La capital del Turia

One of the added perks of having family come to stay with us is that we down-tools and get some time to do the touristy things too, both locally and further afield.

After spending a few days with us at Casa de Olivos touring the beautiful Costa del Azahar beaches, Claire’s son and his girlfriend needed to get to Valencia airport to fly home to Manchester. Ever on the lookout for a reason to go and see this beautiful city, we volunteered to drive them there, allowing us a final day together shopping and sightseeing, before sending them on their way that evening.

Just an hour and forty-five minutes after leaving Casa de Olivos we were parked in a central underground carpark just a few minutes walk to the heart of Valencia.

If you’ve never been to Valencia before, it is definitely worth a visit. Even if you have been before, it is always worth another look! Vibrant and bustling like any good city should be, Valencia is wonderfully compact meaning you can comfortably walk the Cuitat Vella (old town) and beyond, teeming with shops, bars, restaurants and some beautiful architecture.  

We made a bee-line for the grand Central Merkat. Housed in a 100-year old Art Nouveau masterpiece it is brim full with local produce, food, drink, and much more. We came specifically to refill our bottle with Vermouth from Benvolgut. This family business makes artisanal Vermut and appetisers with local ingredients and a good dollop of panache, and we love their aperitif over ice while we watch the sun set from our terrace. Bring your empty bottle(s) back to the market and they will refill them for you, so the glass doesn’t even need to be recycled. Alex was on hand to help with the refill as well as some suggestions for a martini cocktail and a sangria mix that we haven’t tried yet.

After a bit of clothes shopping it was time for a well-deserved lunch. Valencia has its share of restaurant chains, but the best food and atmosphere will always be in the myriad independent bars and restaurants. Ours picked itself as it was right outside the last clothes shop we left, but you could spend a lifetime scouting out a favourite spot. A huge glass of Agua de Valencia or Valencian Water – don’t be fooled by the name since there’s precious little water in this refreshing cocktail – preceded a lovely relaxed lunch in the shade of street trees while we watched Valencian life walk by.

Had we more time, we could have headed to the beach, walked any number of museums and historic buildings, visited a gallery or just soaked up more of the Valencian atmosphere. But our travellers needed to make their way to the airport, so we headed back to the car. Its only a 20 minute drive from the city centre to the airport, drop-off is free (up to 15 minutes) and we said our goodbyes before making our own way home. A perfect day-trip to Valencia, and we’re already planning our next one!

Combining a city break with a rural escape is so easy here. Rail and road links to Barcelona or Valencia are excellent and Casa de Olivos sits in the middle of them both. Maybe your next break could be multi-centre holiday too?

Claire & Ed