For 91 Days in Valencia

Adventures, anecdotes and advice from three months exploring Valencia

For 91 Days, we explored sunny Valencia, home of paella and the third-largest city in Spain. We already knew Valencia well… in fact it’s our adopted home, and is the place we return to whenever we’re taking a break from traveling. But for this special three-month period, we tried to see the city through the eyes of newcomers.

Whether you're planning your own journey to Valencia, or just interested in seeing what makes it our favorite city in the world, our articles and photographs should help you out.

The Glory of the Baroque: The Iglesia de San Martín

Back in 2010, Valencia unveiled the results of an effort to restore three of its most impressive Baroque-era churches: the San Martín, San Esteban and San Juan de la Cruz, all located a short distance from each other in the city center. If any of these had been my childhood church, I might have grown up with a different idea of "God": not some wizened, white-bearded grump sitting on a cloud, but a flamboyant show-off with a flair for the extravagant.

La Lonja de la Seda

Directly across from the Mercado Central, La Lonja de la Seda (Silk Exchange) is Valencia's most historic building, and its only UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built between 1482 and 1548 at the height of Valencia's Golden Age, the Lonja is like a church devoted to the god of commerce.

Corpus Christi in Valencia

With a history reaching back to 1263, Corpus Christi is perhaps Valencia's oldest festival, and remains one of its most popular. Occurring 60 days after Easter, the festival is held in honor of the Eucharist, but really it just provides another excuse for Valencians to get out on the street and have a good time.

The MuVIM and the Parque del Hospital

The MuVIM, or Museu Valencià de la Il·lustració i la Modernitat, is located in the park where the city's first public hospital was built, in the 14th century. Today, the municipal library occupies the former hospital building.

Getting Around Valencia

From train and plane, to bus and bike, there are a number of ways to get to Valencia and travel around once there. The following is a quick rundown of what you need to know about transportation in Spain's third-biggest city.

The Sierra Calderona and the Mirador de Garbi

Valencia is a relatively flat city, but it's surrounded by mountain ranges. The closest is the Sierra Calderona, an hour's drive northwest. We spent a day hiking in the hills and ended up at the Mirador de Garbi, a natural rocky outcrop with astounding views of the Mediterranean Sea.

L’Oceanogràfic – Europe’s Biggest Aquarium

L'Oceanogràfic opened its doors in 2003, and was an immediate hit. The price of entrance isn't cheap, but you could easily spend all day here. And you'll need to, if you plan on seeing everything. This is the largest oceanarium in Europe, with sections dedicated to the Red Sea, the Arctic, the Mediterranean, coral reefs, mangrove forests, tropical waters and the oceans. There's an auditorium, a dolphinarium, a spherical bird sanctuary and multiple restaurants. Grumble about the ticket price all you want, but by the end of the day it's hard to deny you got your money's worth.

The IVAM – Valencia’s Institute of Modern Art

When the Institut Valencià d'Art Modern opened its doors in 1989, it was Spain's first museum dedicated to modern art. Found on the western corner of the old town, bordering the Turia riverbed, the IVAM is probably Valencia's most important and popular museum.

The Mercado Central

With hundreds of stalls selling fruits, veggies and meat, Valencia's Mercado Central is among the largest fresh food markets in Europe. And although it has become one of the city's principal tourist attractions, it's remained popular among locals as well, many of whom do their everyday shopping here.

The Turia Riverbed Park

Once upon a time, not actually all that long ago, Valencia's historic center was bordered to the north by the Turia River. Although it was normally a benevolent presence, the Turia was given to sporadic fits of rage. And after a deadly flood in 1957, Valencia decided to remove the threat once and for all.