Valencia; a fantastic city break

Tracey Blackman on 08 August 2016
Valencia sits on the shores of the Mediterranean. It is the third largest city in Spain after Madrid and Barcelona and it has an amazing climate from between 15c to 31c only having around 4/5 weeks a year when it rains and is cooler.

We went with some dear friends for a long weekend and at only just over two hours flying time it is perfect for a short break. We stayed at a superb hotel and I really would recommend it to anyone because of location. Westin Valencia has a wonderful courtyard where you can sit and have a drink, a good sized swimming pool and gym if you have any energy after a busy day in the city. There is free Wi-Fi, good sized bedrooms and a breakfast that had everything, even sparkling wine.

Valencia is very pretty with coloured stone buildings, a lovely square with an amazing Basilica and a fountain. You can happily sit and have a drink and people watch. Valencia is full of coffee shops and gorgeous pastries and has a very strong coffee culture.

There is a wonderful park in Valencia called the Bio Parc. Unlike any zoo I have been to, the animals are separated but by low fences so you can see them all very closely and fences are hidden. We spent most of the day here and the giraffes and gorillas were my favourite. There is also Oceanografic to go and see and we saw a Beluga whale, an amazing dolphin show and the animals were very well looked after.

Also you can spend the day on the beach which is only 10 minutes by car from the hotel or hop on a bus which is easy and also very cheap. You can go shopping and then if you want go to the beach - perfect.

Valencia has one of the oldest food markets in the Mediterranean and it really is worth a visit. Seeing all the lovely local produce and meat and fish presented beautifully, you can then sit with a drink and tapas inside out of the sun and soak up all the hustle and bustle. A wonderful place.

Outside there were people playing music and we sat and ate tapas and paella, a very famous rice dish from this region. The local drink is a sparkling wine with freshly squeezed oranges. Careful as it’s a little too easy to drink! The wine is very good too.

Valencia has such a lot to offer; culture, food, and climate. It’s very good value and only a short flight for us. This is a destination I have booked a lot since I got back and we will definitely be going to again in the future.