Valencia, Spain

Thank you for posting this question. This is an excellent opportunity for Travel Forum members to assst you in planning a Valencia adventure as the Rick Steves Spain Guidebook does not include one word on Spain's third largest city.

You will probably get more responses if you post in the Spain forum
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/spain

I'll give you a few ideas, based on our visit at the end of 2024. This was my third time in Valencia so we took it pretty easy and did not cover all the main sights. On this trip we began with a night in Madrid, then train to Cuenca for three nights, followed by nine in Valencia and five in Denia, returning to Valencia the night before our flight back to New York. We had a car only for the portion from Valencia to Denia and back.

The central food market is well worth a visit, for the building as well as for the food itself. But I was put off by the frequent announcements telling visitors not to touch, and the many signs prohibiting photos of many of the stalls.
A great place for a drink, snack or lunch inside is BAR CENTRAL. Go before noon or prepare to wait a few minutes for a spot along the counter. Try the ensaladilla and one of their sandwiches; I loved the Ricard Camarena sandwich, named after the owner/chef: pork loin, mayo, and mustard. Fantabulous!!!!

Be sure to book in advance, online, for the HORTENSIA HERRERA museum of modern art. Fantastic collection of names famous and not-so-famous. Not just paintings, but I will not spoil the surprise.

Next door is a small shop, to the left of the entrance, that sells clothing of natural fibers, and small accessories, by small Spanish designers, many from Valencia. Moderate prices.

Do not miss the Lonja de la Seda, the silk exchange and what may be the most thrilling church in Spain, the San Nicola, dubbed the "Sistine Chapel of Valencia," for good reason, I think.

One of the most memorable, and fun, things we did (two days in a row!) was to take a taxi (train also possible) to the outskirts where the hamlet of Meliana is home to probably the best rice restaurants in the area. Paella is only one of the rice dishes on offer, and you choose your rice dish when you book your table, as preparation is lengthy. Paella is eaten almost always eaten for lunch; be wary of restaurants offering this for dinner, as they will almost always be aimed at non-discriminating tourists. One exception to this is LLISA NEGRA, the restaurant of one of this coast's most famous chefs. It's in the center and they do serve rice at dinner. One of the best meals we had on this trip.

If you go to Meliana, by taxi or train, for paella or other rice (18-20 euro taxi; trains from Nord station much less) the two restaurants we absolutely loved were these: NAPICOL and CA PEPICA. Both are outstanding and ignored by the vast majority of tourists.

Be sure to go out to the former fisherman's barrio, the now-gentrifying El Cabanyal, for at least one meal and a walk around this still small village at the edge of the city. ten minutes by taxi from center and there is also a bus.

I wrote about our meal there, and our other meals, here, with some photos added:

https://www.hungryonion.org/t/valencia-paella-etc-11-12-24/41345

MODERATOR: Please move this to section on Spain. Thanks!!