9 Must-Dos in Valencia

Fireworks, parades, hipster restaurants: Valencia is a hive of activity, history and newness. Here are few of the must see places and a few hidden gems!

Valencia: renowned for oranges, fireworks and paella. This third largest city on Spain sure has a reputation for being full of fun with festivals like Las Fallas and La Tomatina in the region. This town is so jam packed with exciting things to do its hard to narrow it down sometimes. So here is my top 9 must-dos in Valencia.

1. Explore the City with a Free Walking Tour

Most cities these days offer a free walking tour where you pay what you think is fair at the end. Valencia is no exception with a few different options available including both Spanish and English speaking tours. To join one of these tours you will need to sign up online and then you will receive a confirmation email. The Valencia Essentials Tour is a great way to get a cultural and historic orientation of the city with entertaining and informative guides. It lasts for around 2.5 hours and is a great way to kick off your time in the city. The overview also gives you an idea of what you might like to revisit and spend more time doing.

2. Stroll through Turia Park and the City of Arts and Sciences

Turia Park is the old river bed of the River Turia redirected after the devastating flood in 1957. The amazing transformation is now a beautiful green space with ponds, playgrounds, sporting courts, bike paths and more. The City of Arts and Sciences is the jewel in this cities crown. This part of the park is a stunning feat of modern architecture and worth a look during the day and at night. If the walk is too far (the City of Arts and Sciences is outside the city), there are many buses that will take you there for only 1.50 euro.

3. Check out the Fallas Museum

Every March, Valencia turns into a fiery party town to welcome in the new season. This celebration revolves around ninots, 7 metre high figures, that are set alight on St Josephs Day. These ninots are usually satirical in nature and draw on popular culture, politics and exotic creatures as inspiration. Even if you aren't there during Las Fallas, you can get a taste of the festivities by heading to the Fallas Museum. Here you will find a history of the festival and examples of unburned ninots chosen by the falleros who created them so you can marvel at the amount of work that goes into these. The museum is located near the City of Arts and Sciences and open daily from 10am except for Mondays.

4. Wander Through Russafa

Russafa is a relatively newly gentrified barrio that is now home to a wealth of cafes and restaurants with a hipster vibe. This is one of the best places to spend the day cafe hopping and exploring the quirky shops before getting a few drinks and evening meal. Afterwards, you can chill in some of the bars and enjoy a craft beer at Ruzanuvol (one of the only places to do this in Valencia). Finally, I suggest ending with a late night gelato at Good Stuff for this authentic Italian treat.

5. Drink Horchata

Horchata, or orxata, is a plant-based drink made from the chufa, or tiger nut. Originating from Egypt, the chufa are now grown and harvested in Valencia. While you can also find horchata in Mexico, however, this drink is rice based rather than chufa. The Spanish version is often sweeter than the Mexican horchata, meaning less sweetener is needed. Fresh horchata is available from mid-March to the end of summer. It can also be found in supermarkets in pasteurised, powdered or concentrated form. Santa Catalina Horchateria has over two centuries of history and arguably serves the best horchata in Valencia at a slightly inflated price. This drink is a MUST when visiting Valencia not just because of its taste, but also its added health benefits. A traveller's dream drink.

6. Climb Micalet Tower

For a fantastic birdseye view of Valencia and a spot of people-watching from above, head to Plaça de la Reina where you can climb Torre del Micalet. This climb is not for the faint-hearted but is worth it if you feel up to the 207 step ascent. The cityscape and blue domes are quite a sight and glimpses of the Mediterranean Sea make it worth the trip up. Do leave yourself enough time to enjoy and descend (around 20 mins). Celebrate with an ice cold horchata after!

7. Enjoy Mercat Colon

This gorgeous converted market found in the fashionable Ensanche district, now houses gourmet markets, restaurants, cafes and bars with a chilled out vibe. Built between 1914 and 1916 by a student of Gaudi, it is easy to see the influence in the design of this building with the Valencian Art Nouveau facade. The market was then completely refurbished in 2003 to become the gastro market you see today. Perfect to visit any time of the day for breakfast, lunch or dinner. While the restaurants have fewer vegan options, the food stalls have plenty of fresh fruit and veg. It is still a great place for people-watching and enjoying drinks in such a fabulous building.

8. Savour REAL Paella and Agua de Valencia

You can't visit the birthplace of this famed Spanish dish without trying a veggie version! Many places in town now offer a vegetarian/vegan paella so we no longer miss out! For the freshest paella head to El Palmar in Albufera, nestled amongst the rice fields. Its hard to find a bad paella in Valencia because the recipe is standardised due to its integral part in Valencian culture. Do look out for the toasted rice at the bottom of the pan, called socarrat, as this is the sign of a good paella. It makes sense to wash this down with Valencia's version of the Mimosa, Agua de Valencia. Created in 1952, this cocktail consists of Cava (Spanish sparkling wine), gin, vodka, orange juice (Valencian, of course!) and a little sugar.

9. Head to Malvarrosa Beach

Playa de la Malvarrosa is one of the closest beaches to the City of Valencia and can be reached by bus or if you like to walk it takes about an hour. While not as breathtakingly beautiful as some beaches, the long promenade and various cafes and restaurants along the waterfront will certainly give you those beach holiday feels. The relaxing ocean air and an espresso by the beach makes it seem as though its not even part of the city. Further south you will come across El Cabanyal (the new hipster area) with even more restaurants and cafes in leafy surrounds. Thursdays hosts a street market with both old and new items for sale. If thrifting and refashioning is your thing, I would completely recommend this market where you can certainly bag yourself a deal. Just be prepared to rummage!

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What are your must-dos for Valencia?