When it comes to visitors, Barcelona has long suffered from too much of a good thing. However, with the conversation around tourism intensifying of late and a recent rise in the daily tourist tax, it’s giving other Spanish cities a moment in the spotlight. Case in point, it’s southerly neighbor: Valencia. In stark contrast to the Catalan capital, Spain’s third city is calling out for visitors after the devastating floods of last October deterred travelers, despite the center itself being left unscathed.
Simultaneously, this unhurried beachside city is one on the up, hot on the heels of being named both World Design Capital and Europe’s Green Capital in recent years. A spree of recent design-led hotel openings in the city, a new landmark contemporary art center and a wave of creatives reviving the old fishing district of El Cabanyal all point to Valencia’s renaissance—and now, before the crowds come, is the time to make a trip.
Where to Stay
A relative hotel desert until recent years, a crop of new addresses are cementing Valencia’s resurgence as a travel destination. On the edge of Ruzafa, Valencia’s most bohemian neighborhood lined with vintage stores and sprawling street-side terraces, French couple Bertrand Boullay and Fabien Peronnet have transformed a typical 1924 house of the Modernisme style, the Catalan take on Art Nouveau, into La Novieta. Originally bought as a private house, the four-bed property has been painstakingly restored, rescuing the hydraulic floor tiles and beamed ceilings and then filled with a beautiful collection of antique and vintage sourced pieces.
In the city’s oldest quarter, another storied building from the same period has been reimagined by renowned Spanish designer, Jaime Hayon. At Casa Clarita, the former home and workshop of a family of glass artisans, Hayon has fused the historic design details with his vibrant color palette and signature bold motifs across twelve rooms and ten apartments.
For classic luxury, five star Palacio Vallier overlooking Plaza Manises is by far the frontrunner. Rooms come with contemporary four-poster beds and marble bath suites and there’s an excellent rooftop. On the other end of the spectrum, this converted loft available via Airbnb is a great base in the up and coming beachside neighborhood of El Cabanyal.
Where to Eat and Drink
In El Cabanyal, the city’s fishing district running behind the beach of the same name, there’s a growing number of interesting options hidden within the grid of low-rise buildings. At cozy bodega Anyora, local produce is the star across tapas and a well-curated wine list while after the sun sets, Gran Martínez, a creative cocktail bar housed in a former ornate pharmacy and La Fábrica de Hielo, an ice factory turned cultural space with live music and food trucks, are the places to be.
You can’t speak about Valencia without mentioning its best-known dish: paella. (Low-lying, the city is surrounded by rice fields, hence the development of many rice dishes.) Down by the seafront in El Cabanyal, historic La Pepica—frequented by the city’s other famous export, artist Joaquín Sorolla—is still a superb spot to enjoy the dish, perfectly paired with a post-paella beach walk.
The bounty of produce on Valencia’s doorstep has paved the way for a thriving fine dining scene with nine Michelin-starred restaurants now found in the city. Considering meat is at the heart of Spanish cuisine, Ricard Camarena’s eponymous restaurant is perhaps the most interesting proposition—his vegetable-centered alchemy has won two Michelin stars and an additional Michelin green one.
Over in the Ruzafa district, you could easily spend an entire day hopping between the cafes, bars and restaurants. All-female Bluebell Coffee Roasters serve an great artisan brew while slow fermentation experts MÒLT are a go-to for cinnamon buns. Trinchera is putting a fresh twist on traditional tapas served around a stainless steel bar and the cozy bookshop meets bar Ubik Cafè Cafeteria Libreria is ideal for an afternoon vermouth.
What to Do
A city both rooted in craft and a beacon for contemporary architecture, Valencia has a vibrant creative spirit. The opening of the Centro de Arte Hortensia Herrero just over a year ago bolstered Valencia’s status as an art hub. The philanthropist’s collection, including works by Anish Kapoor, Olafur Eliasson, and Sean Scully, is displayed across four floors of this restored 17th-century Baroque building with a number of site-specific works executed spectacularly in the space.
At Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia you will find a large collection of Joaquín Sorolla’s luminous works as well as the other Spanish greats like El Greco, Goya, and Velázquez—minus the hordes found in Madrid—while at Museo Nacional de Cerámica y Artes Suntuarias the extravagant Baroque mansion is as impressive as its ceramic collection, Spain’s largest.
Today, Valencia’s rich ceramic heritage is being reinvented by innovative artisans such as Ana Illueca and Raquel Vidal and Pedro Paz of Canoa Lab, whose work is available to view and purchase through studio visits. Beyond this, Valencia excels in historic shops (try Abanicos Carbonell for handmade fans and Sombreros Albero for hats) while the Ruzafa district is ripe for a vintage rummage—especially LAKA and Madame Mim.
Part of the charm of visiting Valencia is about embracing the local, slower pace. This is no better exhibited than in the Turia Gardens, the park stretching over nine kilometers that snakes through the city where joining the locals for a stroll, picnic, or cycle ride is always a good idea.