Valencia tourist information
Valencia can be a city of clichés: the light, the moon, the gun-powder, the paella, the flowers, the fallas... they are keys which attempt to explain what words cannot tell. It is necessary to visit and get to know Valencia to verify that centenary traditions live together with modernity; that sea and city are compatible; that the green colour of farms can be kept together with a modern urban scheme; that Valencia is unique at night and during the day. But the capital of the river Turia is more than that. In addition to the innumerable attractions which the city has had for years, now there is a series of showy infrastructures such as the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (City of Arts and Sciences) and the Museo Príncipe Felipe (Prince Philip Museum) which, as they are located in this environment, are linked to culture. Valencia has put the icing on the cake, although it will not have a rest and will go on decorating its succulent presentation.
Traditional items of sale add a charming touch to city centre streets where goldsmiths' shops, bookshops and antique shops can be found, and in which every type of handicraft article typical of the city can be acquired. Traditional hand-painted fans with ribs of ivory or exotic wood are a speciality of Valencia craftsmanship and are a most sought-after article. It is precisely the same type of wood that is worked on to produce other handmade items such as guitars and castanets among other things. The traditional production of silk and leather goods has adapted itself these days to everything that is handmade for the "Fallas" such that these handicrafts have a new and flourishing outlet. At the same time, there is an abundance of shops that specialize in lace and wickerwork in which every type of article can be found, from textiles to handmade furniture. Elsewhere, Valencia's production of ceramic articles is outstanding as one of the city's oldest and most traditional activities. The pottery and the porcelain typical of the city and the towns of the province is characterized most of all by the use of blue on white, particularly beautiful for the metallic sheen that is given off.
Enjoying the perfect layout of each of the 18 holes of the El Saler golf course - recognized by experts as being one of the best in Europe -, learning how to sail a yacht or taking part in some of the most important regattas on the international calendar, riding a horse, flying in an ultralight, doing excursions by light aircraft or obtaining your pilot' s licence : these are just some of the sporting possibilities that Valencia offers. Practising your swimming, playing tennis or paddle or fronton or mini-golf in any of the many public and private installations to be found in the city, or just watching an exciting game of Valencia pelota all go to complete the list of leisure activities on offer to you.
A modern, bustling port divides the sea front of Valencia into two main sections. To the north lies an attractive promenade along the most urban and popular beaches: Malvarrosa, Cabañal and Las Arenas. The beach itself has full facilities in addition to the wide range of bars, restaurants and leisure activities which transform the area into a hive of activity 24 hours a day in the hottest months. To the south lies Pinedo, a quiet beach leading onto the beautiful, fine sand beaches of El Saler and Devesa, sheltered from westerly winds by a strip of sand dunes and pine trees. They also have the great advantage of being situated in the Albufera Nature Reserve, one of the finest natural settings along this coastline. Besides swimming and sunbathing, the beaches in Valencia are the scene of a great variety of activities. Its 15 km of beach are ideal for windsurfing, sailing and dinghy sailing in the yacht club. The El Saler golf course on the very edge of the sea is one of the best in Europe, and just a few metres away lies a leisure complex for riding, playing tennis and pelota, or taking a traditional boat ride around the Albufera lake itself.
Many and varied are the events offered in Valencia throughout the year. Music, painting, sculpture, theatre, cinema.....cultural events take over the city . Amongst the most outstanding that the Turia capital offers is the "Mostra de Valencia : Cinema del Mediterrani" spread over November and December, a consolidated film festival that turns the city into a "must-be-visited" by the industry' s professionals and the glamorous touch of actors and actresses alike.
Every two years, during the months from June to October, Valencia celebrates the "Bienal" which is one of the most outstanding cultural events held in the city.
During the month of July, shows, performances and concerts succeed each other in the "Feria de Julio", or July Fair which is held in the Paseo de la Alameda and the Viveros Gardens. Elsewhere, the "Pasarela del Carme", the city's leading fashion show held in May and June every year, has become a date not to be missed by prominent fashion designers keen to show their latest creations.
Alex de la Iglesia figures on the list of those who have triumphed at the International Festival of "Cine Cinema Jove". This young director from Bilbao took part in 1991, and the contest is still as fresh and up-to-date now as it was then. During the summer, the Valencia Film Library puts on open-air films in the gardens of the "Palau" concert hall, over and above the programmes it usually has planned.
n the autumn, winter and spring, the finest performers of ancient music visit Valencia to take part in the city's "International Festival of Ancient Music", which is held in several different venues. In April, it is much more modern music that draws people to the "International Festival of Contemporary Music", in which chamber orchestras, soloists and full orchestras from all over the world take part.
Every Sunday from October to June, performances are put on in the Plaza de la Virgen as part of the folkloric "Festival balls valencians al carrer", whilst contemporary dance holds the stage in the months of April and May in the "Danza Valenciana" contest. Modern technology also has a date in Valencia when the "Campus Party" is held in August, one of the biggest get-togethers by Internet users anywhere.
Valencia's gastronomy is based on natural products that are at the origin of the so-called Mediterranean diet, a healthy cuisine simply prepared. For this reason, the local countryside and the sea are the main providers for Valencia recipes, outstanding of which is the "paella", which can be of meat, shellfish or mixed, holding pride of place on the menu. Rice, of course, is also used in a majority of typical dishes, prepared in a wide variety of ways from rice in the oven (al horno), "a banda", prepared with fish, or also black rice done in squid's ink in which it is served. Fish is the main item in many typical recipes such as "all i pebre", a dish of eels seasoned with garlic and pepper, or "fideuà", made of noodles in fish and shellfish broth. Valencia also offers a wide variety of sweetmeats which, for the most part, are based on cereals and nuts as inherited from Moorish culture. To be tried are the "rosegons", the "arrop i talladetes", or the pastries made of the extract of a kind of sweet potato called a boniato and "cabello de angel" or "angel's hair", made from the extract of a type of local melon. These are popular at Christmas time. As for produce to be drunk, a wine list exists with a guarantee of origin whose texture and taste have already carried its fame beyond Valencia' s borders. A glass can also be filled with "Valencia water", a mixed drink of orange juice and sparkling wine which adds a delicious touch to Valencia's gastronomy.
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