark buildings, and we found it quite illuminating to join The Ultimate Architecture tour. Leave plenty of time for the Miguelete tower that adjoins the Romanesque-Gothic-Baroque Cathedral where an agate cup is considered by some experts to be the Holy Grail. Nearby, the splendid 15th century Palau de la Generalitat is now home to the regional government so it is only available to visitors two weekends a month, but it’s still got plenty of curb appeal.

Open to visitors and host of many cultural events, the silk exchange, La Lonja de la Seda, also dating back to the 15th century, is a wonderful example of Gothic style, with its gargoyle covered exterior façade. Inside, the elaborately-sculpted stone columns support the vaulted ceilings. Nearby is the Museo de Bellas Artes, a lovely 17th century Baroque seminary. It contains one of the best art collections in Spain with over 2,000 paintings and statues by such renowned artists as El Greco, Murillo, Ribalta, Van Dyck and Goya.

Even with its rich historical bounty, Valencia has continued to progress. Less than four years ago, for instance, the futuristic Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, the City of Arts and Sciences complex opened. This world-class culture center, with four venues for opera, theater and dance, is the centerpiece of the city’s ribbon of green parks and gardens along the river Turia. Its stunning exterior features two symmetrical cut-away shields — 3,000 tons of white concrete — that “embrace” the exterior and are crowned by a sweeping 778-foot-long steel sheath, or “plume.” The roofs glisten with trencadís or delicate ceramic tile.

With its glorious climate, Valencia is worth visiting any time of the year, but the city is probably at its most festive during the Las Fallas celebration every March. Rooted in the Middle Ages when bonfires were lit in honor of Saint Joseph, the carpenters’ patron saint, the festival is one of the most significant in Spain. Highlights include giant paper-mâché creations, fallas, that depict cartoon characters, politicians, celebrities or animals and are erected in plazas throughout the city and then paraded around the streets before being burned in a pyre on the evening of St. Joseph’s Day.

The five-day festival is marked by fireworks and bonfires, and as you would expect, plenty of great food and wine. In Valencia, a good time is a foregone conclusion.