Top reasons to visit Valencia on any trip to Spain

Most visitors to Spain don’t leave without a trip to bustling Barcelona or majestic Madrid, but the country’s third-largest city, Valencia, is also well worth adding to any Spanish itinerary. The sunny city attracts only a fraction of the visitors that the larger two destinations draw each year, but is set to start hogging the limelight soon as more and more travelers discovers its charms and increasing numbers of vacationers look for low-key holiday spots to chill out in. 
 

The destination happens to be home to a lovely historic quarter, top food and drink scene, modern museum, pretty beach, and fantastic events. If you’re looking for a more laid-back Spanish hot spot to check out on your next trip to this part of the Mediterranean, you won’t be disappointed by Valencia. Read on for some of the best drawcards in Valencia you don’t want to miss.
 

If you love wandering around fresh food markets while on holidays, then don’t miss a visit to Mercardo Central. Valencia’s central market is housed within a beautiful cathedral-style building that was built in 1928 and features stained-glass windows decorated with the oranges that this part of the world is famous for. Visit this market and you can also admire the lovely iron, glass and ceramic domes of the building.
 

Within the light and airy Mercado Central you’ll find around 400 small traders selling a cornucopia of fresh, local produce. Buy up big on fish, fruit and vegetables, meat, offal, sweets and treats (including savoury doughnuts not to miss), bread, and more. Many of the businesses have been plying their wares here for generations, including the well-regarded Manglano charcuterie.
 

If you’ve always wanted to try out the meals of a Michelin-starred chef but haven’t had the funds or been in the right location to do so, you’ll also be pleased to know that this market is home to a stall selling samples of Chef Ricard Camarena’s food. He is Michelin-starred for his eponymous restaurant but diners can enjoy trying out some of his cuisine on the cheap at the market.
 

Culture lovers are advised to spend some time exploring Valencia’s principal museum, the Museo de las Ciencias Principe Felipe. A science museum situated within an intriguing space that looks a little like a whale’s skeleton, the venue is perfect for both children and adults alike. 
 

The museum is one of the most visited destinations in Spain, receiving more than 30 million visitors since it was inaugurated 15 years ago. The facility aims to stimulate critical thinking and curiosity in its many visitors, doing so through interactive exhibits and surprising yet amusing integrations of technology, the environment, and science.
 

At the museum, you can experience simulated zero gravity by watching a video filmed during missions completed by the European Space Agency, which is streamed to the relaxing soundtrack of “Gymnopedie No. 1” by Erik Satie. 
 

As well, check out the giant pendulum swings on the first floor. These swing from the ceiling in hypnotic rhythm, set to mimic the rotation of the Earth. The “Science on Stage” exhibit is also well worth buying tickets for. Here you can watch live experiments on biology, chemistry, physics and sound for just a few dollars.
 

During a visit to the museum, you can also take a guided tour of the facility and its grounds, as well as rest for a while in the on-site restaurant or cafeteria, or look for interesting take-home items in the bookshop.
 

If you can, plan to visit Valencia during the spring festival of Las Fallas de San Jose. Held each year during March, for around five days, the festival is pagan in origins but was later appropriated by the Catholic church. Named for San Jose (Saint Joseph), who is the patron saint of carpenters, the festival began back in the Middle Ages and celebrated the end of the dark, cold working days of winter.
 

Las Fallas de San Jose features an interesting mix of celebrations, including street parties, pyrotechnics, and the all-important final night bonfire that the festival is named after. On the last night of the event, fallas (the expensive, massive sculptures painstakingly built from wood, papier-mache and polystyrene by local community groups) are burnt to the ground in a series of giant bonfires. The spectacle of the blazes is accompanied by brass bands, and carefully supervised by a team of roving fire-fighters who ensure the fires do not get out of control.